Analysis

What Prison Killings Exposed About NY Death Reviews

By Andrea Keckley

New York has moved to change how deaths in prisons and jails are investigated with a new law prompted by the killings of two men at the hands of prison guards, even as many government reports on custodial deaths raise different questions about care and oversight at correctional facilities.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

First Woman Justice Elected To Wash. High Court To Retire

By Rachel Riley

Washington State Supreme Court Justice Barbara A. Madsen, the first woman to be voted onto the court and the second-longest serving justice in state history, said Monday she plans to retire this spring after 33 years on the bench.

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

Ex-Goldstein Employee Claims Accountants Made Mistakes

By Jared Foretek

Defense attorneys for SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein presented evidence Monday that his firm's tax accountants made serious mistakes in tax filings for Goldstein's wife, Amy Howe, in 2021.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

6th Circ. Clears Judge Boasberg In DOJ Ethics Complaint

By Courtney Bublé

The complaint the U.S. Department of Justice filed against Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia has been dismissed.

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

Amazon Shoppers' Counsel Admit To AI Errors In Motion

By Emily Sawicki

Lawyers representing Amazon customers in a proposed class action over supplement labeling have apologized to a Seattle federal judge for artificial intelligence hallucinations included in a recent filing, acknowledging "certain miscitations and misquotations" resulted from a Just Food Law PLLC attorney's use of the nascent technology and a failure by Boies Schiller Flexner LLP co-counsel to catch the errors.

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

Paul Weiss Chair's Emails To Epstein Include Apollo Info

By Aebra Coe

Files released by the Department of Justice over the weekend belonging to the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein show a yearslong relationship between Epstein and Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp, which included dinners, phone calls and meetings, as well as communication related to Paul Weiss client Apollo Global Management.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

DOJ Defends NJ US Atty Office Funding Amid Scrutiny

By Matthew Santoni

Defending the three-person leadership structure of New Jersey's federal prosecution operations since the departure of Alina Habba, an administrator told a federal court that two of the attorneys running the office are paid through the office's budget and the third is funded through the U.S. Department of Justice.

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

Watchdog Renews Halligan Bar Complaint After Court Rulings

By Emily Sawicki

The nonprofit Campaign for Accountability on Monday once again launched a bar complaint against former interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan in Virginia, after the Virginia State Bar declined to pursue an ethics investigation against the attorney last year, calling it a matter for the courts to determine.

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

2nd Circ. Partially Revives Suit Over NY Foster Care Rules

By Elizabeth Daley

A group of New York City children who were taken from their parents and placed into foster care have standing to challenge the legality of state rules preventing them from being placed with relatives with criminal histories, a Second Circuit panel determined on Monday.

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

Colo. Justices Strike Down Laws Governing County Appeals

By Zach Dupont

The Colorado Supreme Court found two sections of Colorado law unconstitutional Monday because they allowed final judgments in county court cases to be appealed directly to the Colorado Court of Appeals.

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

Calif. Cities Challenge DOJ Rules For Child Exploitation Funds

By Hailey Konnath

San Diego and San Jose have sued the U.S. Department of Justice over new requirements for Internet Crimes Against Children program grant recipients, claiming that the federal government is unconstitutionally trying to force its immigration and diversity agendas on local governments and other grant recipients.

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

Brief

Judiciary Open As Usual Until Thursday Despite Shutdown

By Courtney Bublé

The federal judiciary has enough funding to sustain normal operations until Thursday, following the partial government shutdown that started at midnight on Saturday.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Offshore Wind Crowns Courtroom Sweep With Sunrise Restart

By Keith Goldberg

A D.C. federal judge on Monday lifted the Trump administration's halt of the Sunrise Wind project, the final victory for five East Coast offshore wind farms that all convinced courts to block the government's stop-work orders.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

EPA Slow To Intervene In Flint Water Crisis, Expert Tells Court

By Melanie Dorsey

A former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official testified Monday in Michigan federal court that the agency should have intervened in the Flint water crisis a year before issuing its warning over high lead levels.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Star Trek'-Citing Judge Says Moderna Can't Ax $5B Vax IP Suit

By Lauren Berg

Moderna Inc. will have to face most of a rival mRNA vaccine developer's $5 billion patent suit over the company's COVID-19 vaccines at a trial in Delaware, a federal judge ruled on Monday, invoking "Star Trek" in a summary judgment order that left issues like patent invalidity up to the jury.

