Meta Owes Another $567M To Address Harm To NM Kids

By Lauren Berg and Cara Salvatore

Meta Platforms is on the hook for an additional $567 million after a New Mexico judge on Thursday determined that the Facebook and Instagram parent must take measures to protect its youngest users, following a jury's $375 million verdict that Meta hid the full scope of mental health harms its apps caused.

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Trump Again Targets Birthright Citizenship In 2 New Orders

By Rae Ann Varona

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed two executive orders that seek to limit automatic citizenship for babies born in the U.S., after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a previous birthright citizenship executive order as unconstitutional.

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Google, Meta, Tiktok Still Subject To Calif. Feed Algorithm Law

By Mike Curley

A California federal judge has declined to block enforcement of a new California law that restricts personalized social media algorithm feeds, finding that Google, TikTok and Meta have failed to show the law infringes on their First Amendment rights.

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GOP Sens. Vote To Hold Fauci In Contempt, AGs Open Probe

By Lauren Berg

A U.S. Senate committee voted along party lines Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he declined to answer questions about the government's handling of the pandemic, while the Florida, West Virginia and Louisiana attorneys general are investigating potential "self-dealing" by Fauci during the crisis.

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GAO Pans DOGE's Savings Claims, Ethics Practices

By Madeline Lyskawa

The U.S. Government Accountability Office said on Thursday that the Department of Government Efficiency's claim to have saved $110 billion from terminated contracts, grants and leases is based on incorrect and opaque cost estimates.

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Updated 'Slush Fund' Suit Challenges Trump's Audit Immunity

By Dorothy Atkins

The IRS workers' union Thursday joined litigation in Virginia federal court challenging what the plaintiffs call President Donald Trump's proposed $1.8 billion "slush fund," adding claims that a side-order granting Trump, his family and businesses immunity from federal audits could expose IRS workers to criminal liability.

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DOJ Says Duke Law Favors Black, Hispanic Applicants

By Lauren Berg

Duke University School of Law intentionally discriminated against prospective white and Asian students in its efforts to pursue racial diversity in its incoming classes, the U.S. Department of Justice asserted Thursday.

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Dems Slam Skadden's 'Nothing To See Here' Trump Deal Reply

By Hailey Konnath

Three Democratic lawmakers on Thursday criticized Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP's response to their request that the firm disclose details of its pro bono arrangement with the Trump administration, saying the firm's "three sentence letter essentially saying 'nothing to see here'" is "not going to cut it."

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NC House OKs Unpaid Suspensions For Judges Under Inquiry

By Hayley Fowler

Republicans in the North Carolina House of Representatives have given the green light to a legislative proposal empowering the chief justice of the state Supreme Court to suspend trial court judges without pay if they're under investigation by the state Judicial Standards Commission.

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New ABA Chief Seeks To 'Streamline' Org., Defend Democracy

By Emily Sawicki

The American Bar Association's new president, Barbara J. Howard, will focus on twin goals of defending democracy against expected unprecedented attacks associated with this year's midterm elections, while also reorganizing the association to run more efficiently, as she kicks off her one-year term this month.

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Wash. Justices Offer Bar Waiver After July Exam Tech Failure

By Rachel Riley

The Washington State Supreme Court said Thursday it's offering to waive the bar exam requirement for first-time applicants who were unable to take the test last week due to an abrupt cancellation driven by technical issues at the Yakima Convention Center where it was scheduled to be administered.   

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Brief

Feds Turn To 11th Circ. In Battle For Ga. Election Workers' Info

By Kelcey Caulder

Federal prosecutors told a district court it will ask the Eleventh Circuit to overturn a July decision to quash a U.S. Department of Justice subpoena seeking information about workers who helped handle the 2020 general election in Fulton County, Georgia. 

