DOJ Drops Law Firm Executive Order Appeals

By Alison Knezevich and Lauren Berg

The Trump administration told the D.C. Circuit on Monday that it is dropping its fight over executive orders targeting four law firms.

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High Court Blocks California's Gender Privacy Rule

By Katie Buehler and Lauren Berg

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday reinstated a lower court order that barred California public schools from allowing transgender and gender-nonconforming students to use different names and pronouns at school without their parents' knowledge or consent while the order is appealed.

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Supreme Court Seems To Favor Gun Rights For Pot User

By Elizabeth Daley

U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Monday of government arguments that barring marijuana users from owning guns is legal, pointing out that the government's chosen historical analog, laws disarming drunks, only applied to gun owners who were regularly dangerously intoxicated — qualities not necessarily present in modern cannabis users.

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3rd Circ. Unsure Criticism Of Prof's DEI Stance Is Defamation

By Matthew Santoni

A Third Circuit panel on Monday questioned whether the retraction of a former University of Pittsburgh program director's article criticizing diversity, equity and inclusion was a purely academic debate the courts should avoid, or if statements that it "misrepresented" facts were enough to sustain defamation claims.

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6th Circ. Backs Ohio Judge's Firing Over Campaign Attack Ad

By Emily Sawicki

An Ohio magistrate judge who was fired after sharing campaign mailers attacking a fellow judge's work ethic may not pursue a freedom-of-speech suit against her supervisor and the court, a Sixth Circuit panel determined, finding that the election advertisements publicly undermined the court's policy decisions.

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Ulta Case Judge Finds Wash. Antispam Law Constitutional

By Ben Adlin

Weeks after a similar ruling across the state, another Washington federal judge has ruled that the state's antispam statute is constitutional and comports with U.S. law, allowing customers to move forward with their proposed class action accusing beauty retailer Ulta of bombarding shoppers with misleading email advertisements.

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High Court Won't Hear Challenge To Felony Gun Ban

By Rachel Konieczny

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to take up a Utah woman's Second Amendment challenge to a federal law that prohibits people who've been convicted of felonies from owning guns.

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Justices Won't Set Bar For Probation Violation Detentions

By Matthew Santoni

The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it won't decide if a Pennsylvania county's practice of jailing people for long periods over alleged probation violations was a violation of their constitutional rights.

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DC Judge Pauses Advance Notice Rule For ICE Facility Visits

By Gina Kim

A D.C. federal judge paused a Trump administration policy requiring lawmakers to give a seven-day advance notice for oversight visits to immigration detention centers, ruling Monday the lawmakers have shown irreparable injury absent relief given the need for "real-time, on-the-ground information" about facility conditions and detainees' statuses. 

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Dems Probe Trump 'Fixer' In Kirkland Pro Bono Deal

By Lauren Berg

Top Democratic legislators who are investigating the legality of pro bono agreements some BigLaw firms made with President Donald Trump demanded Monday that Kirkland & Ellis LLP provide information about the involvement of Boris Epshteyn, whom the lawmakers called Trump's "legal fixer and co-conspirator to overturn the 2020 presidential election."

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Scientists Slam 'Political Attack' On Judges' Reference Book

By Lauren Berg

Partisan politics is interfering with a reference manual judges routinely rely on to understand complicated scientific evidence, according to more than two dozen contributors who on Monday raised the alarm about Republican attorneys general successfully lobbying for a chapter on climate change to be deleted.

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Analysis

4 Things That Likely Sealed Fate Of SCOTUSblog Founder

By Jared Foretek

When 12 "guilty" verdicts were read aloud by the jury in SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein's tax evasion and mortgage fraud trial last week, it was the culmination of a 16-day trial that took jurors deep into Goldstein's ultra high-stakes poker playing, his lavish lifestyle and his former law firm's accounting. Here, Law360 looks at four key pieces of evidence that likely moved jurors to their decision.

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Supreme Court Won't Review Mich. Voter Roll Maintenance

By Carolyn Muyskens

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined a conservative legal group's bid to examine Michigan's process for maintaining voter rolls, as the group claimed the state fails to do enough to remove voters who have died. 

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Senate Banking Dems Call For Binance Deal Compliance Probe

By Courtney Bublé

Senate Democrats on the banking committee are pressing the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of the Treasury to investigate reports that cryptocurrency exchange Binance Holdings Ltd. could be flouting the requirements of a 2023 settlement agreement. 