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

Nevada Judge Temporarily Halts Polymarket Sports Contracts

By Elaine Briseño

A Nevada state judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Polymarket from offering sports contracts in the state for two weeks, finding that the platform's offerings constitute "gaming" under state law.

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

NHTSA To Redo Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck Fuel Economy Rule

By Linda Chiem

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told auto manufacturers Friday that it's preparing to retool fuel economy standards for heavy-duty trucks, as the Trump administration presses ahead with its dismantling of Biden-era policies that sought to bolster the adoption of electric-vehicle fleets.

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

Mich. AG Can't Toss Fire Policy Challenge, Property Co. Says

By Hope Patti

A property owner urged a Michigan federal court to allow its proposed class action over the constitutionality of the state's Fire Insurance Withholding Program to go forward, saying the state attorney general's bid to dismiss the suit is untimely and improper as an intervening party.

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

Town's Northeastern Univ. Land Grab Divides Mass. Top Court

By Julie Manganis

Justices on Massachusetts' highest court appeared split Monday over whether a town's use of eminent domain to prevent Northeastern University from expanding a research center was a proper use of that power.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

COVID-Era Eviction Pause Was Illegal, Wash. Landlords Claim

By Ben Adlin

Moratoriums that shielded Washington renters from eviction during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic unconstitutionally forced property owners to house tenants who otherwise had no right to remain in their units, according to a lawsuit removed to federal court in Tacoma Friday by one of the local governments being sued.

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

Panel Backs Pa. In Widow's 'Line Of Duty' Benefits Bid

By P.J. D'Annunzio

While a doctor's opinion that a firefighter's fatal cancer was likely caused by job-related hazards counted to entitle his widow to worker's compensation benefits, it fell short of the higher causation requirements for "line of duty death" benefits, a Pennsylvania appellate court said Monday.

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

Curaleaf Can't Ditch All Ill. Whistleblower Act Claims

By Mike Curley

An Illinois magistrate judge on Monday mostly denied a bid from Curaleaf Inc. to throw out a former regional director's Illinois Whistleblower Act claims, saying the complaint is sufficient to allege that he was retaliated against for reporting compliance violations to the state government.

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

Custodians Tell NJ Justices COVID Law Doesn't Preempt CBA

By George Woolston

School custodians urged the New Jersey Supreme Court on Monday to reinstate an award of extra money for their in-person work during the pandemic, arguing an arbitrator had a reasonably plausible interpretation of a state statute when he determined it didn't preempt the custodians' collective bargaining agreement.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Doesn't Make Sense': DOJ Irks Judge In Merger Fight With AGs

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal judge said Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice must hand over certain discovery materials to Democratic attorneys general challenging the DOJ's controversial settlement greenlighting the $14 billion merger of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Juniper Networks, telling the DOJ that its argument that discussions of alternative remedies are shielded from discovery "doesn't make sense."

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

DOJ Opposes Google's Bid For Partial Search Remedy Pause

By Matthew Perlman

The U.S. Department of Justice and state enforcers are opposing Google's bid to pause parts of the remedies imposed after a D.C. federal court found it monopolized the search market, while the tech giant appeals the ruling to the D.C. Circuit.

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

FTC Says Bezos, Amazon Execs Hid Evidence Via Signal App

By Bryan Koenig

The Federal Trade Commission asked a Washington federal judge to assume Amazon.com Inc. used auto-deleting Signal chats to hide the "anticompetitive nature" of rules that allegedly created an artificial pricing floor across online retail, escalating a long-simmering evidentiary fight that implicates Jeff Bezos and general counsel David Zapolsky.

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

Monthly Merger Review Snapshot

By Matthew Perlman

U.S. enforcers reached three new merger settlements, while the Federal Trade Commission successfully blocked a $945 million heart valve deal and lodged an appeal for its case targeting Meta's past acquisitions.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Judge Says 'Piddling' Dispute Slowing Arts Grant Cut Cases

By Pete Brush

A Manhattan federal judge on Monday prodded groups seeking the reversal of $175 million of Trump administration cuts to grants for writers to move past a lingering privilege dispute, saying it won't "advance the ball" toward judgment.

