Analysis

Sorsby Gambling Order Deepens NCAA's Existential Crisis

By Alex Lawson

A state court decision allowing Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby to continue playing despite his confession to sports betting has exposed a vulnerability for the NCAA, with courts outstripping the association in setting rules for college sports.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Justices Reject Feds' Venue Theory In Twitter Spying Case

By Marco Poggio

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a former Twitter employee convicted of spying on behalf of Saudi Arabia must be prosecuted in Washington state, where he sent false documents to federal agents, and not in California, where the agents who investigated him are based.

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

AbbVie Loses Colorado 340B Drug Pricing Law Challenge

By Zach Dupont

A Colorado federal judge on Wednesday dismissed all of AbbVie Inc.'s claims against the state over its federal 340B drug pricing law, finding that the Colorado law isn't federally preempted and courts across the country have settled the issue.

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

SDNY US Atty Jay Clayton Picked For DNI After Pulte Pushback

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday he's nominating Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be director of national intelligence.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Paxton's ActBlue Suit Blocked As Retaliatory By Mass. Judge

By Carolyn Muyskens

A Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's fraud lawsuit against Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue, citing evidence that Paxton targeted the organization because of its role supporting his political opponent in a U.S. Senate race. 

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

North Dakota, DOJ Settle DAPL Case For Verdict Amount

By Cara Salvatore

The state of North Dakota announced Thursday it has settled its claims that the federal government failed to control Dakota Access pipeline protesters for $27.8 million, the full amount of an earlier bench verdict.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Feds Illegally Axed Enviro Justice Grant Funds, Judge Says

By Linda Chiem

A South Carolina federal judge said Thursday that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated a $2.8 billion environmental and climate justice grant funding program that was authorized by Congress in 2022's Inflation Reduction Act.

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

Mass. Attys Ding Watchdog's 'Myopic' Public Defense Report

By Julie Manganis

The leader of a group of Massachusetts attorneys who stopped taking court-appointed cases last year over what they say are inadequate hourly rates on Thursday slammed a state inspector general's highly critical report on the state's indigent defense system as "myopic."

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

Brief

Fed. Circ. Changes Process For Some Full-Panel Reviews

By Elaine Briseño

The Federal Circuit now requires the authoring judge to notify all panel members about nonprocedural motions, including motions for extensions of time and withdrawal of counsel, according to internal documents.

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

Texas Mayor Says Impeachment Trial Is 'Kangaroo Tribunal'

By Spencer Brewer

A Texas mayor under fire for allegedly helping a hotel developer land a sweetheart economic development deal asked a Texas federal judge to block her upcoming impeachment trial, saying that the city council members set to judge her also participated in the underlying events.

Summary Judgment attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

SEC Proposes Rescinding Trade-Through Rule

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday proposed rescinding its rule preventing exchanges from executing trades at lower prices than the best displayed price available on other exchanges, with SEC Chairman Paul Atkins calling the measure "a grave misstep."

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Another GOP Nominee For SEC Could Violate Law, Dems Say

By Sydney Price

Senate Banking Committee Democrats are warning the White House not to put another Republican on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission without also naming a Democrat, saying it would violate a federal mandate for partisan balance.

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

FDIC Urged To Align Stablecoin Rules With Other Regulators

By Aislinn Keely

Banks and fintechs alike urged the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to iron out differences between its proposed standards for stablecoin issuers and those floated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, though the industries continued to battle over crypto firms' ability to offer interest to stablecoin holders.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bank, Crypto Groups Seek Limits In Stablecoin AML Regs

By Sarah Jarvis

Industry groups and firms in the financial and crypto sectors have called for further clarification, flexibility and safe harbors in rules recently proposed by regulators with the U.S. Department of the Treasury for implementing the anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance program requirements of the federal stablecoin framework known as the Genius Act.

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

4th Circ. Unswayed By Groups Seeking Pipeline Work Pause

By Abigail Harrison

In a pair of published opinions filed Thursday, a Fourth Circuit panel explained its late-April decision to refuse to curb construction on an interstate gas pipeline project pending review of state water quality certifications, after the judges found environmental groups were unlikely to prevail on the merits.

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

NJ Policyholders Face Unique PFAS Risks, Coverage Relief

By Abraham Gross

New Jersey companies facing claims over their use of what are commonly known as forever chemicals face an increasingly challenging litigation environment as well as unique opportunities for covering claims and remediation costs.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

HHS OIG Reports 'Concerning' Medicare Advantage Denials

By Gianna Ferrarin

A pair of reports released by the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday found that UnitedHealth Group, Humana and CVS Health logged some of the highest prior authorization denial rates among their Medicare Advantage peers for post-acute care.