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Judge Delays Line 5 Pipeline Removal On Wis. Tribal Lands

By Crystal Owens

A Wisconsin federal judge paused a June 16 deadline requiring Enbridge Energy to shut down a portion of its Line 5 pipeline on Wisconsin tribal lands pending a Seventh Circuit decision, citing concern over energy prices, local economies and foreign relations with Canada.

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1st Circ. Probes Regulatory Authority Of US Fishing Boards

By Carolyn Muyskens

First Circuit judges quizzed a fishing industry group on Monday on the powers of federal regional councils for commercial fishing, as the group seeks to undo haddock fishing limits for the New England coast. 

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Drugmakers Warn Justices Oregon Pricing Law Risks Secrets

By Ivan Moreno

Pharmaceutical manufacturers have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Oregon's drug‑pricing transparency law, arguing it forces companies to publicly justify their pricing decisions and give up valuable trade secrets in violation of the First Amendment and the Constitution's takings clause.

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Texas AG Says Gender Care Ban Includes Mental Health

By Jonathan Capriel

Mental-health professionals in Texas risk losing their licenses and public funding if they "facilitate" the gender-affirming care banned under state law, said an opinion issued Friday by Attorney General Ken Paxton, which calls them the "gatekeepers."

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Justices Reject Appeal Over Copyright For AI-Created Art

By Ivan Moreno

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined an appeal from a computer scientist who was denied a copyright for artwork created by an artificial intelligence system, leaving in place a D.C. Circuit ruling that sided with the U.S. Copyright Office's position that only human-created works can be registered.

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Cable Industry Group Sues US Copyright Office Over Fees

By Ivan Moreno

The cable industry's main trade group is suing the U.S. Copyright Office, challenging an agency rule it says inflates the royalties cable providers must pay for carrying broadcast television by requiring them to report revenue they never actually receive.

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Sen. Booker Calls For Scrutiny Of Paramount's Deal For WBD

By Matthew Perlman

Sen. Cory Booker is calling on Congress to use its oversight authority to scrutinize Paramount Skydance's planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, after Netflix dropped its competing bid for the entertainment giant.

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9th Circ. Says Malibu, Culver City Filed Air Traffic Suits Too Late

By Elaine Briseño

The Ninth Circuit on Monday rejected challenges from Malibu and Culver City of the Federal Aviation Administration's flight pattern adjustments in Southern California, saying the municipalities waited too long to challenge the 2016 air traffic revisions.

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Trucking Group Defends $21M Atty Fee Bid In RI Tolls Fight

By Linda Chiem

The commercial trucking industry's lead trade group has argued it's entitled to $21 million in attorney fees as it staunchly objected to a Rhode Island federal magistrate judge's recommendation that its request be slashed to $2.7 million in long-running litigation over the state's truck tolling program.

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HUD Sued For Rescinding 30-Day Owed Rent Notice Rule

By Isaac Monterose

A group of nonprofits and one Michigan tenant claimed on Monday that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development violated federal law by rescinding a 30-day owed rent notice rule without prior public notice or a comment period.

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Mass. Board Raises, Lowers Boston Building Tax Values

By Sanjay Talwani

A Massachusetts board trimmed the valuation of a Boston office building for one tax year while boosting it for two others in a decision released Monday, rejecting larger changes sought by the parties.

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Minn. Tax Court Erred In Valuing Hotel, Minn. Justices Told

By Jaqueline McCool

The Minnesota Tax Court improperly lowered the value of a Minneapolis hotel and convention center and should not have disregarded the minimum assessment agreement that existed between the county and the property owner, the county told the Minnesota Supreme Court.

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7th Circ. Urged To Nix Wisconsin Homeowners' Tax Appeal

By Crystal Owens

A Wisconsin school district is asking the Seventh Circuit to reject an appeal by a group of homeowners that claims the Menominee Indian Tribe joined forces with it and other municipalities to increase their tax burden, arguing that the property owners' claims are not redressable in the federal court.

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Wash. Judge Orders UW-ICE Records Fight To Go Forward

By Tom Lotshaw

A Washington federal judge has ordered briefing to resume for a previously stayed case in which the University of Washington alleges the federal government failed to hand over public records about immigration arrests and detentions.

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Epic Must Face Price Conspiracy Claims Over Gallstone Drug

By Gianna Ferrarin

Epic Pharma LLC must face the majority of suits by hospitals, insurers and other drug purchasers alleging it conspired to raise and control the price of gallstone medication ursodiol, a Pennsylvania federal judge ruled Monday.

