North Carolina

October 17, 2025
NC High Court Overturns Evidence Rule In Drug Case

North Carolina's highest court overturned its own precedent on Friday and reversed a unanimous appeals court ruling, deciding to allow cell site location data as evidence in a drug-trafficking case and asserting that the state had the same good faith exceptions to privacy protections as federal law.
October 17, 2025
NC High Court Tightens Rules On Review Of Jury Bias Claims

A divided North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday admonished an intermediate appellate court for its use of a legal doctrine that allows expanded appellate review in instances where attorneys are alleged to have used racial bias in striking potential jurors from serving, reaffirming the narrow scope of the doctrine.
October 17, 2025
Real Estate Recap: Lenders' Inner Circle, '25 Hospitality Deals

Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including a look at the real estate deal dynamics influencing the choice of lender counsel, and the law firms that guided the 10-figure hospitality mergers and acquisitions to date in 2025.
October 17, 2025
NC Justices Curb Agency Deference In Prof's Firing Case

Courts in North Carolina are bound by a "constitutional command" to review legal questions anew rather than defer to agency interpretation, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled Friday in a case from an ex-professor alleging his free speech rights were violated when he was fired.
October 17, 2025
Arson, Stalking Claims Not Defamatory, NC Biz Court Rules

A Virginia couple has lost their bid for a pretrial win on claims their former friends defamed them online, with a North Carolina Business Court judge finding the posts weren't defamatory and their identities couldn't otherwise be easily deduced.
October 17, 2025
Federal Courts To Scale Back Operations Amid Shutdown

The federal court system has run out of money and will scale back operations beginning Monday as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, possibly leading to case delays.
October 17, 2025
NC Justices Say Doctor Can't Appeal Dismissal Denial

The North Carolina Supreme Court on Friday denied a doctor and hospital's attempt to reverse an appeals court order upholding the denial of their requests to dismiss a malpractice suit, saying they did not have the right to appeal the denial in the first place.
October 17, 2025
Feds Say Housing Activist Used Homeless For Medicaid Fraud

Federal prosecutors in North Carolina have accused a Charlotte housing advocate of using the Medicaid beneficiary numbers of unhoused individuals to orchestrate a multimillion-dollar fraud on the government, court records show.
October 16, 2025
Schools Look To Duck Early Admissions Antitrust Case

A proposed class action against 32 colleges and universities fails to turn the "early decision" application process into an alleged conspiracy not to compete for applicants, in part because the schools have no reason to entice committed students away from their first choice of colleges, the defendants argued to a Massachusetts federal court.
October 16, 2025
Kalshi Tells 4th Circ. Md. Is Stepping On CFTC Oversight

Maryland federal judge was wrong to reject sports betting company Kalshi's argument that its so-called prediction market, which allows users to wager on the outcome of real-world events, counts as a federal derivative exchange, the company said to the Fourth Circuit.
October 16, 2025
Library Services Co. Accused Of Layoff Without Proper Notice

A Georgia company that identifies as the largest supplier of library content, software and services to public and academic libraries in the U.S., terminated at least 300 employees without proper notice as part of a mass layoff without meeting a federal 60-day notice requirement, according to a proposed class action.
October 16, 2025
4th Circ. Says No Recourse For Men Imprisoned Extra Year

The Fourth Circuit said there could be no recourse in federal court for two inmates who spent an extra year in prison because of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares' incorrect interpretation of a state law that granted the men enough credits for good behavior to be released in 2022.
October 16, 2025
Chamber Says Justices Must Address No-Poach Ruling

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a trade association have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a proposed class action accusing shipbuilders for the U.S. military of conspiring to suppress wages, saying keeping the case alive could cause a cascade of antitrust litigation over decades-old conduct.
October 16, 2025
States Battle Trump Admin To Recover Solar Program Funds

Attorneys general from across the country are suing the Trump administration for allegedly violating the Constitution and federal law by canceling a $7 billion program providing solar equipment to low-income households.
October 16, 2025
4th Circ. OKs $811M Award In CFPB Immigrant Bond Co. Suit

The Fourth Circuit has affirmed an $811 million judgment awarded to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in its enforcement case against immigrant bond companies accused of engaging in abusive practices.
October 16, 2025
Ex-Paralegal Says She Was Scapegoat For NC City Atty

A former paralegal in a North Carolina city attorney's office said she was falsely accused of misusing city resources on her boss's behalf and was not given a fair shot to clear her name, which has allegedly damaged her reputation and made it difficult to find a new job.
October 16, 2025
US Bank Wants Out Of Ex-AI Chief's Race Bias Suit

