Environmental

  • September 29, 2026

    Groups Say Calif. Biogas Credits Incentivize More Methane

    Four environmental groups accused California regulators of violating state law by allowing factory farm biogas producers to receive carbon credits — a practice they said is notionally aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions but in reality incentivizes more methane production.

  • September 29, 2026

    NHTSA Fuel Economy Regs Overhaul Crushes EV Ambitions

    The elimination of strict federal mandates for higher fuel efficiency in new cars crushes momentum for the U.S. auto industry to pivot toward alternative-powered vehicles, ensuring that manufacturers will again be caught in litigation limbo as environmental groups prepare challenges to seemingly inconsequential standards with no penalties, experts say.

  • September 29, 2026

    FCC Looking To Duck Mandamus In 2021 RF Exposure Order

    Five years after the D.C. Circuit told the FCC it needed to provide more in-depth reasoning for why it believes cellphones and other wireless devices don't pose a risk to humans, the agency is arguing it needs more time to sort out a response.

  • September 29, 2026

    Suit Accuses USDA Of Unlawfully Gutting Aid For Rural Solar

    A coalition including farm and renewable energy trade groups has accused the Trump administration of abruptly and unlawfully making most solar projects ineligible for a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant and loan program created to advance renewable energy in rural areas.

  • September 29, 2026

    Ford Hybrid Engine Fire Defect Suit Gets Trimmed

    A proposed class action against Ford Motor Co. was trimmed from 11 to two plaintiffs Tuesday after a Michigan federal judge concluded that merely owning a recalled vehicle without an actual defect manifestation is insufficient to establish an injury.

  • September 29, 2026

    LA Seeks Groundwater Cleanup Costs From Manufacturers

    Los Angeles sued several manufacturers over alleged groundwater contamination from three industrial sites, saying its water department has been saddled with millions of dollars in cleanup costs in the San Fernando Basin.

  • September 29, 2026

    Colo. Says DHS, ICE Flouted Notice Laws For Detention Site

    Colorado urged a federal judge to nullify a government contract for the renovation and operation of a federal immigrant detention facility northeast of Denver, alleging Tuesday that federal agencies flouted their legal obligations to conduct an environmental analysis and to notify the public about the planned facility's environmental impact.

  • September 28, 2026

    Alito Makes Last-Minute Recusal From Colo. Climate Case

    Justice Samuel Alito on Monday recused himself from the city and county of Boulder, Colorado's climate change tort lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corp. and Suncor Energy, just a week before the case is set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • September 28, 2026

    Wash. Can Pursue Gold Mine Pollution Claims, 9th Circ. Says

    A Ninth Circuit panel revived Washington state's Clean Water Act lawsuit against the operator of the Buckhorn Mountain gold mine Monday, reversing a district court's ruling that the state's claims were barred because of another plaintiff's settlement in the consolidated case.

  • September 28, 2026

    Lucid Investors Get Class Cert. In Production Forecast Suit

    Investors in electric-vehicle maker Lucid Group Inc. were granted class certification in their suit alleging they suffered damages when the company disclosed it was not on track to meet its 2022 vehicle output projections.

  • September 28, 2026

    Newsom Signs Calif. Pesticide PFAS Tracking Bill Into Law

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law new regulations requiring state officials to track and publicly disclose when pesticides that are used on state produce contain "forever chemicals."

  • September 28, 2026

    Insurer Gets Hotel Co.'s $12.5M Storm Loss Suit Trimmed

    A North Carolina federal court on Monday tossed a hotel group's claim that a Liberty Mutual unit committed unfair and deceptive trade practices in violation of state law after it denied the group's $12.5 million business interruption loss claim stemming from Hurricane Helene.

  • September 28, 2026

    DOT Finalizes Rollback Of Biden-Era Fuel Economy Rules

    The Trump administration on Monday finalized its rollback of Biden-era fuel economy standards for passenger cars and light trucks, easing mandates for manufacturers to improve the miles-per-gallon efficiency of their fleets and decelerating U.S. adoption of electric vehicles.

