Analysis

False-Statement Case Puts Comey In Rare Company

By Phillip Bantz

Former FBI director James Comey is the latest addition to the relatively short list of government officials who have been criminally charged over the past several decades with making false statements to Congress.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ill. Judge Blocks Trump's Deployment Of National Guard To Chicago

By Celeste Bott

An Illinois federal judge Thursday partially granted a temporary restraining order over the objection of the Trump administration blocking the deployment of National Guard troops to Illinois, saying the presence of those officers would "only add fuel to the fire defendants themselves have started."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9th Circ. Changes Stance On Appeals Of Anti-SLAPP Denials

By Hailey Konnath

The full Ninth Circuit on Thursday held that denials of California anti-SLAPP motions can no longer be appealed in the midst of litigation, diverging from 22-year-old circuit precedent and finding that such orders aren't immediately appealable because they don't resolve issues "completely separate from the merits."

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

6th Circ. Says Facebook Posts About Firm Not Defamation

By Emily Sawicki

The Sixth Circuit has declined to revive a defamation suit over social media posts alleging an unethical connection between a New Jersey-headquartered law firm and members of the Flint, Michigan, city council.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Musk's X Posts Trigger Disclosure In NYT Suit, Judge Rules

By Lauren Berg

The government must produce a list of any security clearances granted to Elon Musk in response to The New York Times' Freedom of Information Act request, a Manhattan federal judge ruled, saying the billionaire waived his privacy interest by posting about his top secret clearance, drug use and foreign contacts.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ga. Prosecutors Get More Time To Replace DA In Trump Case

By Emily Johnson

A Georgia state judge has extended its deadline requiring a prosecutors group to replace a disqualified district attorney to oversee the election interference case against President Donald Trump and others, rejecting two defendants' opposition to anything beyond the original two-week deadline.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Jenn Mascott Of WH Counsel's Office Confirmed To 3rd Circ.

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 50-47 on Thursday to confirm Jenn Mascott, currently serving in the White House Counsel's Office, to the Delaware seat on the Third Circuit.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

7th Circ. Nominee Taibleson Advances To Full Senate

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced on party lines the nomination of Rebecca Taibleson, a federal prosecutor in Wisconsin, to serve on the Seventh Circuit, as well as four district judicial nominees and five U.S. attorney nominees.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Top Texas Court Halts Execution In Shaken Baby Case

By Marco Poggio

Texas' top criminal court on Thursday paused the execution of a man convicted of killing his daughter under the discredited "shaken baby syndrome" theory, ordering a trial court to consider whether a recent ruling in another capital case involving the same theory could justify granting a new trial.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Feds Urge 9th Circ. To Allow Portland Troop Deployment

By Rachel Riley

A Ninth Circuit panel appeared split Thursday on the Trump administration's bid to preserve its ability to send Oregon National Guard members to Portland, with one judge suggesting the president's decision is entitled to deference and another panelist skeptical that the federal government would suffer harm if the deployment plan is tabled.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Treasury Looks To Cut Suspicious Activity Reporting 'Noise'

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's enforcement arm Thursday released clarifications about requirements related to suspicious activity reports, specifying among other things that financial institutions do not have to document their decisions not to file the reports.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bessent Touts Trump's 'Community Bank Comeback' Agenda

By Jon Hill

U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday pledged a wide-ranging regulatory push to spur a "community bank comeback," previewing plans that include easing capital rules, updating anti-money laundering standards and supporting expanded deposit insurance.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Senate Crypto Bill Weakens State Fraud Protection, Experts Say

By Aislinn Keely

State regulators and legal experts are urging leaders of the Senate Banking Committee to overhaul their draft crypto market structure legislation on the grounds that the current text would weaken state power to police fraud and protect investors in crypto markets and beyond.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FERC Nixes Ban On Pipeline Work During Project Appeals

By Keith Goldberg

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has scrapped a rule barring construction activities on gas infrastructure projects when approvals are being challenged, saying it's no longer necessary and bogs down the development of needed infrastructure.

Final Rule attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

US Wind Fights For Countersuit Against Offshore Project Foes

By Juan-Carlos Rodriguez

US Wind Inc. is asking a Maryland federal court to allow it to proceed with claims against local governments and community, business and environmental groups that are challenging the approval of a wind energy project off the state's coastline.

Response attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Calif. Bans Some Ultraprocessed Foods In School Meals

By Gina Kim

California Gov. Gavin Newsom Wednesday signed a first-in-the-nation bipartisan law that will slowly phase out and eventually ban ultraprocessed foods from public school meals by 2032, marking one of the most significant changes in the state's efforts to reform nutritional standards for children in the Golden State. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Calif. Enacts Law To Boost Pay Parity Protections

By Grace Elletson

A California law aimed at increasing the accuracy of the compensation estimates that state employers are required to include in job postings and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom makes clear that perks such as stock options are considered wages and expands the limitations window for pursuing pay bias claims.

