Public Policy

  • April 13, 2026

    Judge Quizzes Feds On Outsourcing College Data Survey

    A Boston federal judge on Monday questioned the Trump administration's plan to lean on a contractor to handle college admissions data as the U.S. Department of Education shrinks itself, asking a government lawyer if it was "lawful" to outsource the work.

  • April 13, 2026

    Former Pardon Atty Says Trump's Clemency Grants Hurt DOJ

    Former U.S. Department of Justice pardon attorney Liz Oyer spoke recently with Law360 about how the pardon process has changed, the impact the shift might have on the DOJ and how the system could be reformed.

  • April 13, 2026

    Group Fighting DC Sports Gambling Laws Appeals Suit Toss

    A group hoping to use a 1700s law to stop sportsbooks from operating in Washington, D.C., filed an appeal on Monday of a federal judge's decision to throw out its suit against the city and the sportsbooks.

  • April 13, 2026

    Trump Picks DOL Workers' Comp Official For NLRB Seat

    President Donald Trump tapped a U.S. Department of Labor workers' compensation official Monday to serve on the National Labor Relations Board in a move that could avert another quorum lapse and facilitate a shift away from the labor-friendly policy of the last administration.

  • April 13, 2026

    5th Circ. Finds Ban On Home Distilling Unconstitutional

    A federal ban on home distilleries that dates to the early temperance movement violates the U.S. Constitution's limits on congressional taxing power, the Fifth Circuit said in siding with hobbyists, including one who said he wants to experiment with apple-pie vodka recipes in his garage.

  • April 13, 2026

    DOJ Seeks OK On Blackstone's LivCor Rent Price-Fixing Deal

    The Justice Department has asked a North Carolina federal court to grant final approval to its settlement with LivCor LLC, a subsidiary of Blackstone, which would resolve allegations that the landlord used RealPage's revenue management software to fix rent prices.

  • April 13, 2026

    University Stiffed Energy Firm On Audit Work, Suit Says

    An energy firm says the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs refused to pay for years of completed audit work, raising objections only after the final report was delivered and invoices came due, according to a suit filed in Colorado state court.

  • April 13, 2026

    USCIS Narrows Pathway For Certain Immigrants Under 21

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services again rescinded a Biden-era policy requiring it to automatically consider whether to defer removal or other action for at-risk immigrant youth when a visa is unavailable, opting for an even more discretionary case-by-case determination.

  • April 13, 2026

    Mich. Appeals Court Backs School Aid Waiver Requirement

    A Michigan state appeals court has upheld a school safety funding provision requiring schools to waive certain privileges after a mass casualty event, rejecting constitutional challenges brought by a coalition of nearly 40 school districts and officials. 

  • April 13, 2026

    Fed Action Sought Against European Plan To 'Target' Iridium

    Iridium wants the Federal Communications Commission to push back against a European proposal that it says would "unfairly target" the satellite phone provider with new restrictions.

  • April 13, 2026

    HUD Unveils $1.1B To Back Housing In Tribal Communities

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Native American Programs says it will allocate more than $1.1 billion in Indian Block Grant funding for almost 600 tribal nations to support affordable housing projects.

  • April 13, 2026

    DOJ Urges DC Circ. To Revive Trump EOs Targeting Firms

    The D.C. Circuit should individually review each section of President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting four law firms, allowing certain portions to stand if others are blocked, the U.S. Department of Justice argued in a new filing urging the court to revive the measures.

  • April 13, 2026

    Lawyer Says Feds Cost Him At Least $9M In Calif. Tribal Fees

    An attorney who previously represented a faction of the California Valley Miwok Tribe says the federal government caused him to lose more than $9 million by approving the tribe's constitution, which contains a provision retroactively nullifying any previous agreements for the funds.

  • April 13, 2026

    The Justices Had Their Say On Immunity. Is A DC Jury Next?

    The limits of presidential immunity are once again set to be tested after a D.C. federal judge ruled President Donald Trump must face civil claims over the Jan. 6, 2021, riots, clearing the way for trial and potentially another high-stakes appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • April 13, 2026

    NC High Court Snapshot: State Retirees Fight To Retain Class

    The North Carolina Supreme Court in April will tackle a long-simmering fight over the state's obligations to provide health insurance to retired public employees, who are battling to keep their class status.

  • April 13, 2026

    Ireland To Cut Energy Taxes Amid Blockades By Protesters

    Ireland will spend €505 million ($592 million) on further cuts to fuel taxes, deferring a carbon tax increase and offering financial aid to fuel-intensive industries after protesters blockaded infrastructure over rising costs linked to the U.S. and Israel's war in Iran, according to the government.

  • April 10, 2026

    Sens. Urge CFTC To Probe 'Unusual' Oil Trading Patterns

    U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., called on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to investigate "unusual trading patterns" in oil futures that took place right before President Donald Trump announced talks with Iran, including the recently announced ceasefire.

  • April 10, 2026

    Ariz. Prediction Markets Regulation, Kalshi Charges Halted

    A Phoenix federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked Arizona from enforcing its gambling laws against federally regulated prediction markets, saying the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission are likely to succeed on their claims that Arizona's laws are preempted by federal law.

  • April 10, 2026

    ​​​​​​​Apple Asks To Keep Stay In Epic Case During High Court Bid

    Apple has asked the Ninth Circuit not to undo its order staying a decision in Epic Games Inc.'s favor while Apple petitions the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling that largely affirmed an injunction barring Apple from charging developers "prohibitive" commissions on iPhone app purchases.

  • April 10, 2026

    Texas Justices Say Telecom Contracts Must Follow The Law

    When the Texas Legislature changes the laws that govern how much public utilities can charge telecommunications companies to attach things to their poles, contracts that are already in effect have to fall in line, the state supreme court declared Friday in resolving a decades' long dispute involving San Antonio.

  • April 10, 2026

    Big Banks Say They Were Victims Of Tricolor Fraud Scheme

    JPMorgan, Barclays and Fifth Third have urged a New York federal judge to toss an investor suit claiming the banks ignored flaring red flags and helped conceal a sprawling subprime auto loan fraud by Tricolor Holdings, arguing that they were also victims of the fraud and not aware of the scheme despite being sophisticated financial institutions.

  • April 10, 2026

    Chest Binders Become Latest Front In Anti-Trans Litigation

    Chest binders — medical devices that can be used by individuals experiencing gender dysphoria or who want a more gender-neutral alternative to bras — have emerged as the newest target in an unfolding regulatory and legal climate that transgender advocates describe as an overtly partisan political attack against a type of product that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has deemed the least risky.

  • April 10, 2026

    SEC To Craft Exemption For Foreign Bail-In Transactions

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins said Friday that he has directed staff to draft an exemption for securities offered and sold as part of certain foreign bail-in processes, announcing the plans as the agency said it won't take action over bail-in transactions directed by the Bank of England.

  • April 10, 2026

    FCC Says Current 'Audible Crawl' Rule Doesn't Work

    The Federal Communications Commission is thinking about ditching a requirement that video service providers ensure that nontext emergency information that pops up during a TV broadcast comes with an auditory translation for the visually impaired.

  • April 10, 2026

    Texas Judge Blocks State From Enforcing New Hemp Rules

    A Texas state court on Friday blocked state agencies from enforcing new rules restricting the sale of certain hemp products, after hemp industry groups sued the agencies over claims they illegally went past what the legislature allowed them to ban.

Expert Analysis

  • What New Fla. Citizens Bill Means For Surplus Lines Insurers

    Author Photo

    A Florida bill recently passed by the Legislature as part of a continued effort to depopulate Citizens Property Insurance, the state's insurer of last resort, creates an additional pathway for commercial policies to be written by surplus lines insurers, but also presents concerns of unnecessary regulation, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • What Voluntary Calif. Carbon Reports Show About Compliance

    Author Photo

    While the enforcement of California's S.B. 261 is currently paused due to a Ninth Circuit injunction, more than 130 companies have nonetheless chosen to voluntarily publish climate-related financial risk disclosures, providing a useful snapshot of how the market is interpreting the law's requirements in practice, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • PTAB Memo Recenters Discretion On US Manufacturing

    Author Photo

    Read alongside recent Federal Circuit decisions, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires' memo on patent denial considerations emphasizes domestic manufacturing in a way that the International Trade Commission does not require, says Brandon Theiss at Volpe Koenig.