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

Braidwood Files New Challenge To ACA Birth Control Mandate

By Kellie Mejdrich

For-profit healthcare company Braidwood Management and several individuals sued the government in Texas federal court to challenge no-cost contraception coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act, arguing that the court should enjoin enforcement of the policy because it burdened their faith in violation of federal religious freedom law.

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

Tech Group Urges High Court To Block Texas App Store Law

By Hailey Konnath

The Computer & Communications Industry Association on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to vacate a recent Fifth Circuit ruling permitting Texas to move forward with a law requiring app store owners to verify users' ages, arguing the law is unconstitutional and overly burdensome for its members.

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

Gov't Hectoring Prompts Bipartisan Bill To Shield Free Speech

By Christopher Cole

A bipartisan Senate bill was introduced Thursday to curtail government jawboning of free speech amid the Federal Communications Commission chair's political controversies with broadcasters.

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

Automaker Group Wants Wash. Biz Licensing Regs Shut Down

By Rae Ann Varona

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation has urged a Washington federal court to invalidate a pair of state business licensing rules, including one that expanded the definition of "soliciting," saying the regulations are unconstitutional and beyond the authority of the state's licensing department.

Summary Judgment attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Colo. City Cut Speed Camera Response Deadline, Driver Says

By MJ Koo

A Colorado driver has launched a proposed class action in state court, claiming a city near Denver knowingly gives motorists only 30 days to respond to automated speed camera citations despite a state law requiring at least 45 days.

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

5th Circ. Says FTC Can't Outsource Horse-Racing Enforcement

By Jared Foretek

The Fifth Circuit once again struck down the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority's enforcement power over nationwide thoroughbred racing Thursday, holding that the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last year in FCC v. Consumers' Research doesn't upend the circuit court's previous decision on the issue.

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

Sports Prediction Co. Wins CFTC OK To Launch Event Market

By Katryna Perera

Sports prediction company ProphetX on Thursday received approval from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to register as a federally regulated prediction market exchange focused on sports-based event contracts, becoming the first American sports-native, direct-clearing prediction market to launch and operate in full compliance with federal law.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NC Gov. Stein Seeks $10B From Feds For Helene Recovery

By Hayley Fowler

North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is asking Congress for another $10 billion to help with the Tar Heel State's ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene, marking a $3 billion reduction from the federal funding request he made nine months ago.

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

Revised Microcaptive Rules Still Violate APA, 6th Circ. Told

By Molly Moses

A microcaptive insurance advisory firm asked the Sixth Circuit on Thursday to overturn a Tennessee federal court's ruling that a set of revised IRS rules requiring taxpayers to disclose some microcaptive arrangements doesn't violate the Administrative Procedure Act.

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

Ill. Panel Axes $7M Verdict Against Chicago Housing Authority

By Lauraann Wood

An Illinois state appellate panel vacated a jury's $7 million award for a Wendy's customer who was injured by a Chicago Housing Authority security guard during a shooting pursuit, saying the agency didn't owe the customer a legal duty to ensure its security contractor was hiring sufficiently experienced guards.

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

Panel Tosses NJ Mall's 3rd Bid To Force Parking Garage Build

By Nate Beck

A New Jersey appeals court on Thursday dismissed a shopping center owner's third attempt to force construction of a parking garage imagined in a 2004 plan instead of a nine-story, mixed-use building developers pitched after Newark adopted policies against new parking lots in the area.

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

NC's GOP Sends Freeze On Property Tax Appraisals To Gov.

By Maria Koklanaris

Some North Carolina residents' property tax appraisals would be frozen under a Republican-backed bill now on the desk of Gov. Josh Stein.

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

2nd Circ. Asks If Ex-UConn Dept. Head Broke School Rules

By Brian Steele

A Second Circuit panel sounded skeptical Thursday about a former University of Connecticut department head's claim that racial animus led to his forced resignation, appearing to lean more toward the argument that he misused state funds while carrying on an inappropriate relationship with his secretary.

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

Worker's FLSA Retaliation Claim Should Survive, Judge Says

By Benjamin Morse

A North Carolina federal magistrate judge has recommended keeping alive a former Durham finance worker's claim that the city retaliated against her for complaining about unpaid overtime, while finding that her state constitutional claims should be tossed.

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

NJ Justices Rule Private Emails Can't Shield Public Business

By Carla Baranauckas

The New Jersey Supreme Court held on Thursday that school board members cannot shield public business by conducting it through their private email accounts, ruling that logs of government‑related emails housed in personal accounts qualify as government records under the state's Open Public Records Act.

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

US Chamber Says ERISA Suit Could Shrink 401(k) Choices

By Grace Elletson

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged a California federal judge to toss a suit claiming a car dealership company misused forfeited funds and chose opaque investment options for its $1 billion 401(k) plan, warning the case could hurt retirement savers by leading to fewer investment options.