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NY Pushes Bid To Nix RealPage's Suit Over Rental Pricing Law

By Isaac Monterose

The Office of the New York State Attorney General once again has urged a New York federal court to dismiss a free speech suit filed by property management software company RealPage Inc., which is challenging a state law that prohibits landlords from using software that makes recommendations for things such as rents and occupancy levels.

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Lawmakers Urged To Rein In Debt Settlement Industry

By Jon Hill

Lender trade groups on Friday urged Congress to tighten federal oversight of the debt settlement industry, warning of significant potential harm from companies that they said are increasingly pitching consumers on "strategic default" as a path to financial relief.

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Mass. Justices Weigh Handgun Age Law After Top Court Case

By Julie Manganis

Massachusetts' highest court on Monday considered whether a blanket prohibition on handgun possession by anyone under 21 is unconstitutional, in a case that reflects the ongoing fallout from a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that sharply limited the circumstances under which a license to carry can be denied.

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Fed. Circ. Quickly Releases Mandate In Trump Tariff Case

By Kevin Pinner

Businesses and states that successfully challenged President Donald Trump's global tariff regime can proceed with their efforts to seek refunds, as the Federal Circuit expedited the release of its mandate in the case to the U.S. Court of International Trade on Monday.

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Refugees Seek To Block DHS' Refugee Detentions Nationally

By Ganesh Setty

A group of refugees asked a Massachusetts federal court to stop the Trump administration's policy allowing immigration authorities to detain an estimated 100,000 refugees across the U.S. who haven't secured green cards, saying it violates their civil liberties.

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No Plans For Detention Center In Ore. City, DHS Tells Court

By Grace Dixon

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have urged a Washington federal court to dismiss two suits challenging alleged plans to build an immigrant detention facility in Newport, Oregon, arguing that it has no such plans.

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5th Circ. Hesitant To Pin Grandmother With Drug Smuggling

By Spencer Brewer

A Fifth Circuit panel seemed wary of pinning an Oklahoma grandmother with a drug smuggling charge on top of an allegation of running a Ponzi scheme, asking Monday if failure to conduct due diligence is "all it takes to make them a drug conspirator."

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Justices Decline CashCall Challenge To $134M CFPB Award

By Jon Hill

The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it will not review a Ninth Circuit decision upholding a $134 million restitution award for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a long-running case over a tribal lending program that ultimately lost millions for lender CashCall Inc.

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Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission heard from the lobbying sphere more than 100 times in February on concerns ranging from the need for wireless spectrum to next-generation 911, media ownership rules, access to Lifeline phone service and more.

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E-Rate Could Cut Some Regulatory Fat, FCC Told

By Nadia Dreid

While the Federal Communications Commission is looking for regulations to get rid of, one organization said it has a list of options for the agency to consider when it comes to the E-Rate subsidy program.

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Brief

Delaware Governor Aims To Accelerate Broadband Permits

By Nadia Dreid

Delaware's governor is looking to get serious about speeding up broadband permitting in the smallest state in the union with a new executive order that will implement a strategy state officials are calling the "permitting accelerator."

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Wireless Co. Asks For FCC Waiver Of Handset 'Unlocking'

By Nadia Dreid

Since the FCC recently let Verizon out of a requirement that made the company open its cellphones to other carriers after 60 days, it's only fair that a smaller carrier similarly bound because of a spectrum-leasing agreement with Verizon be let out as well, that company says.

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Hemp Cos. Lose Challenge To Connecticut Regulations

By Mike Curley

A Connecticut federal judge has dismissed a suit from a group of hemp companies alleging the state's new hemp laws violate the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp, saying the sellers haven't shown that they are preempted by the federal law. 

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WilmerHale Rehires Former Va. Solicitor General

By Jack Rodgers

WilmerHale has rehired Virginia's former solicitor general, who left the firm in 2022 to work in government, to lend his perspective on state attorneys general matters and appellate and government litigation, the firm announced Monday.

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Clifford Chance Adds UnitedHealth Group Deputy GC

By Jack Rodgers

Clifford Chance LLP has hired UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s former deputy general counsel, who is joining the Washington, D.C., team to work on antitrust issues related to transitions, litigation and compliance, the firm announced Monday.

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Fed's Abbreviated Supervisory Statement Packs A Big Punch

Language used in a recent three-page statement from the Federal Reserve Board charts a very clear shift in the supervision of banks and bank holding companies, departing from traditional "Fed speak" and emphasizing material financial risks in exams, says Joseph Silvia at Duane Morris.