  • Why MDLs Slow Down — And How To Speed Them Up

    Author Photo

    Multidistrict litigation has become central to mass tort practice, but as MDLs grow in size and complexity, so do delays and costs — so tools like the new federal rule governing MDLs, targeted use of special masters and strategically deployed Lone Pine orders are more essential than ever, say attorneys at Ice Miller.

  • What A Court Doc Audit Reveals About Erroneous Filings

    Author Photo

    My audit of 1,522 court documents from last month found that over 95% contained at least one verifiable error, with fewer than 1% showing clear indicators of artificial intelligence use — highlighting above all else that lawyers may want to focus most on strengthening their review processes, says Elliott Ash at ETH Zurich.

  • Regulators' Basel Pitch May Bring Banks Capital Relief

    Author Photo

    The prudential banking agencies' new proposals to implement the so-called Basel III endgame rules — which would modify the approach to risk-based capital, among other notable changes — represent a fundamental directional shift in bank capital requirements aimed at increasing lending capacity, says Chen Xu at Debevoise.

  • How SEC And CFTC Are Attempting To End Their 'Turf War'

    Author Photo

    Through coordinated examinations and a shared aim to end duplicative regulation, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's recent memorandum of understanding could represent a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for market participants subject to the jurisdiction of both agencies, say attorneys at Jenner.

  • FTC Focus: Growing Emphasis On Competition In AI

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's leadership has continued to highlight that competitive risks in artificial intelligence markets may arise at multiple levels simultaneously, considering not only who controls the resources necessary to build AI systems, but also how those systems function and yield outputs, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • What's Missing From Latest Gov't Claims Against Harvard

    Author Photo

    The most interesting thing about the Trump administration’s recent civil rights enforcement efforts targeting Harvard University is its decision not to assert violations of the False Claims Act when given the opportunity, despite signals that its enforcement efforts will include use of the federal FCA, say attorneys at Bass Berry.

  • How Cos. Can Prepare For 'Made In America' Ad Scrutiny

    Author Photo

    The Trump administration's executive order to combat fraudulent "Made in America" claims in consumer-facing advertising, along with actions by the Federal Trade Commission, suggest a potential increased focus on consumer protection and pricing-related matters, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Opinion

    FTC Case Risks Redefining Price Discrimination

    Author Photo

    Federal Trade Commission v. Southern Glazer puts a spotlight on the blurry line between illegal price discrimination and ordinary competition, and could potentially set a precedent that puts nearly any manufacturer at risk of Robinson-Patman Act enforcement, says Jeremy Sandford at Econic Partners.

  • Parsing Rule 12(c) Motion Overuse In Securities Class Actions

    Author Photo

    Defendants in securities class actions have more frequently been filing motions for judgment on the pleadings following the denial of motions to dismiss, but courts have recently demonstrated an increasing willingness to reject these previously rare motions, finding them transparent attempts to relitigate already-decided issues, say attorneys at Labaton Keller.

  • Preparing For New Calif. Pay Data Reporting Requirements

    Author Photo

    California's S.B. 464 overhauls the state's pay data reporting framework by requiring employers to use job categories that are based on the Standard Occupational Classification system, increasing both the potential visibility of pay disparities and the complexity of compliance, say attorneys at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Series

    Mich. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

    Author Photo

    Michigan's financial services sector saw several significant developments in 2026's first quarter, including the state Department of Insurance and Financial Services' issuance of a bulletin on the use of artificial intelligence and the Michigan House's introduction of a bill based on the Model Money Transmission Modernization Act, say attorneys at Dykema.

  • Justices' Ruling Stresses Quick Action Against Absconders

    Author Photo

    Following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent holding in Rico v. U.S. that a supervised release term is not automatically extended when a defendant absconds, probation officers and prosecutors risk being unable to address later violations if they don't act promptly to secure warrants, say attorneys at Winston & Strawn.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.