Bill attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

San Antonio Abandons Out-Of-State Abortion Travel Appeal

By Spencer Brewer

The city of San Antonio on Thursday conceded defeat in its request for court approval to go forward with a program that included funding for out-of-state travel for abortions, handing a victory to the state's attorney general.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NCAA Considers Relaxing Gambling Restrictions For Athletes

By Elaine Briseño

The NCAA seems poised to allow student-athletes and staff to bet on professional sports in an attempt to promote responsible gambling, with the Division I Administrative Committee adopting a proposal that would no longer prohibit such wagers.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Texas Justices Weigh $26M Fracking Water Pipeline Verdict

By Spencer Brewer

The Texas Supreme Court pushed Equinor Energy LP on Thursday to explain how language in a contract gave it the right to seek water for fracking from other sources, asking why the company should get out of a $26 million verdict.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Pa. Court Nixes Gun Shop Rules In Town's Zoning Code

By Matthew Santoni

A Pennsylvania town's "conditional use" zoning requirements that restrict gun shops operating in certain parts of town are preempted by laws that say only the state Legislature can regulate guns, a split state appellate court found Thursday.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

2 NLRB Picks Advance, 1 Member Nom Stalls

By Braden Campbell

The U.S. Senate labor committee on Thursday cleared two of the president's nominees to the National Labor Relations Board — including the general counsel pick whose nomination appeared stalled — but withheld a third whose ties to Boeing drew criticism at his confirmation hearing last week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NASA Union Files Suit Challenging End Of Bargaining Rights

By Emily Brill

An engineers' union representing NASA employees has challenged President Donald Trump's executive order limiting workers' bargaining rights at certain federal agencies, arguing in D.C. federal court that he violated the union's rights under the First and Fifth Amendments by ending its longstanding presence at the agency.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

UNC Ex-Provost Asks Court To Halt Alleged Evidence Deletion

By Abigail Harrison

A former provost of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill suing the university in state court warned that without speeding up discovery, the public's right to transparency will suffer from the university's trustees deleting text messages and other evidence.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Feds' E-Verify System Resumes Operation During Shutdown

By Tom Lotshaw

The federal E-Verify system for employers to check people's eligibility to work in the U.S. has resumed operation, a little over a week after it went offline with the start of the ongoing government shutdown.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judge Narrows Evidence Ahead Of Boeing 737 Max Trial

By Ben Adlin

A Washington federal judge on Thursday ruled on which evidence will be allowed in a Nov. 3 trial in LOT Polish Airlines' lawsuit against Boeing, in which LOT accuses the aerospace giant of tricking it into leasing defective 737 Max jets that were later grounded after two fatal crashes.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Tort Report: Nuked 'Nuclear Verdict' Stays, Texas Justices Say

By Y. Peter Kang

The fate of a "nuclear verdict" that was used to jump-start tort reform campaigns across the country and a settlement of a suit over a Kiss guitar technician's death lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

Bill attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Whistleblower Asks High Court To Revive NASA Fraud Case

By Madeline Lyskawa

A whistleblower is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to revive a False Claims Act suit accusing a NASA contractor of overbilling, arguing that the Sixth Circuit wrongly let the government dismiss the case without considering the whistleblower's time and money commitment.

Petition attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trade Court Upholds Malaysian Wind Tower Duties

By Dylan Moroses

The U.S. Court of International Trade on Thursday upheld the federal government's antidumping review of a Malaysian wind tower exporter, finding the Commerce Department supported its decision to decline the company's recommendations in reaching a final duty rate.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

GOP Sen. Joins Dems On Bill To Nix Trump's Global Tariffs

By Dylan Moroses

Several Senate Democrats and one Republican introduced legislation Thursday to eliminate the national emergency associated with President Donald Trump's so-called reciprocal tariff regime.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Paxton Can Move To Close Houston Nonprofit, Panel Says

By Gina Kim

Texas appellate court justices on Thursday said Attorney General Ken Paxton can initiate legal proceedings to take away an immigrant-led nonprofit's corporate charter and tax-exempt status, noting his allegations claiming it failed to comply with its purpose by engaging in political activities show there's probable ground to proceed. 