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TitleMax Rebuffed In 4th Circ. Bid To Halt Pa. Usury Case

By Jon Hill

The Fourth Circuit has cleared Pennsylvania's banking regulator to continue its pursuit of $52.7 million in penalties from TitleMax for alleged interest-rate violations, rejecting a bid by the title lender's South Carolina arm to block the out-of-state enforcement proceeding. 

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Fintech Seeks OCC Trust Charter For Crypto Loan Servicing

By Katryna Perera

Zaria, a fintech startup that includes a former Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP partner as an organizer, has applied for an Office of the Comptroller of the Currency charter to establish what it says is the first national trust bank to offer "digitally native" loan servicing.

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Ore. Judge Says DOD Wind Project Blockage Was Unlawful

By Madeline Lyskawa

An Oregon federal judge on Thursday halted the U.S. Department of Defense's freeze of wind projects, finding renewable energy groups and environmental nonprofits are likely to succeed in showing the agency violated deadlines for reviewing the projects' impact on military readiness.

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9th Circ. Revives Corona Clay Pollution Suit Over Creek Status

By Elaine Briseño

A Ninth Circuit panel reversed a lower court's order denying a clay recycling manufacturer's request for a new trial after being found to have violated the Clean Water Act, saying significant changes to the law require another look at the case.

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DOE Can't Force FOIA Filers To Reaffirm Old Requests

By Jared Foretek

A D.C. federal judge blocked the U.S. Department of Energy's requirement that Freedom of Information Act filers confirm their interest in pending requests filed before October 2024 within 30 days or face closure, ruling that the policy was never authorized in the FOIA statute.

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Conservation Group Sues Feds Over Bison Permit Cancelation

By Crystal Owens

An environmental group is suing the Bureau of Land Management over a decision to revoke permits for seven bison grazing allotments in Montana, arguing that removing the animals will cause harm to its members and the future health of herds.

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USPTO Leaders Reinstate Double Patenting Ax In Sanofi Case

By Ryan Davis

A panel including U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires ruled Thursday that a Sanofi patent application must be rejected for double patenting, but questioned whether the rationale for the decision risks harming innovation and should be reconsidered by the Federal Circuit.

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FCC Lifts 39% Broadcast Ownership Cap In Controversial Vote

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 to eliminate the 39% national cap on broadcast TV audience share Thursday, with Republicans saying the change will help local stations survive and dismissing claims that the agency was exceeding its legal powers.

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Paramount Gets Private Warner Deal Challenge Tossed

By Matthew Perlman

A California federal court has dismissed a case from consumers looking to undo Paramount's completed merger with Skydance and block its planned purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, finding they failed to show any concrete harm from the deals.

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GOP Senators Float Repeal Of Calif. Vehicle Emissions Rules

By Linda Chiem

Four Republican senators on Thursday proposed revoking U.S. Environmental Protection Agency waivers granted to California for vehicle emissions regulations that have been in place for over a decade, following through on the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Golden State's authority to set stricter tailpipe emissions standards.

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Fired Immigration Judge Sues DOJ Over Bias Claims

By Elaine Briseño

A Democratic immigration judge fired days before her position became permanent has sued the U.S. Department of Justice, saying the Constitution does not give the president authority to discriminate against civil service employees.

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Judge Sets Feb. Trial In States' Generics Price-Fixing Suit

By George Woolston

A Connecticut federal judge has set a February trial date on claims from dozens of state attorneys general that generic-drug makers conspired to artificially inflate the prices of generic topical drugs.

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UCHealth Accused Of Sharing Patient Data With Meta

By Zach Dupont

University of Colorado Health was hit with a proposed class action Wednesday in Colorado federal court accusing the healthcare provider of giving patients' private and legally protected health data to Meta through the use of a Facebook tracking pixel tool.

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China Announces Trade Countermeasures After US Actions

By Dylan Moroses

China's government will strengthen export controls on drones and their components as well as suspend coordinated inspections with U.S. officials and start new investigations into American businesses as countermeasures in response to recent U.S. actions implicating Chinese companies.