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

Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill To Rein In Big Tech Platforms

By Matthew Perlman

Lawmakers reintroduced legislation in the U.S. Senate on Thursday that would impose new rules on large technology platforms, barring them from blocking competition and undermining rivals by giving their own products and services an unfair advantage.

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

Anthropic Says Feds' Retaliation Efforts Are Evident

By Madeline Lyskawa

Anthropic PBC told a California federal judge Wednesday that the Trump administration has been "remarkably transparent" about its "campaign of retaliation," in a bid to win its lawsuit challenging the Pentagon's designation of the company as a supply chain risk to national security.

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

Chinese Biopharma Sues Over National Security Threat Label

By Bonnie Eslinger

Chinese pharmaceutical company WuXi AppTec sued the U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday, asking a D.C. federal court to set aside the agency's designation of the company as a Chinese military company, which it said was done "without a lawful or factual basis."

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

Ed. Dept. Tries New Tack To Scrap K-12 Mental Health Grants

By Ben Adlin

The U.S. Department of Education pressed ahead with its plan to end up to a billion dollars in school mental health grants, arguing Wednesday that a Seattle federal judge's December 2025 injunction barring the discontinuation of the grants shouldn't block the government from canceling the contracts outright.

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

Fed. Circ. Pauses Trade Court's Limited Block Of Global Tariffs

By Dylan Moroses

The Federal Circuit halted a U.S. Court of International Trade ruling prohibiting the government from collecting temporary global tariffs on two retailers and the state of Washington while it considers whether those duties are lawful, according to an order Thursday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fla. Suit Says Property Tax Ballot Wording Misleads Voters

By Michael Nunes

Florida's wording of a proposed constitutional amendment set to be voted on in November to boost the state's homestead exemption misinforms voters of the effects of the ballot measure, according to a complaint filed in state circuit court Thursday.

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

NYC Pol Not Guilty Of Obstructing Elevator In ICE Dustup

By Pete Brush

A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday absolved former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander of an elevator-obstruction charge stemming from an incident last year when he was ticketed as he sought to monitor U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible violations of migrants' rights at a government building.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Columbia Student Asks 1st Circ. To Reverse Deportation Order

By Carolyn Muyskens

A graduate student who led pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University is appealing a Board of Immigration Appeals decision that led an immigration judge to order him deported to Jordan, his lawyers said.

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

Immigrants Say Guantánamo Policy Is Arbitrary, Costly

By Elaine Briseño

A certified class of Guantánamo Bay detainees told a D.C. federal judge that the Immigration and Nationality Act does not allow the United States to detain noncitizens after they have been removed from the country.

Summary Judgment attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NJ Prosecutor's Suit Called A Bid To 'Weaponize' Court

By George Woolston

Atlantic County, New Jersey, and its chief official called a suit by its county prosecutor over alleged prosecutorial interference a "bizarre attempt to weaponize" the court to smear the official, urging the court to toss the suit because it lacks subject matter jurisdiction.

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

Fla. Court Says State Can't Litigate Tribal Ordinance Violations

By Elizabeth Daley

A man who was found guilty of disorderly intoxication after being arrested at the Miccosukee Casino and Resort on the Miccosukee Indian Reservation had his conviction and sentence reversed after a Florida appeals court found the state lacked jurisdiction to prosecute him for violating a local ordinance on tribal land.

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

Alaska Man Sues Tribal Police Over Botched Murder Probe

By Crystal Owens

An Alaskan Indigenous man who spent years battling a first-degree murder charge in connection to the death of his older brother is suing former Metlakatla Police Department officials, supervisors and tribal policymakers over the now-dismissed allegation, saying the investigation should have been handled with care, honesty and respect for the truth.

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

FCC Aims To Quell Pole Attachment Fights At State Level

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission says it wants to speed up the resolution of disputes over broadband attachments on utility poles in states that have adopted their own rules on top of federal requirements.

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

Judge Doubts Need For Discovery In Digital Equity Suit

By Jared Foretek

A Washington, D.C., federal judge struggled to find a reason for plaintiffs challenging the Trump administration's shutdown of the Digital Equity Act's Competitive Grant Program to get discovery in their lawsuit, suggesting the question of the program's constitutionality appeared to be a purely legal question, as the government suggested.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCC Says Telecom Filed Fake Doc To Get Phone Numbers

By Nadia Dreid

A telecom filed a fake Federal Communications Commission document with the North American Numbering Plan in a bid to gain access to phone numbers, and the agency is ready to block that company's traffic unless it has a good explanation.

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

GlobalStar Opposes FCC Review Of 2 GHz Satellite Order

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission should ignore a request to rethink its rejection of a plan that would bring sweeping changes to the "Big LEO" satellite rules, an American satellite telecom is telling the agency.

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

Legislative Update: Cannabis And Psychedelics Bill Roundup

By Sam Reisman

Lawmakers in multiple states advanced legislation reining in products derived from the kratom leaf, Pennsylvania lawmakers rejected a cannabis regulation bill, and Rhode Island's governor signed into law legislation eliminating residency requirements from the state's cannabis social equity program. Here are the major moves in cannabis and psychedelics legislation from the past week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

3 New Pay Transparency State Laws Raise Compliance Risks

Wage transparency measures taking effect in Delaware, Maine and New Jersey add a layer of complexity to the hiring landscape and highlight the need for employers to develop thorough compliance strategies while navigating the laws' ambiguities, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Reducing Youth Product Risks When No Standards Apply

As juvenile product manufacturers and retailers face heightened U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission enforcement actions and attendant litigation risks, companies must not only comply with applicable standards, but also confront the problem of how to protect themselves when there are no standards to comply with, say attorneys at Chamberlain Hrdlicka.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

USTR Forced Labor Tariff Plan Pushes Trade Recourse Limits

Tariffs recently proposed by the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office, which determined that 60 countries failed to implement adequate forced labor protections, expand the use of existing trade remedies to address global supply chain labor standards, potentially inviting both practical adjustments by businesses and careful legal scrutiny, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

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

If Upheld, Wash. Millionaire Tax Could Upend State Law

The Washington Supreme Court could open the door to broader income, rental and corporate taxes if it defies precedent and the historically established desires of voters by redefining the state constitution's concepts of “income” and “property” to uphold a new tax on wages over $1 million, says Richard Birmingham at Davis Wright.

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

Ch. 15 Ruling Is A Restructuring Blueprint For Cannabis Cos.

The recent Cannabist Chapter 15 recognition order is arguably the most significant cannabis bankruptcy development in U.S. history, providing a concrete and tested road map by which such companies with foreign parent structures can access the protective machinery of U.S. bankruptcy law, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.

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

New State AI Laws Create Dual Misrepresentation Risk

As artificial intelligence transparency laws are enacted across the country and the volume and specificity of compliance records increase, companies will be required to speak more often, more precisely and to more audiences about the same systems, compounding the risk of litigation, say attorneys at Cooley.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

How FCA, FCPA Risks Are Shifting As Feds Pull Back

As the federal government continues its retreat from white collar enforcement, companies should expect False Claims Act risk to grow through private whistleblower suits and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act scrutiny to shift toward foreign prosecutors, requiring more adaptability as accountability becomes less centralized, says Temidayo Aganga-Williams at Selendy Gay.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Cow Horse Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Moving an unwilling 800-pound cow while riding a horse at high speed is exhilarating, a little unhinged and, at least for me, a surprisingly effective training ground for litigation — both demand focus, preparation over rigid planning and the willingness to act despite fear, says Ashley Zitrin at Glenn Agre.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

The 2026 Law360 400

By Daniela Porat

Law360 is pleased to announce its list of the 400 largest U.S. firms by headcount.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Kellogg Hansen Bests Susman Godfrey's Associate Pay Hikes

By Andrea Keckley

More litigation boutiques are joining the growing number of firms raising their base salaries for associates, with Kellogg Hansen Todd Figel & Frederick PLLC exceeding the scale Susman Godfrey LLP set earlier this week.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Widow Sues Podhurst Orseck Over $4M 737 Max Settlement

By Mike Curley

An Indonesian widow is suing Podhurst Orseck PA and one of its attorneys in Illinois federal court, alleging they failed to keep her informed or get her all the money she was entitled to in a $4 million settlement with Boeing over the fatal crash of Lion Air Flight 610.

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

Miss America CEO Wants Ex-Atty Barred From Court

By Emily Lever

The CEO of Miss America and companies linked to the pageant asked a Florida federal court on Thursday to bar their former counsel Carlton Fields from a status conference in their litigation over Miss America's bankruptcy, arguing the firm is not a party and is no longer counsel of record.

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

Immigration Firm Says Attys Fraudulently Poached Clients

By Britain Eakin

A law firm recently accused of running a volume-driven immigration filing mill claimed in a new lawsuit in Ohio federal court that three attorneys and a TikTok personality orchestrated a social media campaign falsely accusing it of visa fraud as a way to poach its clients.

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

Ex-Trump Atty Chesebro Gets Fla. Law License Back

By Madison Arnold

The Florida Supreme Court has reinstated the law license of former Trump campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro after his conviction in Georgia's election interference racketeering case was eventually cleared by a court order invalidating the charge.

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