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Florida Says Its Immigration Law Doesn't Preempt Federal Law

By Carolina Bolado

Florida asked the Eleventh Circuit on Thursday to overturn a block on a state law that criminalizes the entry of unauthorized immigrants into the state, arguing that there is no preemption of federal immigration law.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

ICE Accused Of Warrantless Arrests In Colorado Suit

By Zach Dupont

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and two directors with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were named in a proposed class action in Colorado federal court Thursday accusing immigration officials of making illegal, warrantless arrests of Colorado residents.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Menendez Witness Avoids Prison After 'Honest' Testimony

By Pete Brush

A Manhattan federal judge allowed a former insurance broker from New Jersey to avoid prison Thursday, after prosecutors said his "extensive" cooperation helped secure the conviction of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez on corruption charges.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Conn. Official Pushed Firm That Hired Family, Witnesses Say

By Aaron Keller

Two local Connecticut officials on Thursday testified that Kosta Diamantis, a former state budget official accused of corruption, pushed them to hire a construction management firm they considered expensive and unnecessary without disclosing that the firm had hired his daughter and was allegedly paying him kickbacks.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Senator's Inquiry Prompts AG Review Of NC Tribe's Cannabis

By Crystal Owens

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said she will review a North Carolina tribe's cannabis industry practices after one of the state's Republican senators inquired about how the tribal dispensary transports its products.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCC Looks To Scale Down Broadband 'Nutrition' Label Reg

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission will consider making broadband "nutrition" labels a little leaner after the agency during the Biden administration imposed what the industry sees as overly burdensome requirements.

Proposed Rule attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

House Republican Wants Pentagon Spectrum 'Veto' Scrapped

By Christopher Cole

A key House Republican on telecom issues said Thursday he would oppose a provision tacked onto this year's defense policy bill in the U.S. Senate that could give the U.S. Department of Defense a "veto" over sharing certain spectrum bands with commercial users. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Anti-Union Firm Joins Fight Against Calif. Cannabis Labor Law

By Emily Brill

An anti-union group has thrown its weight behind a cannabis retailer's challenge to a California law that requires marijuana businesses to sign labor peace agreements with unions, arguing before the Ninth Circuit that the law is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AG Watch: Va. Race Spotlights Consumer Protection Priorities

Ahead of the state's attorney general election, Virginia companies should assess how either candidate's approach could affect their compliance posture, with incumbent Jason Miyares promising a business-friendly atmosphere that prioritizes public safety and challenger Jay Jones pledging to focus on economic justice and corporate accountability, says Chuck Slemp at Cozen O’Connor.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

A Look At Project Crypto's Plans For Digital Asset Regulation

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins' recent announcement of Project Crypto, an agencywide initiative to modernize federal securities regulations, signals a significant shift toward a more flexible regulatory framework that would shape the future of the U.S. digital asset market, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Preparing For What DOD Cybersecurity Audits May Uncover

Defense contractors seeking certification under the U.S. Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program that begins implementation on Nov. 10 may discover previously unknown violations, but there are steps they can take to address any issues before they come to the attention of enforcement authorities, say attorneys at Troutman.

Final Rule attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Civil Maritime Nuclear Sector Poised For Growth, Challenges

The maritime industry now stands on the verge of a nuclear-powered renaissance, with the need for clean energy, resilient power generation and decarbonized logistics driving demand for commercial maritime nuclear technology — but these developments will raise significant new legal, regulatory and technical questions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Breaking Down The Intersection Of Right-Of-Publicity Law, AI

Jillian Taylor at Blank Rome examines how existing right-of-publicity law governs artificial intelligence-generated voice-overs, deepfakes and deadbots; highlights a recent New York federal court ruling involving AI-generated voice clones; and offers practical guardrails for using AI without violating the right of publicity.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Strategies For Defending Banks In Elder Abuse Cases

Several recent cases demonstrate that banks have plenty of tools to defend against claims they were complicit in financial abuse of older adults, but financial institutions should also continue to educate customers about third-party scams before they happen, say attorneys at Troutman.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Sullivan & Cromwell Impersonators Hit With NY Fraud Claims

By Emily Sawicki

New York Attorney General Letitia James is attempting to take down a slew of businesses whose names are variants of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, accusing them of attempting a scheme to fraudulently redirect checks meant for the global corporate law firm.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NY Atty General Indicted Following Pressure From Trump

By Lauren Berg

New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted in Virginia federal court Thursday on charges related to mortgage fraud, three weeks after President Donald Trump wrote a social media post encouraging U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to take action because James and two other political opponents were "guilty as hell."

Indictment attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Baldoni Atty Faces LA Malpractice Suit Over Client 'Betrayal'

By Emily Sawicki

Entertainment attorney Bryan Freedman has been accused in Los Angeles County Superior Court of turning his back on a former client, allegedly convincing him to sign an unfavorable settlement on trademark claims against "It Ends With Us" star Justin Baldoni, only to later begin representing the actor and director.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Calif. Supreme Court Justice Martin Jenkins To Retire

By James Mills

California Supreme Court Justice Martin J. Jenkins, the first openly gay man and the third African American man to sit on the bench, will retire at the end of October, the court announced Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Weinstein Says Jurors Traded Threats, Tainting Verdict

By Cara Salvatore

Harvey Weinstein's legal team said his June sexual assault convictions were tainted by juror misconduct, including physical threats and an unfounded bribery claim, arguing in a motion for a new trial that a judge refused to properly investigate.

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »