Public Policy

  • February 17, 2026

    DOJ Cites Gun Ban For Mentally Ill In Cannabis User Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice told the Eighth Circuit not to excuse a man's conviction for possessing a firearm while being an unlawful cannabis user, arguing federal law limiting his rights is constitutional since it's analogous to historical laws preventing the mentally ill or dangerous drunkards from owning guns.

  • February 17, 2026

    Union Foe Can't Fight Ore. Impostor Ban, Court Told

    Accepting a conservative think tank's challenge to an Oregon law that threatens fines for impersonating public-sector unions would clash with decades of precedent on the state's exposure to enforcement challenges, a union attorney said Tuesday in arguments on its bid to toss the suit.

  • February 17, 2026

    Judge Rips Drugmakers' Borderline 'Disingenuous' Appeal Bid

    A Connecticut federal judge has rejected generic-drug makers' request for a quick appeal of his ruling denying them summary judgment on states' claims they engaged in an "overarching conspiracy" to fix prices, slamming the request for being borderline "disingenuous," mischaracterizing his reasoning and ignoring direct evidence of alleged wrongdoing.

  • February 17, 2026

    Ga. Panel Says Union Shorted Cop's Defense Over Shooting

    A Georgia appellate panel on Tuesday upheld a trial court's ruling that a police union breached its contract with a former Atlanta officer by failing to furnish him with legal representation after a high-profile shooting, clearing the way for the case to proceed to trial.

  • February 17, 2026

    SEC's Atkins Floats Litigation 'Safe Harbor' For Public Cos.

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins on Tuesday put forth a raft of ideas for encouraging shorter corporate disclosures, including a possible "safe harbor" for publicly traded companies looking to avoid shareholder lawsuits for failing to report the impact of highly publicized events on their businesses.

  • February 17, 2026

    County's Tourism Tax Use Was Reasonable, NC Justices Told

    Counsel for a coastal North Carolina county told the state's Supreme Court justices Tuesday that commissioners' decision to spend occupancy tax dollars on public safety and infrastructure wasn't arbitrary and capricious, while opining that buying carnival equipment for their own pleasure might be.

  • February 17, 2026

    Immigration Judge Halts Student's Deportation Over Speech

    An immigration judge has ended the Trump administration's attempt to deport Columbia University student and green card holder Mohsen Mahdawi, dinging the government for failing to authenticate evidence that he's removable for threatening U.S. foreign policy goals.

  • February 17, 2026

    Law Professors Sue EEOC For Firm DEI Letter Records

    Two professors at law schools in Michigan and Florida have sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in D.C. federal court, seeking documents related to 20 letters the agency sent to law firms over their purported diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

  • February 17, 2026

    FCC Threatens To Nix Mich. Radio Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

    The Federal Communications Commission said it will yank the licenses for seven Michigan radio stations if the company that holds the licenses fails to pay the regulatory fees it has been delinquent on for several years.

  • February 17, 2026

    States Say FEMA Ignoring Disaster Mitigation Funding Order

    Two months after a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration's cancellation of a federal disaster mitigation program was illegal, the government has not shown any signs of restoring it, a coalition of states said Tuesday.

  • February 17, 2026

    Minn. Justices Urged To Uphold Hilton Valuation Cuts

    A county assessor overvalued a Minneapolis Hilton hotel and convention center, the property owner told Minnesota's justices, urging the high court to uphold the state tax court's proper valuation.

  • February 17, 2026

    Navajo Nation Supports NM Bill For Native ID Designation

    The Navajo Nation's tribal council members are throwing their support behind a New Mexico bill that will allow for Native American designations on state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.

  • February 17, 2026

    NY Regulators, Cannabis Biz Challenge Town's Zoning Policy

    New York cannabis regulators and a licensed cannabis business have urged a state appellate court to find that the state's marijuana law preempts localities from enforcing more stringent location policies for marijuana stores than what is found in state law.

  • February 17, 2026

    Aviation, Wireless Biz Work On 'Consensus' For C-Band

    Federal aviation experts are working closely with the wireless industry to develop a "consensus framework" for next-generation aircraft safety gear to avoid congestion of 5G and flight signals in the C-band, a carriers' group says.

  • February 17, 2026

    DC Judge Won't Halt Bidding Process For New Dulles Terminal

    A D.C. federal judge refused to stop the bidding process for a private luxury terminal at Washington Dulles International Airport, finding that a company in the running can't show that it was injured if the contract hasn't been awarded yet, undercutting its injunction request.

  • February 17, 2026

    Meeks Presses Rubio For Info On Venezuela Oil Money

    Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, D-N.Y., demanded that Secretary of State Marco Rubio turn over documents and answer questions concerning the Trump administration's decision to place approximately $200 million in Venezuela oil revenues in an account in Qatar.

  • February 17, 2026

    Ex-IRS Official Drops Suit Over Private Info Leak

    The former commissioner of the IRS' Large Business and International Division asked a D.C. federal court to drop her suit accusing the agency of unlawfully leaking information on her employment status to the media, according to a filing.

  • February 17, 2026

    Kalshi Wins Stay Of Mass. Injunction Amid Appeal

    Massachusetts' intermediate-level appeals court on Tuesday granted prediction market Kalshi a reprieve from having to comply with an order blocking it from offering sports-related event contracts in the state, pending the outcome of an expedited appeal.