U.S. Bank has doubled down on its efforts to escape a race bias suit brought by the former head of its artificial intelligence efforts, saying he waited more than 100 days too long to file a charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
October 15, 2025
NC Man Can't Rehash Claims Of Faulty Evidence, Court Told

A law enforcement officer and crime scene technician urged a North Carolina federal court Wednesday to free them from a civil lawsuit over allegedly faulty evidence used to secure a murder conviction, arguing that the claims have already been litigated.
October 15, 2025
States Want To Keep Eye On $14B HPE-Juniper Deal Review

The Justice Department is in the middle of trying to settle its challenge to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks, but a dozen states are now trying to get involved and have asked a California federal judge to allow them to intervene in the litigation.
October 15, 2025
Consumer Says Nail Fungus Product Falsely Marketed

A North Carolina man hit Arcadia Consumer Healthcare Inc. with a proposed class action in federal court accusing the company of falsely advertising that its product Fungi-Nail is meant to treat nail fungus, although the fine print on the back label says otherwise.
October 15, 2025
States Seek To Revive FEMA's Disaster-Mitigation Funding

A group of 22 states and the District of Columbia urged a Massachusetts federal court Wednesday to block the Trump administration's termination of a disaster mitigation program under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, arguing such authority lies with Congress.
October 15, 2025
UNC Fights Ex-Provost's Bid To Access Trustee Devices

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill urged a state court to deny an ex-provost's request to expedite discovery in an open meetings lawsuit that implicated the hiring of UNC football coach Bill Belichick, panning the ask as a mere "fishing expedition."
October 15, 2025
Southeast US Infrastructure Firm Files $100M IPO Plans

North Carolina-based infrastructure company Cardinal Infrastructure Group has filed plans with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering, a move that comes as a handful of companies continue to submit IPO plans despite the ongoing government shutdown slowing SEC operations.
October 15, 2025
$2.35M Deal In Duke U. Mortality Data Suit Gets Initial OK

A North Carolina federal judge gave the initial green light to a $2.35 million settlement that Duke University reached with a retiree to resolve her class action alleging the institution used outdated mortality tables to calculate retirement benefits, costing workers millions in benefits.
October 14, 2025
$300M Asset Suit Tossed In NC Over Demand Futility Failure

A North Carolina business court judge has dismissed a lawsuit from shareholders alleging leaders of an investment fund allowed an exchange of more than $300 million in diversified assets for "worthless" illiquid equity, finding the complaint did not allege either a material benefit or a substantial likelihood of liability as to the adviser.

Expert Analysis

Opinion

Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.
Series

Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
Series

Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.
How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.
When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility

As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.
Series

Volunteering At Schools Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Speaking to elementary school students about the importance of college and other opportunities after high school — especially students who may not see those paths reflected in their daily lives — not only taught me the importance of giving back, but also helped to sharpen several skills essential to a successful legal practice, says Guillermo Escobedo at Constangy.
Attacks On Judicial Independence Tend To Manifest In 3 Ways

Attacks on judicial independence now run the gamut from gross (bald-faced interference) to systemic (structural changes) to insidious (efforts to undermine public trust), so lawyers, judges and the public must recognize the fateful moment in which we live and defend the rule of law every day, says Jim Moliterno at Washington and Lee University.
High Court Birthright Case Could Reshape Judicial Power

Recent arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in cases challenging President Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order primarily focused on federal judges’ power to issue nationwide injunctions and suggest that the upcoming decision may fundamentally change how federal courts operate, says Mauni Jalali at Quinn Emanuel.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Appreciating Civil Procedure

If you’re like me, law school’s often complex and theoretical approach to teaching civil procedure may have contributed to an early struggle with the topic, but when seen from a practical perspective, new lawyers may find they enjoy mastering these rules, says Chloe Villagomez at Foster Garvey.
Calif. Bar Exam Fiasco Shows Why Attys Must Disclose AI Use

The recent revelation that a handful of questions from the controversial California bar exam administered in February were drafted using generative artificial intelligence demonstrates the continued importance of disclosure for attorneys who use AI tools, say attorneys at Troutman.
In 2nd Place, Va. 'Rocket Docket' Remains Old Reliable

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia was again one of the fastest civil trial courts in the nation last year, and an interview with the court’s newest judge provides insights into why it continues to soar, says Robert Tata at Hunton.