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A Single DOJ Corporate Enforcement Policy Raises Questions

The U.S. Department of Justice's soon-to-be-released uniform corporate criminal enforcement policy could address the challenges raised by the current decentralized approach, but it will need to answer a number of potential questions amid scant details, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

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FDA's Biosimilarity Guidance Holds Uncertain Implications

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new draft guidance aimed at simplifying the biosimilarity demonstration process may not be enough to overcome the barriers that have historically constrained biosimilar competition, and could affect biosimilar access in unexpected ways, say analysts at Analysis Group.

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Navigating Exclusion Decisions After SEC's No-Action Change

Following the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's November changes to the Rule 14a-8 no-action letter process, shareholder proponents have turned to litigation if companies excluded their proposals under the new framework, with three recent cases offering useful lessons for companies navigating exclusion decisions this proxy season, say attorneys at Cleary.

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WTO Most‑Favored‑Nation Reform May Hold Promise

When the World Trade Organization meets this month, it is expected to debate changing the most-favored-nation rule, a carefully calibrated loosening of which may be justified if it enables deeper liberalization and regulatory cooperation, says Alan Yanovich at Akin.

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Unpacking Key Themes From NY's New Healthcare Strategy

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's 2026 State of the State agenda, read together with the state's fiscal year 2027 executive budget, reflect a clear framework to utilize Medicaid as the state's operating platform for healthcare reform, say attorneys at Sheppard.

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FTC Focus: Antitrust Spotlight On 'Acqui-Hires,' Noncompetes

A recent Federal Trade Commission focus on labor issues, like 'acqui-hire' deals, in which only a company's workforce is acquired, and noncompetes, shows that the agency is scrutinizing these issues on a case-by-case basis, necessitating a meaningful look at these transactions, particularly in the technology and artificial intelligence industries, say attorneys at Proskauer.

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5 Different AI Systems Raise Distinct Privilege Issues

A New York federal court’s recent U.S. v. Heppner decision, holding that a defendant’s use of Claude was not privileged, only addressed one narrow artificial intelligence system, but lawyers must recognize that the spectrum of AI tools raises different confidentiality and privilege questions, says Heidi Nadel at HP.

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DOJ Nixes Plan To Drop Law Firm EO Appeals In About-Face

By Emma Cueto

A day after informing the D.C. Circuit that it would no longer seek to defend the executive orders issued by President Donald Trump against four law firms, the U.S. Department of Justice reversed course Tuesday, requesting permission to withdraw its motion to voluntarily dismiss the appeals.

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NY Judicial Watchdog Says Complaints Break Record Again

By Andrea Keckley

New York's judicial watchdog has reported a record number of new complaints filed against judges for the fourth year in a row in 2025.

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DOJ Turns To 2nd Circ. In Bid To Revive James Subpoenas

By Emily Sawicki

The U.S. Department of Justice is urging the Second Circuit to revive an investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James launched by a federal prosecutor later found to have been serving unlawfully, arguing the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York had been rightfully appointed when he launched the probe.

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Winston & Strawn Hires Antitrust Partner From DOJ In DC

By Jack Rodgers

A Justice Department trial attorney who helped represent the government in its ad technology monopolization fight against Google has joined Winston & Strawn LLP's Washington, D.C., team.

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Buchalter Taps Product Liability Atty As Orange County Head

By James Mills

Buchalter PC has promoted a longtime products liability litigator to be the new head of its Orange County, California, office.

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Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

By Matthew Perlman

The U.S. Department of Justice got its antitrust case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster teed up for trial, as a court continues mulling the department's settlement last year in a case challenging a deal by Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and lawmakers call for scrutiny of Paramount Skydance's blockbuster acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

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DC Circ. Urged To Aid Discovery In ICE-IRS Data-Sharing Case

By Anna Scott Farrell

A taxpayer group challenging the legality of a deal allowing the Internal Revenue Service to share taxpayer location information with immigration authorities asked the D.C. Circuit to remand part of the case to investigate the IRS' admission that it improperly shared addresses under the agreement.

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Early Publicity Could Poison DOJ's Criminal Cases, Attys Say

By Phillip Bantz

The U.S. Department of Justice under President Donald Trump has shrugged off long-standing prosecutorial policies against publicizing criminal probes in their early stages and disparaging the targets, an "unusual" and "troubling" development that threatens the integrity of investigations, grand jury proceedings and the right to a fair trial, experts tell Law360.

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