  • February 17, 2026

    Groups Sue Over National Parks' Removal Of Historical Signs

    A coalition of educational, scientific and parks-related nonprofits filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Massachusetts federal court challenging the Trump administration's efforts to remove signage from national parks that discusses slavery, Native American history and climate change.

  • February 17, 2026

    7th Circ. Won't Revive Suit Over Ill. COVID-19 Testing Mandate

    The Seventh Circuit on Friday affirmed the dismissal of a Title VII claim brought by public school employees challenging the state of Illinois' requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic that they undergo weekly testing if they refused to take the vaccine, saying they failed to "moor their objections to the testing requirement to any religious beliefs."

  • February 17, 2026

    Ga. Justices Order Do-Over In Challenge To Auto Dealer Regs

    The Georgia Supreme Court ordered a trial court Tuesday to redo its analysis of an electric carmaker's challenge to the state's prohibition on direct-to-consumer auto sales, ruling that the court failed to consider whether the ban comported with the state Legislature's constitutional prerogatives.

  • February 17, 2026

    Fla. High Court Asked To Revive Pot Ballot Initiative

    The sponsor of a ballot initiative that would legalize recreational cannabis in Florida asked the state's high court Monday to take up its appeal of a ruling that said directives handed down to county election supervisors that invalidated more than 70,000 signatures were not unlawful.

  • February 17, 2026

    Mass. Judge Blocks ICE Enforcement At Some Churches

    A Massachusetts federal judge granted a preliminary injunction to several religious groups that sued to block the Trump administration from carrying out immigration enforcement at churches, holding that while unlawful immigration warrants a sizable government response, it can't undermine fundamental liberties.

  • February 17, 2026

    Ex-Mass. Official Says Anti-Asian Bias Led To Ouster

    A former Massachusetts secretary for elder affairs says she was targeted for removal from her position during Gov. Maura Healey's administration based on anti-Asian bias, according to a complaint filed in state court.

  • February 17, 2026

    Sens. Concerned About Live Nation Case After DOJ 'Ousting'

    A group of Senate Democrats is raising concerns about potential political influence at the U.S. Department of Justice, following the abrupt departure of the agency's top antitrust enforcer weeks before Live Nation is set to face trial in the government's monopolization case.

Expert Analysis

  • Limiting Worker Surveillance Risks Amid AI Regulatory Shifts

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    With workplace surveillance tools becoming increasingly common and a recent executive order aiming to preempt state-level artificial intelligence enforcement, companies may feel encouraged to expand AI monitoring, but the legal exposure associated with these tools remains, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Can OCC State Banking Law Preemption Survive The Courts?

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    While two December proposals from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency seek to foreclose pending consumer litigation against national banks related to residential mortgage lending, it's unclear whether this aggressive approach will withstand judicial scrutiny under the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 rulings in Cantero and Loper Bright, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • How Selig May Approach CFTC Agricultural Enforcement

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    As the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission begins a new chapter under recently confirmed Chairman Michael Selig's leadership, a look back at the agency's actions in agricultural markets over the past six years sheds light on what may lie ahead for enforcement in the area, say attorneys at Latham.

  • Assessing Factors Behind Biosimilar Uptake And Competition

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    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.

  • State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Illinois

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    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.

  • How 3 CFTC Letters Overhauled Digital Asset Guidance

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    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.

  • NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

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    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.

  • Ruling Helps Clarify FERC's Post-Jarkesy Enforcement Power

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    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.

  • Series

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

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    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.

  • Aerospace And Defense Law: Trends To Follow In 2026

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    Some of the key 2026 developments to watch in aerospace and defense contracting law stem from provisions of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, a push to reform procurement, executive orders that announced Trump administration priorities, the upcoming Artemis space mission and continuing efforts to deploy artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Aviation Watch: Busy Skies, Tough Market For Airlines In 2026

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    After a turbulent year in the U.S. commercial aviation sector, demand for air travel and premium service shows no signs of slackening in 2026, with airlines facing the need to compete in a saturated market, while seeking opportunities for consolidation and pursuing other avenues to profitability, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • Viewing The Merger Landscape Through An HPE-Juniper Lens

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    If considerations beyond antitrust law were taken into account to determine whether Section 7 of the Clayton Act was violated in the Hewlett Packard Enterprise-Juniper Networks deal, then legal practitioners advocating deal clearance may now have to argue that deals should be justified by considerations not set forth in the merger guidelines, says Matthew Cantor of Shinder Cantor.

  • 4 Quick Emotional Resets For Lawyers With Conflict Fatigue

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    Though the emotional wear and tear of legal work can trap attorneys in conflict fatigue — leaving them unable to shake off tense interactions or return to a calm baseline — simple therapeutic techniques for resetting the nervous system can help break the cycle, says Chantel Cohen at CWC Coaching & Therapy.

  • 3 Key Ohio Financial Services Developments From 2025

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    Ohio's banking and financial services sector saw particularly notable developments in 2025, including a significant Ohio Supreme Court decision on creditor disclosure duties to guarantors in Huntington National Bank v. Schneider, and some major proposed changes to the state's Homebuyer Plus program, says Alex Durst at Durst Kerridge.

  • Patent Eligibility Faces Widening Gap Between USPTO, Courts

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    The year 2026 opened with a profoundly altered Patent Act Section 101 ecosystem — the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has pushed eligibility as far open as it can for artificial intelligence technologies, but the courts are not on the same page, say attorneys at Skadden.

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