Public Policy

  • April 20, 2026

    High Court SEC Case Threatens FERC Fraud Clawbacks

    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission efforts to claw back unjust profits from market frauds, a linchpin of the agency's enforcement work, face an uncertain future as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a challenge to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's disgorgement powers.

  • April 20, 2026

    E-Rate Bid Revamp Likely To Be Harmful, Advocates Tell FCC

    An organization that normally champions the Federal Communications Commission's E-rate program, which subsidizes internet service for schools and libraries, has told the agency it thinks its plans to consolidate bids into a single competitive portal is a bad idea.

  • April 20, 2026

    Groups Challenge BP Offshore Project Approval At 11th Circ.

    Conservation groups petitioned the Eleventh Circuit on Monday seeking to block the Trump administration's recent approval of BP's Kaskida offshore drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico, saying Kaskida is in "riskier waters" than where the Deepwater Horizon disaster occurred.

  • April 20, 2026

    Live Nation Wants Expert, Damages Cut After Antitrust Verdict

    Live Nation is asking a New York federal court to strike the testimony of a key expert witness for the states and to wipe the damages awarded by the jury based on her work, in the antitrust case accusing the company of monopolizing the live entertainment industry.

  • April 20, 2026

    Ill. Judge Orders Five Freed Over ICE Warrantless Arrests

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday found that five individuals were arrested in violation of a consent decree prohibiting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from making warrantless arrests without probable cause, but said recent guidance from the Seventh Circuit curbed his authority to provide relief to others.

  • April 20, 2026

    Trump's Labor Secretary Steps Down

    President Donald Trump's labor secretary stepped down on Monday amid fallout from an internal investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor watchdog that apparently probed a relationship she allegedly had with a subordinate, and other issues.

  • April 20, 2026

    Alaska Can't Dodge $2M Bill In Fishing Rights Row, Court Told

    Indigenous organizations say Alaska is responsible for the length of a dispute rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court over fishing rights in the Kuskokwim River, telling a district court that the state is trying to "foist responsibility" for millions in legal fees onto its Native citizens.

  • April 20, 2026

    Utah Says Kratom Law Doesn't Clash With Federal Policy

    Utah officials have urged a federal judge not to halt enforcement of a new state law reining in psychoactive products derived from the kratom leaf, saying the policy is necessary for consumer safety and public health and is not preempted by federal law.

  • April 20, 2026

    Tariff Refund Rollout Well Received, But Concerns Persist

    The first phase of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's tariff refund system has largely held up against the influx of importers' initial claims, though some businesses have already identified issues in complying with the process, according to trade lawyers.

  • April 20, 2026

    Justices To Hear Catholic Preschools' Challenge To Colo. Law

    The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to review two Catholic parishes' challenge to Colorado's universal preschool program, which requires that they accept students from LGBTQ+ families to receive state funding. 

  • April 20, 2026

    Unions Can't Sue Over Deferred Resignation, Feds Say

    The Trump administration has asked the First Circuit to uphold a decision rejecting a labor coalition's challenge to its deferred-resignation program for federal workers, arguing the coalition's bid to revive the claims falls flat.

  • April 20, 2026

    Uber Flouted Prop 22 With Lack Of Appeals Process, Suit Says

    Uber failed to provide drivers with a process for challenging deactivations under California's Proposition 22, which provided certain benefits for app-based drivers and exempted them from an independent contractor classification law, a ride-hailing driver advocacy group alleged Monday in state court.

  • April 20, 2026

    Ex-Budget Official's Plea Hearing Fizzles In 2nd Bribery Case

    A change of plea hearing scheduled Monday afternoon in the second federal corruption trial of former Connecticut budget official Konstantinos M. Diamantis never materialized, with the parties emerging from chambers and leaving a Bridgeport courthouse without a judge entering the courtroom or going on the record. 

  • April 20, 2026

    House Panel Probes Reports Of Missing, Killed Scientists

    Two Republican U.S. congressmen announced a probe Monday into reports of about a dozen scientists or government employees with ties to American nuclear and space programs who were killed or reported missing, penning letters seeking information from NASA, the Department of Energy, the FBI and the Defense Department.

  • April 20, 2026

    'Unserious Leaders Are Unsafe': RFK Jr.'s Trans Edict Voided

    An Oregon federal judge struck down Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s efforts to enforce the agency's restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, finding the restrictions unlawful and criticizing Kennedy's leadership and the policy declaration that introduced the changes. 

  • April 20, 2026

    Vt. Court Says Monsanto Must Face Trial Over PCBs At School

    A Vermont school district's lawsuit seeking roughly $135 million in damages against Monsanto entities over toxic chemicals at its now-shuttered high school campus must go to trial, a Vermont federal court ruled, denying the Monsanto defendants a quick win.

  • April 20, 2026

    Trump Orders Agencies To Fast-Track Psychedelic Therapies

    President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that his administration would instruct federal agencies to accelerate investigations into new therapies derived from psychedelic drugs and streamline patients' access to the treatments.

  • April 20, 2026

    Justices Won't Review School's Handling Of Gender Transition

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a challenge to a Massachusetts school district's decision not to inform parents when their 11-year-old child began using nonbinary pronouns and a new name.

  • April 20, 2026

    CIT Directs Commerce To Be More Specific On Korean Duty

    The U.S. Department of Commerce must be more specific in its attempt to justify its determination that a South Korean steel plate exporter was benefiting from a government subsidy on electricity, the U.S. Court of International Trade said, ordering another redetermination.

