Tillis Might Back Blanche, As AG Pick Met Epstein Survivors

By Courtney Bublé

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday afternoon met with a group of survivors of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein after retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said his condition for supporting Blanche's appointment to the permanent position was for the nominee to speak to them face-to-face.

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5th Circ. Upholds Gun Ban Against Domestic Abuser

By Parker Quinlan

The Fifth Circuit ruled that a man convicted of domestic violence cannot have his right to own a firearm restored despite the U.S. Supreme Court's expansion of gun rights in recent years, and that Congress did not exceed its constitutional authority by limiting his Second Amendment rights.

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Blue-Slip-Backed Trump Judge Selections Advance

By Courtney Bublé

The first two judicial nominations of the second Trump administration to receive supportive blue slips from Democratic senators advanced to the Senate floor Thursday.

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GOP Sen. Tillis Presses Vought On DOGE's 'Amateur' Record

By Jon Hill

Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., on Thursday ripped into White House budget chief Russell Vought over the Trump administration's now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency, pressing him repeatedly to substantiate its claims of massive taxpayer savings.

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Corpus Christi Mayor Loses Federal Fight Over Ouster Bid

By Elaine Briseño

A Texas federal judge said the mayor of Corpus Christi, who is accused of using deception to help a developer secure a $200 million deal, cannot use federal claims to fight her removal because she has no constitutional right to hold office.

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Ex-Pa. AG, Firm Again Beat Suit By Election Challenger

By James Boyle

A nonprofit organization's second attempt to seek damages for alleged legal malpractice and fraud against former acting Attorney General of Pennsylvania Bruce Castor Jr. and his firm, van der Veen Hartshorn & Levin, has been tossed by a Philadelphia federal judge.

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Regulators Set New Protocols For 'Sensitive' Bank Exam Data

By Jon Hill

Federal regulators said Thursday that they are stepping up their protocols for handling bank data and documents during supervisory examinations, outlining a new policy that will allow banks to designate certain "highly sensitive" information for stricter access control measures.

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SEC Proposes Making E-Delivery Default For Investor Docs

By Sarah Jarvis

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday proposed a new rule that would allow electronic delivery to be the default method for sending investors disclosures, shareholder reports, proxy statements and other information, replacing a standard by which many documents are delivered in paper format unless the recipient chooses otherwise.

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Senate Unanimously Opposes SBF's Quest For Clemency

By Aislinn Keely

The U.S. Senate has passed a resolution condemning Sam Bankman-Fried's bid for a presidential pardon, making clear that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle oppose clemency for the imprisoned FTX founder.

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FERC Pushes Reliability Standards For Data Centers

By Tom Lotshaw

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday pressed for the continued development of reliability standards for power-hungry data centers and other computational loads, and ordered two western grid operators to report on coordination efforts at the seams of their operations.

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Mich. Renews Enbridge Line 5 Permit, Tribes Vow Fight

By Melanie Dorsey

Michigan environmental regulators reissued key state permits for Enbridge Energy's proposed Great Lakes Tunnel project, allowing the company to continue pursuing approvals needed to replace the aging Line 5 pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac, while tribal leaders and environmental groups vowed to challenge the decision.

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Feds Tell 11th Circ. It Can't Hear BP Offshore Drilling Case

By Joyce Hanson

The federal government has told the Eleventh Circuit it doesn't have jurisdiction to hear an appeal from conservation groups challenging the Trump administration's approval of BP PLC's Kaskida offshore oil and gas drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.

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FDA, Drugmakers Urge 5th Circ. To Allow Abortion Pill By Mail

By Hailey Konnath

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the makers of the abortion medication mifepristone have urged the Fifth Circuit not to reinstate an in-person dispensing requirement, arguing that doing so would disrupt the government's ongoing review of the drug, "threaten chaos" and defy the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Walgreens Sues Mass. Medicaid Program Over Drug Rates

By Julie Manganis

Walgreens says administrators of the Massachusetts Medicaid program cannot rely on drug prices negotiated with pharmacy benefit managers to determine reimbursement rates, in a challenge to the state's effort to claw back $242,000 in alleged overpayments.

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Fed. Circ. Asked Not To Shift Moderna Vax Patent Case To Gov't

By Ryan Davis

Drugmakers like Novartis, former federal judges, a startup group and others have urged the Federal Circuit to reject calls to shift liability in a COVID-19 vaccine patent suit against Moderna to the federal government, saying that doing so would undermine patent rights.

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Paramount Beats Effort To Quickly Block $110B Warner Deal

By Craig Clough

A California federal judge denied a preliminary injunction request Thursday from consumers challenging Paramount Skydance Corp.'s pending $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery after challenging their attorney to cite more recent rulings beyond the 1960s-era U.S. Supreme Court cases he relied on.