  • September 28, 2026

    Boston Sues Over DOT Grant Cut Tied To EV Chargers

    The city of Boston brought a lawsuit in federal court Monday alleging the Trump administration canceled a $20 million road improvement grant because of electric vehicle infrastructure that was only "a fraction of 1%" of the project.

  • September 28, 2026

    FTC Touts 'Dismantling' Of Corteva's Pesticide Rebates

    The Federal Trade Commission on Monday touted its new settlement with Corteva Inc. for severely constricting the pesticide company's ability to pay distributors a loyalty rebate in exchange for limiting sales of cheaper generics, the latest in a string of agreements Trump-era antitrust enforcers have struck ending existing claims.

  • September 28, 2026

    US Pitches $2.1M Settlement For Hess Permit Violations

    The Trump administration has asked a Louisiana federal judge to approve a $2.1 million settlement agreement with Hess Corp. for hundreds of alleged permit violations at oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico over a five-year span.

  • September 28, 2026

    Nebraska Utility Seeks To Lift Block On Power Line Permit

    The Nebraska Public Power District is asking a Colorado district court to dissolve an order that partially blocked the federal government's approval of a 226-mile, 345-kilovolt electricity transmission line in the Nebraska Sandhills, saying a supplemental memo now explains why the project is an essential response to an energy emergency.

  • September 25, 2026

    Corteva Will Pay $35M To Resolve FTC Pesticide Rebate Case

    Corteva Inc. has agreed to pay $35 million to put to rest allegations from the Federal Trade Commission and a slew of states that the pesticide-maker blocked competition from generic rivals through the use of loyalty rebates, according to a motion filed in North Carolina federal court Friday.

  • September 25, 2026

    X.AI Sued Over Memphis-Area Data Center Noise

    Elon Musk's Colossus data centers and other xAI-operated facilities are "wreaking havoc" on Memphis-area communities, according to a federal lawsuit filed by homeowners who claim they are "plagued by excessive and offensive noise" at all hours.

  • September 25, 2026

    Okla. Meat Processor Stinks, Neighbors Say

    Residents of a small town in Oklahoma say they are being "physically invaded by noxious odors" wafting from a meat processing plant owned by ESRO Food Group, according to a proposed federal class action lawsuit that claims the smell has harmed more than 1,300 nearby homes.

  • September 25, 2026

    Tribes Say Gold Mine Spill Study 'Still Falls Very Short'

    A court-ordered federal study says a hypothetical major waste spill at a proposed Alaska gold mine could leave parts of a nearby village uninhabitable and cause lasting harm to fish habitat, but tribal opponents say the analysis still does not show the full extent of the danger.

  • September 25, 2026

    US To Appeal Calif. Wind Farm's $49.4M In Cash Grants

    The federal government will appeal the U.S. Court of Federal Claims' July approval of $49.4 million in additional renewable energy cash grants to the country's second-largest wind farm, which has been embroiled in a decade-old dispute over the funds, according to a filing Friday.

  • September 25, 2026

    Driscoll's Hit With NY Suit Over Alleged PFAS On Berries

    A consumer on Thursday hit California-based Driscoll's Inc. with a proposed class action in New York federal court, alleging the berry-producing giant failed to disclose the presence of PFAS residue from pesticides on its strawberries.

  • September 25, 2026

    Acquittal Bid In Okla. Bid-Rigging Conviction Denied

    An Oklahoma federal court has rejected an acquittal bid from a man convicted of participating in an erosion control company's bid-rigging conspiracy that allegedly affected over $100 million in publicly funded transportation construction contracts.

  • September 25, 2026

    Telecom Says 2023 Discovery Bars Wash. Tribe's Burial Claims

    A telecommunications company has argued the clock ran out last year on the Lummi Nation's claims of Washington Indian Graves and Records Act violations, and asked a Washington federal judge to dismiss the tribe's suit.