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CIT Judge Confused By Gov't Objection To Tariff Refund Class

By Jack McLoone

A U.S. Court of International Trade judge repeatedly expressed confusion Thursday over the federal government's objection to the certification of a class of importers seeking refunds of President Donald Trump's illegal global tariffs to address concerns about finalized entries.

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Tax Prep Biz Owner Gets 30 Months For $5M Refund Scheme

By Zak Kostro

A Las Vegas tax preparation business owner was sentenced to 30 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the U.S. government by filing false tax returns and diverting portions of the resulting refunds to herself and an employee, the U.S. Justice Department said.

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DHS, ICE Held In Contempt Over Asylum-Seeker Deportations

By Jared Foretek

A Maryland federal judge held U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in civil contempt for wrongfully deporting more than 50 unaccompanied minors with a blanket court order barring their removal, writing that the subsequent efforts to bring some of the minors back didn't right the initial wrong.

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ICE Appeals Teen Detention Rulings

By Jared Foretek

The Trump administration is appealing a D.C. federal judge's order barring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from immediately detaining unaccompanied immigrant minors once they turn 18 without individualized assessments.

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Feds Ordered To Pay Millions In Funds For Migrant Kids' Attys

By Craig Clough

A California federal judge ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration is in violation of her preliminary injunction ordering it to continue paying dozens of nonprofits that represent tens of thousands of migrant children in immigration proceedings, saying new data requirements imposed by the government violate "the plain language" of her order.

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1st Circ. Asked To Stop Student Removals For Palestine Speech

By Britain Eakin

A coalition of academic groups challenging the Trump administration's ability to target noncitizens for removal for pro-Palestinian speech told the First Circuit an injunction is needed to block the federal government from continuing to enforce the policy.

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Colo. Panel Says Ex-Commissioner Must Pay Own Atty Fees

By Rachel Konieczny

A former Colorado county commissioner must pay the nearly $6,000 she incurred in attorney fees for defending herself against county-triggered misconduct investigations, the Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed Thursday.

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DA Says Appellate Insight Needed In Judge Recusal Battle

By Kelcey Caulder

DeKalb County, Georgia's district attorney asked a trial court judge for a green light to appeal his decision not to boot a judge accused of ethics violations from the DA's office's cases, saying the situation called for guidance from the Georgia Supreme Court. 

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NJ Panel Limits Disclosure Of Pending Police IA Files

By Parker Quinlan

A New Jersey appeals court has ruled that defense attorneys in the state are not entitled to specific evidence about internal affairs investigations against police officers who are planning to testify in criminal trials.

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FCC Floats Plan To Clear 200 MHz For Direct-To-Device Use

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission proposed Thursday to open up more than 200 megahertz of the airwaves used by unlicensed devices for direct-to-device service from low Earth orbit satellites.

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FCC Orders Denver Billboards To Cease Operations

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

The Federal Communications Commission has said two electronic billboards in Denver are interfering with T-Mobile signals and has ordered them to stop or face daily fines of more than $25,000.

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Missouri Fires Back At Challenge To New Hemp Regulations

By Mike Curley

Missouri officials asked a federal judge to throw out a suit challenging new regulations on intoxicating cannabinoid products, saying the hemp coalition and other companies that sued to block the law haven't shown they have standing.

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Mich. Cannabis Agency Accused Of Aiding Buyout Plot

By Susan Smiley

A Michigan business owner has claimed in a suit filed in federal court on Thursday that the state Cannabis Regulatory Agency and several of its members coordinated with JARS Holdings to push him out of the cannabis business while smearing his professional reputation.

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Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Adds Ex-Treasury Crypto Atty

By Jack Rodgers

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has hired a former Treasury Department counsel, who in his last role was the agency's first official dedicated to focusing on digital asset policy and blockchain technology, the firm announced Thursday.