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AG Merger Case Gets New Judge After Paramount Recusal Bid

By Bryan Koenig

A new California federal judge has taken over from the one originally assigned the lawsuit from Democratic state attorneys general challenging Paramount Skydance's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, putting the case in front of the same judge hearing challenges from consumers and the Writers Guild of America.

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Republicans Call For Warnings On Shows With Trans Content

By Nadia Dreid

Almost 50 House Republicans have come together to let the Federal Communications Commission know they're in "strong support" of the agency's inquiry into whether it should update the TV rating system to warn people when a program may include transgender or nonbinary characters.

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Analysis

Biggest Sports & Betting Deals To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2026

By David Steele

The year so far has seen increased private equity investment in pro teams and college sports, U.S. pro soccer's plans to capitalize on the World Cup and the Chicago Bears' hunt for a new host city. Here, Law360 highlights the most significant sports deals to watch for the remainder of 2026.

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Kalshi Says Gov't Employee Traded On Trump Speeches

By Aislinn Keely

Kalshi said Thursday that it's working with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to address suspicious trades on the president's speeches that appear to have netted a federally employed teleprompter operator approximately $90,000.

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Simpson Thacher 'Never' Explained Ill-Fated Deal, Exec Says

By Cara Salvatore

A founder seeking over $100 million from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett over a transaction he says destroyed his insurance services company testified Thursday the law firm provided him no education on various words he wasn't familiar with in the deal.

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Colorado County Housing Fee Upheld On Appeal

By Zach Dupont

A Colorado mountain community's housing impact fee methodology for residential homes survived a challenge from a Texas property developer attempting to overturn a roughly $250,000 permit fee for an 11,300-square-foot home after the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the fee complies with state law.

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Texas Judge Warns BNSF, Unions Against Tactical Litigation

By Spencer Brewer

A Texas federal judge had stern words for both BNSF Railway Co. and two unions that are tangled in a labor dispute with the company, saying in a Thursday hearing that federal district courts do not exist to "provide leverage" in union negotiations.

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DOL Secretary Nom Backs Proposed Rules At Senate Hearing

By Max Kutner

President Donald Trump's nominee to become secretary of labor faced questions Thursday from U.S. Senate committee about the U.S. Department of Labor's proposed wage and hour rules, with Democrats indicating that their support might not come easily.

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Brief

Texas Probes LinkedIn Over Alleged 'Ghost Jobs'

By Jonathan Capriel

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced his office will be investigating whether LinkedIn advertises and profits from "ghost jobs," listings for positions that don't exist or aren't actively being filled, saying it might have misled consumers who paid up to $69.99 a month for premium subscriptions.

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Brief

Reps. Dingell, Clarke Push Menopause Workplace Bias Bill

By Corey Rothauser

A pair of House Democrats have introduced a bill that would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for workers experiencing menopause-related symptoms, creating explicit federal workplace protections for a condition that supporters say is not directly addressed under current law.

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$200B Swipe Fee Deal Merits $206M For Attys, Merchants Say

By Craig Clough

Merchants who secured a $200 billion settlement over Visa and Mastercard swipe fees asked a New York federal court Wednesday to approve $206 million in attorney fees and costs, saying: "The result achieved here did not come easily and was far from certain."

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AG Fines, Not Damages Allowed After RealPage Renter Deals

By Bryan Koenig

The attorneys general of D.C., Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington can seek civil fines and injunctive relief against RealPage Inc. and landlords for fixing rent prices, but claims on behalf of their residents are barred by deals made with private plaintiffs, a Tennessee federal judge ruled Thursday.

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Cal-Maine Says DOJ Deal Doesn't Impact Private Case

By Matthew Perlman

Cal-Maine told an Illinois federal court that Kraft, Kellogg and other food companies are mischaracterizing a recent settlement egg companies reached with federal and state enforcers, as the court continues to mull a $53 million jury verdict in a long-running price-fixing case.

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Wyden Urges Admin To Protect US From Canadian Spy Law

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., urged the Trump administration Thursday to protect national security and American citizens from a proposed backdoor surveillance bill from Canada.

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Calif. Tells 9th Circ. AI Disclosure Law Helps Consumers

By Elliot Weld

The state of California has pressed the Ninth Circuit to affirm a district court's decision denying xAI's injunction request against a state law requiring artificial intelligence companies to disclose what's included in training their models, saying the law advanced "an important governmental interest" in providing transparency to the public.

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Conn. School, Town Settle Recess Death Suit For $20M

By Aaron Keller

A Connecticut town and its board of education have agreed to a record-setting $20 million settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit by the parents of a 5-year-old boy who collapsed during school recess and died two days later, according to his family's attorneys.