Expert Analysis

  • Checking For AI Errors Is Now A Two-Way Street

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    A handful of recent federal and state cases demonstrate the importance of checking for errors generated by artificial intelligence not only in your own court submissions, but also your opponent's, as well as when catching opposing counsel's AI mistakes could result in an award for attorney fees, says Tamara Barago at Hollingsworth.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Shoring Up Corporate Law In Maryland

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    Launched more than 20 years ago to improve complex corporate adjudication, Maryland's Business and Technology Case Management Program has been a solid success in some areas, but there always is room for improvement, says Bill Krulak at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • State Enviro Agencies Give Cosmetics Regulation A Makeover

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    As state oversight of cosmetics rapidly expands, the new statutes and regulations governing these products are being implemented by environmental agencies rather than consumer product regulators, requiring manufacturers, distributors and retailers to reevaluate their supply chains and procedures, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Federal Officer Removal After Justices' La. Pollution Ruling

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    In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Chevron USA v. Plaquemines Parish, companies seeking to use federal officer removal to move litigation out of state court should ask three questions, focusing on government contract language, federally directed activity and related conduct, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • Series

    Competing At Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing poker in male-dominated rooms taught me to treat skepticism as background noise when my opponents seem to underestimate me, to apply pressure when it matters and to adapt without losing strategic discipline — skills that are all indispensable in restructuring and insolvency matters, says Alexis Gambale at Pashman Stein.

  • 5 Things Associates Must Ask About Their Firm's Merger Plan

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    The associates who navigate law firm mergers best ask the right questions early, such as inquiring about partners' plans, to assess how the merger could affect their workflow and career path, says Jackie Bokser-LeFebvre at Major Lindsey.

  • 2 'Rocket Dockets' And The Rules That Propel Them

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    The fastest civil trial courts in the country are currently in the Eastern District of Virginia and the Southern District of Florida, and their chief judges provide insights into the court rules that keep them ahead, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Why Nuclear Licensees Must Watch 2nd Circ.'s Holtec Review

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    In reviewing a New York federal court's preemption ruling concerning disposal of nuclear materials, the Second Circuit must confront the lower court's recognition of a purpose-based path to field preemption, which could be game-changing for nuclear material licensees, says Andrew Averbach at Womble Bond.

  • Your Next Litigation Hold Should Cover AI Chat Logs

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    The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent decision in Fortis Advisors v. Krafton to treat a CEO’s artificial intelligence chats as substantive evidence is being read as a discovery warning to litigators, but there is a second duty-to-preserve lesson that is especially pertinent to in-house counsel, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Series

    Studying Foreign Languages Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Studying Italian and Japanese has shown me that learning a new language can benefit a legal career in several ways, including by demonstrating the importance of approaching problems from a fresh perspective and the value of practicing patience with colleagues and clients, says Anna King at Genworth Financial.

  • Del. Justices' Ripeness Ruling Shields Advance Notice Bylaws

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    The Delaware Supreme Court’s recent decision dismissing two AES and Owens Corning stockholder challenges of advance notice bylaws as unripe provides corporations more room to insulate their nomination procedures from activist pressure, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • Looking Beyond Calif. Climate Laws As NY Bills Advance

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    California's climate disclosure legislation has made emissions and risk reporting a practical reality — and now that New York is working on its own climate disclosure bills, companies must confront a future in which compliance systems will need to be ready for multiple states' reporting regimes, says Thierry Montoya at FBT Gibbons.

  • Series

    NY Times Word Puzzles Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Every morning I let The New York Times humble me with word games, which offer a chance to recalibrate my brain before the day's chaos arrives and remind me that a solution — whether to a puzzle or employment law issue — almost always exists once I find the right angle, says Amy Epstein Gluck at Pierson Ferdinand.

  • Data Center Developer Lessons From Maine's Vetoed Ban

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    The regulatory and political dynamics that recently led Maine’s governor to veto a popular bipartisan bill proposing a temporary data center development ban offer a useful template that developers can use to help their projects survive other states' attempts at moratoriums, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lesson: Diagnose Before Arguing

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    Law school often skips over explicitly teaching students how to determine what kind of problem a case presents before they commit to a particular doctrinal path, which risks building arguments that are internally coherent but externally misaligned, says Melanie Oxhorn at Kobre & Kim.

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