Analysis

7 Enviro Cases To Watch At The Supreme Court

By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a slew of environmental cases for the coming term, including jurisdiction disputes in pipeline and pollution cases, a challenge to a Washington State climate change law and Monsanto's bid to undo a $1.2 million weed killer cancer award.

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11th Circ. Urged To Revisit Pause Of 'Alligator Alcatraz' Suit

By Carolina Bolado

Environmental groups and a Florida tribe challenging the immigration detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" have asked the Eleventh Circuit to reconsider its order pausing the case while Florida appeals a preliminary injunction, arguing that it is "overbroad, unnecessary and prejudicial."

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Tribes, Enviro Orgs. Urge 9th Circ. To Halt Oak Flat Land Swap

By Crystal Owens

The U.S. and a copper mining company can't defend a federal law authorizing a land exchange in Arizona's Tonto National Forest, conservation groups and an Apache tribe told the Ninth Circuit on Monday, arguing that requirements for mining the site are unmet due to an inadequate final environmental impact statement.

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New York State And Mohawk Tribe Settle 43-Year Land Dispute

By Joyce Hanson

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state has reached a settlement agreement with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe ending a decadeslong land purchase dispute, noting that the deal includes restoring tribal members' access to islands on the St. Lawrence River, improved power usage and education benefits.

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WNBA Warned Of Fed Antitrust Probe Over Conn. Sun Sale

By David Steele

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is the latest Connecticut political figure to publicly fight to keep the WNBA's Sun franchise in the state, telling Commissioner Cathy Engelbert that the league's "interference" in the team's sale could be a federal antitrust violation.

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States, Oil Groups Push For Wins In Drilling Ban Fight

By Keith Goldberg

Republican-led states and oil and gas industry groups pushed for a victory in their lawsuits challenging now-rescinded Biden-era memos that closed off federal waters to offshore drilling, telling a Louisiana federal judge that the memos were clearly unconstitutional.

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Demystifying The Civil Procedure Rules Amendment Process

Every year, an advisory committee receives dozens of proposals to amend the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, most of which are never adopted — but a few pointers can help maximize the likelihood that an amendment will be adopted, says Josh Gardner at DLA Piper.

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Lambda Legal Attorney Indicted Over Judge Shopping Probe

By Ryan Boysen

An attorney with LGBTQ rights nonprofit Lambda Legal has been charged in Alabama federal court in connection with an alleged judge-shopping scandal in Alabama, with prosecutors claiming he lied to a panel of federal judges investigating the episode.

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Barrett Says High Court Must 'Show Its Work' To Gain Trust

By Katie Buehler

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested Tuesday the best way for the court to respond to charges that it's issuing politically-motivated rulings is by showing its work, adding that displaying an honest effort to follow the law could help revive the public's trust in the institution.

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Judge Warns Fake AI Cites May Need 'Eye-Catching Sanction'

By Aaron Keller

A Connecticut federal judge on Tuesday warned a multistate solo practitioner that an "eye-catching sanction" may be necessary to stop attorneys from filing briefs rife with fake case law generated by artificial intelligence systems, while the lawyer bemoaned the fact that he'd "trusted a tool."

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NY AG James Hires Munger Tolles For Federal Probes

By Frank G. Runyeon

New York Attorney General Letitia James recently retained top attorneys at Munger Tolles & Olson LLP amid ongoing federal investigations related to her office's past cases against the Trump Organization and the National Rifle Association.

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Fed Reserve Gov. Cook Wins Removal Reprieve For Now

By Lauren Berg

Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook, for now, can stay on the Fed's board while she challenges President Donald Trump's attempt to strip her of her position, a D.C. federal judge ruled late Tuesday, saying Cook has "made a strong showing" that her purported removal was likely illegal.

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Quinn Emanuel Fights DQ Bid In Trade Secrets Fight

By Rose Krebs

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP-represented Rippling is urging a Delaware state court to reject a bid to disqualify the firm from representing the human resources and payroll company in an ongoing trade secrets fight with competitor Deel Inc., saying the request is a misguided tactical move.

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Senate Confirms Florida And Missouri Judges

By Courtney Bublé

The U.S. Senate confirmed two judges Tuesday, one for Florida and the other for Missouri.

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Approach The Bench: Judge Shannon Discusses Bankruptcy

By Cara Bayles and Steven Trader

Bankruptcy might seem like a technical and obscure practice area, but not to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brendan Shannon.

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Analysis

Why SEC, CFTC Crypto Rules 'Sprint' Could Be A Marathon

By Phillip Bantz

The White House-backed push to entice the crypto industry's return to the U.S. with clearer rules is off to a quick start, but experts say the process could drag on longer than anticipated as regulators navigate competing interests of embracing the evolving digital assets market and protecting consumers.

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'How To Kill A Federal Judge': Manifesto-Writer Faces Charges

By Hailey Konnath

A 72-year-old Minnesota man is accused of once again threatening to kill a federal judge, according to an announcement made Tuesday by prosecutors who said that, this time, he penned a 236-page manifesto titled "How To Kill a Federal Judge" and showed it to staff at a local library.

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Feds, State Push Fla. Justices To Reject Bondi Ethics Probe

By Madison Arnold

The federal government and the state of Florida both threw their support behind the Florida Bar and its decision not to investigate U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for alleged unethical conduct, calling a Sunshine State lawyer's attempt to force an investigation "lawfare."

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Calif. Bar Seeks Justices' Clarity In Eastman Disbarment Case

By Lauren Berg

The State Bar of California asked the state's justices to affirm recommendations to disbar Donald Trump's onetime attorney John Eastman, who helped plan and promote the then-presidential candidate's strategy to overturn the 2020 election, but also review what it says are two legal errors that could "significantly impact future cases."

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DA Willis, Lawmakers Cite Novel Fight In Constitutional Clash

By Emily Johnson

A Georgia Senate committee investigating Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her prosecution of President Donald Trump and others in an election interference case and Willis stressed to the state Supreme Court the novel nature of their dispute over a subpoena ordering her to testify, while they took competing sides on the constitutional issues at stake.

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'Whiz Honor' Judge Accused Of Trying To Sway Sentencing

By James Boyle

A Philadelphia judge under investigation for ethics violations related to the promotion of his wife's cheesesteak shop faces new disciplinary charges over allegations that he attempted to influence a fellow judge's sentencing decision for an associate of rapper Meek Mill.

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Analysis

DOD's Cybersecurity Rule May Help Fend Off FCA Claims

By Madeline Lyskawa

The U.S. Department of Defense's requirement for certain contractors to have a third-party assessor review their cybersecurity compliance, implemented in a final rule Tuesday, could help contractors protect themselves from False Claims Act enforcement.

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Atty Flashes Weed In NC High Court To Challenge Odor Test

By Hayley Fowler

A defense attorney on Tuesday pulled out a bag of weed in front of North Carolina's seven justices and a courtroom full of sheriffs to illustrate the outcome of letting officers conduct warrantless searches based on the smell of pot alone, saying such a test doesn't work in the age of legalized hemp.

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Brief

Lutnick Picks Ex-DOJ, TM Leaders To Advise USPTO

By Dani Kass

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard W. Lutnick has appointed high-profile members to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's public advisory committees, nearly six months after clearing them out.

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Ga. Judges Keep Trump's Interim US Atty In Atlanta Post

By Chart Riggall

Judges of the Northern District of Georgia have voted to tap interim U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg as the district's top prosecutor, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday, keeping the Trump administration's pick to helm the Atlanta office in place for now.

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