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NJ Justices Clarify FCA Amendment In Reviving Bank Suit

By Carla Baranauckas

The New Jersey Supreme Court on Thursday revived whistleblower claims accusing Bank of America, Wells Fargo and other financial giants of manipulating Libor interest rates, reasoning that a lower court improperly blocked the attorney general from participating in the litigation.

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Gov't To Revive Digital Equity Grants, Minus Race, Judge Says

By Nadia Dreid

The Trump administration is going to reinstate the Digital Equity Act Competition Grant Program, minus the provisions that require the government to consider race, a D.C. federal judge has said in an opinion striking down part of the law as unconstitutional.

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Brief

Diagnostics Co. Labcorp Settles FCA Claims For $14.5M

By Julie Manganis

Diagnostics testing company Labcorp will pay $14.5 million to settle False Claims Act allegations that it submitted unnecessary Medicare claims for urine drug tests, the Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office announced.

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USTR Broadens Exemptions Ahead Of 25% Brazil Tariff

By Dylan Moroses

A 25% tariff on Brazilian goods will begin next week with an expanded exemption list following public comments on the action, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced.

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Fed. Circ. Revives Commerce's Korean Steel Duty Findings

By Jack McLoone

The U.S. Department of Commerce can adjust its countervailable duty rate for a South Korean steel manufacturer by reconsidering earlier determinations, a Federal Circuit panel said Thursday, reversing a trade court ruling that made the department stick with its older findings.

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EU Developing Countries Tariff Program Yields €5B In Savings

By Jack McLoone

A European Union instrument that allows certain developing countries to import goods into the bloc with little to no tariffs resulted in an estimated €5 billion ($5.7 billion) in savings in 2024 alone, the European Commission and a European Council official said Thursday.

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Brief

Senate Confirms Trump's ITC Commissioner Picks

By Dylan Moroses

The U.S. Senate confirmed five nominees to become commissioners for the U.S. International Trade Commission on Thursday.

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Brief

US Probes Whether Ethiopian Solar Cells Skip Chinese Duties

By Jack McLoone

The U.S. Department of Commerce is investigating whether solar cell products completed in Ethiopia using Chinese inputs are circumventing duties against Chinese versions of the products, the department said Thursday.

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Minn. Court Denies Religious Tax Break For Leased Property

By Sanjay Talwani

A Minnesota property owned by a church and leased to a nonprofit organization doesn't qualify for a tax break as a house of worship, the state's tax court said, but a break may be allowed for its use as a public charity.

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DHS Finalizes Fixed Admission Terms For Foreign Students

By Britain Eakin

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security finalized a rule on Thursday limiting foreign students' admission for academic and exchange visitor programs and replacing a policy that had allowed them to stay in the U.S. for the duration of their studies.

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Md. Sued Over Tuition Discounts For Undocumented Students

By Jared Foretek

The Trump administration filed suit against Maryland and its university system Thursday, alleging that state laws granting in-state tuition and financial aid to unauthorized immigrants violate federal law by denying the same benefits to out-of-state citizens.

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Immigration Board Clarifies Burden To Argue Bad Counsel

By Ganesh Setty

The Board of Immigration Appeals has clarified the requirements to reopen removal proceedings due to ineffective counsel, saying a copy of a bar complaint and proof of its filing are needed, or an explanation as to why one wasn't filed.

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Noncitizens Awaiting U Visas Not Entitled To Leave, Reenter

By Elaine Briseño

The Eleventh Circuit said noncitizens who were victims of the Parkland high school shooting, and their families, are not entitled to leave and reenter the country while awaiting their special visas for assisting law enforcement in investigating the crime.

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DHS Allows Broader Test For Public Charge Findings

By Britain Eakin

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday finalized a regulation that will give immigration officers more discretion to scrutinize immigration applications to determine if someone is inadmissible for being likely to rely on government benefits.

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Swedbank To Pay $50M Fine In Panama Papers-Linked Case

By Katryna Perera

Swedbank AB and its New York branch have agreed to pay a $50 million civil penalty to the New York State Department of Financial Services to resolve claims that the bank failed to fully cooperate with department requests for information related to Swedbank's relationships with Mossack Fonseca, the law firm at the center of the 2016 Panama Papers leak.

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Whidbey Has To Notify Lummi Nation Before Digging

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

A Washington federal judge has ordered Whidbey Telephone to give a tribe notice before resuming ground-disturbing work on a federally funded broadband project that had disturbed remains of the tribe's ancestors.

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Calif. Says AT&T Mustn't Make Move From Copper 'Disorderly'

By Nadia Dreid

The California Public Utilities Commission has told AT&T that it's not pleased to hear that the cost of certain copper services has gone up "exponentially" as the state and the mobile behemoth duke it out in federal court and at the Federal Communications Commission over AT&T's desire to end legacy copper service.