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

Brief

HHS Awards $2M Contract To Maintain Refugee Case System

By Ganesh Setty

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that it will award an up to $2 million contract to a refugee resettlement organization to maintain its "mission-critical" case management and reporting system for refugees.

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

Trump, Modi Say US-India Trade Deal Reached

By Dylan Moroses

President Donald Trump said Monday he reached a trade deal with India following a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that includes lowering the tariff rate on Indian goods entering the U.S. from 50% to 18%.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trade Court Remands Gum Duties Review Over Coal Definition

By Jack McLoone

The U.S. Court of International Trade remanded a U.S. Department of Commerce determination on the cost of energy used by Chinese exporters in a challenge to anti-dumping duties on a gum used as a food thickener, directing Commerce to consider an alternative definition for the type of coal used.

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

Vape Sellers Say Texas' China Liquid Ban Is Unconstitutional

By Mike Curley

A group of vape distributors and retailers is suing to block enforcement of a new Texas law prohibiting the sale of e-cigarettes using liquid from China and other "adversaries" of the U.S., saying the law is unconstitutional as only Congress can regulate trade with foreign countries.

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

Brief

China Steel Pipe Circumventing Duties, Commerce Says

By Jack McLoone

Certain carbon-quality steel pipe from Oman made using hot-rolled steel produced in China is circumventing U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty orders on such pipes from China, the U.S. Department of Commerce said Monday.

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

Md. Senate Bill Would OK Split Of Building, Land Tax Rates

By Sanjay Talwani

Maryland counties would be authorized to establish separate real property subclasses and tax rates for land and improvements under legislation introduced Monday in the state Senate.

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

RI Bill Would Establish Yearly Tax Amnesty Period

By Michael Nunes

Rhode Island would dedicate one week every fiscal year during which delinquent taxpayers could make outstanding tax payments without incurring interest or penalties as part of a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

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

Del. Lawmakers OK Review, Revision Of Property Assessment

By Zak Kostro

Delaware would authorize New Castle County's Office of Finance to review and revise property reassessments for tax purposes if a mistake were made in the reassessment process or certain changes in value occurred under a bill approved by state lawmakers and headed to the governor.

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

Trump Admin's Bid To End Haitian Protections Paused

By Rae Ann Varona

A D.C. federal judge on Monday postponed the Trump administration's termination of temporary protected status for Haitians, saying five Haitian nationals who sued the administration are likely to succeed in showing that the termination is unlawful.

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

State Dept. Accused Of Overreach With 75-Country Visa Pause

By Britain Eakin

A group of U.S. citizens, nonprofits and foreign workers sued the Trump administration on Monday over its pause of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries over public charge concerns, arguing that the executive branch can't rewrite federal immigration law.

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

Judge Gives Minn. ICE Surge Green Light For Now

By Ganesh Setty

A Minnesota federal court declined to temporarily block the Trump administration from sending thousands of federal immigration enforcement officers to the Twin Cities area, finding the state failed to sufficiently show that Operation Metro Surge is a coercive federal action.

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

3rd Circ. Affirms Fee Awards For Immigration Habeas Actions

By Tom Lotshaw

A Third Circuit panel ruled federal law authorizes attorney fee awards for immigrants who successfully challenge their detention through habeas actions, affirming awards made to two noncitizens who were detained for over a year and denied bond hearings.

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

Fla. Financial Adviser Gets 20 Years For $94M Fraud

By David Minsky

A Florida federal judge Monday sentenced a financial adviser to 20 years in prison after he pled guilty to orchestrating a Ponzi-like scheme that defrauded $94 million from victims, including the elderly and Catholic priests in Venezuela. 

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

DC Circ. Gets History Lesson As Tribe Fights For Utah Land

By Joyce Hanson

The D.C. Circuit got a lesson in tribal history dating back to the 19th century as lawyers for the federal government and a Native American tribe argued Monday whether a congressional act gives the tribe compensable title to 1.5 million acres of Utah land where an oilfield lies.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Calif. Lawmakers OK Tax Break For Tribal Land Conservation

By Michael Nunes

Native American tribes in California would be eligible for a property tax exemption for land conservation efforts under a bill approved by lawmakers and headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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

House Lawmakers Set To Weigh FirstNet Renewal Bill

By Christopher Cole

U.S. House members Wednesday will consider legislative plans to renew the First Responder Network Authority for just over a decade beyond its scheduled sunset next year and also will examine whether to impose more federal oversight on the network.