  • April 20, 2026

    CFPB's Layoff Bid Belongs Before DC Judge, Union Says

    A federal labor union pushed back Friday against a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau bid to proceed with a plan for shedding roughly half its remaining staffers, telling the D.C. Circuit that the agency's request should go first to the lower-court judge who froze layoffs there.

  • April 20, 2026

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    The Delaware Chancery Court this past week delivered another mix of procedural rulings, fiduciary duty disputes and deal litigation, highlighting both the court's gatekeeping role and its continued focus on stockholder rights and transactional fairness.

  • April 20, 2026

    Illinois' Suit Over Trump's National Guard Deployment Tossed

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday threw out a lawsuit filed by the state and the city of Chicago challenging the deployment of National Guard troops to Illinois, agreeing with the Trump administration that the case is now moot because the troops have been demobilized or withdrawn and the orders authorizing their presence "are no longer alive."

  • April 20, 2026

    Justices Won't Consider Union's Right To Seek SpaceX Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court shut the door Monday on a challenge to a Fifth Circuit ruling that enables the National Labor Relations Board's targets to get its cases blocked, turning away a union's appeal of a decision refusing to let it join the case.

  • April 20, 2026

    Justice Jackson Faults Quick Reversal In DC Stop Case

    Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Monday chided her U.S. Supreme Court colleagues for reversing a D.C. Court of Appeals ruling involving the Fourth Amendment, saying in a dissent that the lower court was correct and that the case "does not merit the use of our summary discretion."

  • April 20, 2026

    Justices Won't Hear 1st Circ. Escrow Law Preemption Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it will not review a First Circuit decision allowing Citizens Bank NA to be sued for allegedly failing to comply with a Rhode Island interest-on-escrow law, declining to wade again into a fight over national bank preemption.

Expert Analysis

  • Preparing For New Calif. Pay Data Reporting Requirements

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    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

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    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

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    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.

  • New DOD Framework Offers Key Guidance On PFAS Disposal

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    The U.S. Department of Defense's recently updated guidance on disposal of materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances ends its moratorium on incineration of PFAS-containing waste, but contractors must be ready to demonstrate stringent compliance with the department's new permitting system, operational controls and data practices, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Cos. Can Navigate The Patchwork Of AI Safety Bills

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    In the first few months of 2026, state and federal lawmakers introduced hundreds of bills to address the perceived safety risks of artificial intelligence, so companies should assess whether existing or planned services could be scoped into AI safety legislation across jurisdictions, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Unpacking FCC's Proposed Rules For Offshore Call Centers

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    The Federal Communications Commission recently proposed rules that would restrict the use of offshore customer service operations, citing consumer frustration, data security risks and fraud as core reasons for the sweeping regulatory move, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Series

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

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    As usual, California remained a hub for financial services activity in the first quarter of 2026, with key developments including the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation's eye on consumer issues, a bill targeting "pig butchering" schemes, and jam-packed courts, say attorneys at Joseph Cohen.

  • Series

    Ultramarathons Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Completing a 100-mile ultramarathon was tougher, more humbling and more rewarding than I ever imagined, and the experience highlighted how long-distance running has sharpened my ability to adapt to the evolving nature of antitrust law and strengthened my resolve to handle demanding, unforeseen challenges, says Dan Oakes at Axinn.

  • Key Takeaways From The 2026 ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting

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    Last week's American Bar Association Spring Meeting revealed an antitrust landscape defined by heightened friction and tension — between federal and state enforcers, domestic and international regimes, competing political visions, and traditional enforcement tools and novel challenges, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • State FARA Laws Pose Unique Constitutional Challenges

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    Several states have recently enacted foreign agent registration and disclosure regimes that were modeled after the Foreign Agents Registration Act, but these state laws raise several constitutional questions, including concerns about preemption, speech and petition, and vagueness, says Alexandra Langton at Covington.

  • Series

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

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    The first quarter of 2026 brought several consequential developments for Pennsylvania financial institutions, including the state banking department's first assessment overhaul in 10 years, a bill prohibiting interchange fees on card transaction sales taxes and a federal appeals court's upholding of a $52 million enforcement action, say attorneys at Gross McGinley.

  • Informal Announcements Are Reshaping FDA Regulations

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent shift toward using press releases, podcasts and other informal channels to announce major policy changes reflects a valid desire to modernize and accelerate regulatory efforts, but it could lead to diminished transparency, increased industry burden and reduced policy durability, says Rachel Turow at Skadden.

  • Motorola Case Shows Reach Of NLRA Dishonesty Protections

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    A recent National Labor Relations Board case, involving a Motorola employee who was terminated for lying about discussing wages, illustrates the broad reach of National Labor Relations Act protections for concerted activity, which may take on new significance as the agency shifts toward more restrained enforcement, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • In First For DOJ, Action Signals New CFIUS Enforcement Era

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    The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking judicial enforcement of a divestment order, an unprecedented action for the agency that ushers in a new phase for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, one in which judicial proceedings complement administrative oversight and presidential divestment orders may be enforced through litigation, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • Berk May Spur More Pushback Against Med Mal Gatekeeping

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Berk v. Choy may appear to be a run-of-the-mill reminder that a federal procedural rule trumps its state counterpart, but it could inspire more challenges to state-created prerequisites to filing medical malpractice lawsuits, say attorneys at Decof Mega.

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