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Series

Being A Sommelier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Being a sommelier has quietly shaped how I practice law by changing the way I think, communicate and connect with people, and offers a constant reminder that expertise is about making your knowledge useful and accessible to others, says Kara Du at Sheppard.

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What Cos. Must Know About EPA Water Monitoring Proposal

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's newly proposed rule that would require public water systems to monitor for 30 unregulated drinking water contaminants does not impose new obligations on companies, but the data collected could affect future policy, investigations and litigation, says Ayodeji Ayolola at Gordon Rees.

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9th Circ. Rule Block Unlikely To Deter FinCEN Cartel Focus

The Ninth Circuit recently blocked the Financial Crimes Enforcement Unit's border cash reporting rule, interpreting it as an impermissible use of an emergency anti-money laundering tool, but regulators are more likely to see the opinion as a road map for building a more defensible rule, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

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A New Era Of Scrutiny For China-Linked Pharma Deals

As Congress considers bipartisan legislation that would heighten regulatory scrutiny for life sciences deals involving Chinese biotech entities, companies should reassess the risks and due diligence requirements that will come with using heavily China-dependent pipelines, says Jen Maki at Ankura.

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State Of Insurance: Q2 Notes From Illinois

The second quarter of 2026 featured a trio of auto insurance opinions from Illinois' appellate courts, addressing a notice requirement, narrowing insurers' exposure for delayed payment of underinsured motorist claims, and creating a district split on coverage for employee-drivers under employers' policies, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

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Justices' FTC Ruling Weakens Qui Tam's Constitutional Base

The U.S. Supreme Court’s holding in Trump v. Slaughter, expanding presidential control over those exercising executive power, suggests that courts may be receptive to arguments challenging the constitutional foundations of the False Claims Act’s qui tam mechanism, says Daniel Passeser at Wiggin.

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How Does In-House Pay Compare? Take The Law360 Survey

How do in-house salaries vary across industries, roles, and organizational revenue? What compensation tools are companies using to lure top talent? Help Law360 Pulse answer these questions and more in this year's In-House Compensation Survey.

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No Simpson Thacher Malpractice In PIPE Case, Jury Finds

By Madison Arnold

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP escaped a malpractice lawsuit late Thursday over its representation of Patriot National Inc. in a private investment in public equity transaction in the years before the company's downfall.

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Richards Layton Under Fire Amid Bid To Avoid AI Sanctions

By Rose Krebs

A firm has asked a Delaware vice chancellor to allow it to submit more "factual information" regarding what it says are inconsistencies in Richards Layton & Finger PA's attempt to avoid sanctions for submitting a filing with errors generated by artificial intelligence.

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Analysis

The Dramatic Moments Set To Shape Tom Goldstein's Appeal

By Jeff Overley and Jared Foretek

Prurient revelations, brash recriminations and purportedly glaring judicial errors in Tom Goldstein's criminal case have captivated the appellate bar for nearly 19 months, and many of those moments will be center stage in the star attorney's imminent appeal.

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2nd Circ. Says Pillsbury Must Surrender $3.6M Retainer

By Jessica Corso

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP was ordered on Thursday to hand over a $3.6 million retainer it was paid to defend a client against criminal and civil fraud charges, with the Second Circuit upholding a ruling that the funds were part of an asset freeze order issued in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission case.

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Ex-GC Hijacked Accounts And Posted Klan Imagery, Suit Says

By Ben Adlin

A Washington state court granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday in a school fundraising company's lawsuit accusing its former general counsel of taking control of its social media accounts and allegedly replacing its LinkedIn photo with a manipulated image of its president in a Ku Klux Klan robe.

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Ex-Girardi Atty Gets Probation For Keeping Silent On Theft

By Lauraann Wood

A former Girardi Keese attorney was sentenced to one day time-served and two years of probation Thursday for staying quiet and failing to report disgraced plaintiff's attorney Tom Girardi's theft of millions of settlement dollars owed to Lion Air Flight 620 plane crash victims.

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