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

FCC's Phone Subsidy Fund Aims To Improve Nat'l Verifier

By Christopher Cole

As the Federal Communications Commission responds to reports from its internal auditors of widespread fraud in Lifeline phone services, the program's administrator has said progress is underway to strengthen a national system to verify beneficiaries.

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

Brief

FCC Continues Work As Usual After Gov't Funding Lapse

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission said it has no immediate plans to alter operations as a result of the partial government shutdown that started over the weekend.

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

RI Officials Fight Two Bids To Block Pot Licensing Scheme

By Mike Curley

The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission is pushing back on a pair of motions seeking to block its social equity cannabis licensing program, arguing in both cases that the residency requirement does not run afoul of the U.S. Constitution's dormant commerce clause.

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

Brief

Oklahoma Governor Urges Repeal Of Medical Marijuana

By Sam Reisman

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday called for voters to pass a measure repealing medical marijuana legalization in the state.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Akin Gov't Investigation Pros Move To Simpson Thacher In DC

By Tracey Read

Three former leaders of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP's congressional investigations and state attorneys general practices have jumped to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in Washington, D.C.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

The Biz Court Digest: Dispatches From Utah's Newest Court

While a robust body of law hasn't yet developed since the Utah Business and Chancery Court's founding in October 2024, the number of cases filed there has recently picked up, and its existence illustrates Utah's desire to be top of mind for businesses across the country, says Evan Strassberg at Michael Best.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ruling Helps Clarify FERC's Post-Jarkesy Enforcement Power

A North Carolina federal court's recent ruling in American Efficient v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may be a step in providing clarity on FERC's enforcement authority under the Federal Power Act in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, say attorneys at Sidley.

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

NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

Attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools to record, transcribe and summarize conversations with clients should heed the New York City Bar Association’s recent opinion addressing the legal and ethical risks posed by such tools, and follow several best practices to avoid violating the Rules of Professional Conduct, say attorneys at Smith Gambrell.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

How 3 CFTC Letters Overhauled Digital Asset Guidance

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently issued three letters providing guidance for the use of digital assets in derivatives markets, clarifying the applicability of CFTC regulations across numerous areas of digital asset activities and leading to the development of standards to allow market participants to post digital assets as collateral, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Illinois

In 2025's last quarter, Illinois’ appellate courts weighed in on overlapping homeowners coverages for water-related damages, contractual suit limitation provisions in uninsured motorist policies, and protections for genetic health information in life insurance underwriting, while the Department of Insurance sought nationwide homeowners' insurance data from State Farm, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Assessing Factors Behind Biosimilar Uptake And Competition

As biosimilar uptake remains uneven and questions linger over whether the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act can deliver robust competition between biologics and biosimilars, a case study of Humira and its biosimilars illustrates how many factors, including payor reimbursement and formulary strategy, collectively shape competitive dynamics, say analysts at Analysis Group.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

By Jeff Overley

What happened to a GOP donor's $250,000 Swiss watch? Can cigarette warnings show jarring medical images? Will a circuit split of "far-reaching importance" for arbitration get even wider? That's a taste of the oral argument menu we'll help you digest in this preview of February's top appellate action.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fenwick Reaches Deal In FTX Crypto Scam Suit

By Madison Arnold

Fenwick & West LLP and victims of the infamous FTX Trading Ltd. cryptocurrency scam are working toward a settlement in a case over the firm's alleged role in the trading platform's collapse.

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

Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

By Jeff Montgomery

A pair of new high-dollar suits in Delaware's Court of Chancery showed last week that post-deal stock appraisal suits still have legs, despite some efforts to reduce potential from deal-price gains challenges. The week ended with Delaware's justices nipping $100 million from the attorney fees owed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk from $176.2 million to roughly $70.9 million, rejecting part of a Court of Chancery fee calculation.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

The Top In-House Hires Of January

By Sue Reisinger

Legal department hires over the first month of 2026 included high-profile appointments at SiriusXM, at a host of West Coast tech companies including Microsoft and Meta, and at Black & Decker. Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from January.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Law360 Seeks Members For Its 2026 Editorial Boards

Law360 is looking for avid readers of our publications to serve as members of our 2026 editorial advisory boards.

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