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More Than 200 MHz Could Open For Unlicensed Satellite Use

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission's chief wants to make more than 200 megahertz of unlicensed spectrum available for satellites by opening frequencies across three spectrum bands, according to a proposal released Thursday.

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Dish Freed From 5G Network Commitment

By Jared Foretek

A D.C. federal judge has signed off on the U.S. Department of Justice's request that Dish be freed from its commitment to build and run a nationwide 5G network following its sale of $40 billion worth of spectrum licenses to AT&T and SpaceX.

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Come Back Down To Earth, Tower Builders Tell D2D Fans

By Christopher Cole

While it's clear that direct-to-device satellite service can fill some gaps in wireless coverage, the growing technology cannot fully replace Earth-based systems that ensure connectivity on the ground, a pair of new industry reports say.

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Senate Democrats Revive Bill To End Federal Marijuana Ban

By Sam Reisman

Senate Democrats on Thursday once again reintroduced a cannabis legalization bill that would remove the drug entirely from the ambit of the Controlled Substances Act and impose a tax-and-regulate scheme akin to what is currently in place for alcohol and tobacco.

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Brief

DEA Judge Lays Out Next Steps Following End Of Pot Hearing

By Sam Reisman

A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration administrative law judge has laid out upcoming deadlines following the conclusion of hearings on a proposal to move marijuana to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.

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Series

Being A Magician Makes Me A Better Lawyer

The skills I've developed as a lifelong magician have translated directly into tangible benefits in the courtroom because performing magic and trying cases both live at the intersection of psychology, storytelling, timing and disciplined rehearsal, says Mark Dombroff at Fox Rothschild.

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New Pipeline Repair Rules Shift Burden To Engineer Judgment

A proposal from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to allow operators more flexibility to make analysis-informed repair choices, rather than hew to long-standing prescriptive criteria, could make documenting the engineer’s decision-making process as important to compliance as the ultimate repair performed, says Ahuva Battams at Beatty & Wozniak.

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Assessing New Risks After The End Of The SEC's Gag Rule

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent rescission of its long-standing no‑deny gag rule marks a transition from a regime of enforced silence to one of strategic communication, meaning the question is no longer simply whether to settle, but how to manage the narrative that follows, say attorneys at Nelson Mullins.

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Fed Autonomy Rests On Narrow Exception After Justices Rule

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Trump v. Cook and Trump v. Slaughter expand presidential removal power while temporarily preserving the Federal Reserve’s independence, but there is uncertainty about which of the Fed’s authorities fall within the court’s narrow monetary-policy exception, says Keith Bradley at Squire Patton.

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Opinion

Labor Contract Bill Would Introduce Sweeping Risks For Cos.

The House-approved Faster Labor Contracts Act would force rapid first-contract bargaining, subject businesses to binding arbitration over key workplace terms, and create major uncertainty for nonunion companies, making it crucial for employers to assess their exposure and mitigate the risks now, say attorneys at FBT Gibbons.

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How Does Your Compensation Stack Up? Take Our Survey

Is your compensation keeping pace with the rate of inflation? Do you know what your colleagues made last year? Help Law360 Pulse answer these questions and more in this year's Law Firm Compensation Survey.

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Feature

As Law Firms Race To Adopt AI, Cost Concerns Grow

By Phillip Bantz

Pressure is mounting on law firm leaders to dive into the AI waters or watch competitors swim away, but figuring out responsible, cost-effective methods to use high-priced legal tech remains tricky, experts say.

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Richards Layton Apologizes For AI Errors In Chancery Case

By Rose Krebs

Richards Layton & Finger PA and one of its attorneys have apologized to the Delaware Chancery Court for submitting a filing with errors generated by artificial intelligence, asking that sanctions not be imposed.

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McDermott Atty Denies Pressuring Friend To Alter Testimony

By Rose Krebs

A McDermott Will & Schulte LLP attorney has told a Delaware vice chancellor that he is in "complete shock" and "hurt" by a longtime friend's contention that he pressured him to change his testimony in a Chancery Court case, saying the accusation "is false and without any merit."

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Goulston Docked Ex-Partners' Pay For Joining Rival, Suit Says

By Julie Manganis

Two Goulston & Storrs PC directors who jumped to Troutman Pepper Locke LLP were stiffed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation in retaliation for leaving, according to a suit filed Thursday in New York federal court.

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Feature

In Uber Assault Trial, A Courtroom Tests Truth Face-To-Face

By Hayley Fowler

This is the first in a two-part series about the Virginia Revival Model courtroom in the Charles R. Jonas federal courthouse in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here, judges and attorneys recall how a sexual assault trial against Uber unfolded in a space designed to place focus on the witnesses.

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