Public Policy

  • April 30, 2026

    CFPB Slashes Small-Biz Lender Reporting In Newly Final Rule

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Thursday finalized a major rollback of its Biden-era rule on small-business loan data collection, sharply narrowing the scope of financial institutions and activity subject to the statutorily mandated reporting regime.

  • April 30, 2026

    Judge Seeks Help On Jurisdiction In Trump's Tax Leak Suit

    A Miami federal court appointed six attorneys from three firms to help it determine whether it has jurisdiction in President Donald Trump's suit accusing the IRS of failing to prevent a former contractor from leaking his tax returns to news outlets.

  • April 30, 2026

    Feds Appeal Order Freezing CDC Childhood Vaccine Changes

    The Trump administration said late Wednesday that it's appealing a court order that stopped its pared-down childhood vaccine schedule from going into effect.

  • April 29, 2026

    DOGE Unmasking Order Won't Be Reconsidered, Judge Says

    A New York federal judge Wednesday refused to reconsider ordering Department of Government Efficiency agents to identify themselves in a lawsuit claiming DOGE unlawfully gained access to millions of federal employees' personal information, ruling that the government hasn't offered any new reason for her to rethink her opinion.

  • April 29, 2026

    Tech Group Aims To Halt Minn. Social Media Warning Mandate

    A Minnesota law that requires social media platforms to prominently display mental health warning labels to all users has become the target of the latest First Amendment challenge being pressed by tech trade group NetChoice, which argued in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that the state is using public health concerns to create an unlawful "backdoor" to regulate protected speech. 

  • April 29, 2026

    Judiciary Advisers Back Looser Limits On Defense Subpoenas

    A campaign by white collar defense lawyers against long-standing limits on subpoena powers cleared a key hurdle Wednesday when federal judiciary advisers endorsed earlier and easier access to potentially favorable evidence despite staunch resistance from crime victims' advocates.

  • April 29, 2026

    Youth Hockey Owners Deny Report Of Mich. Antitrust Probe

    A Florida-based organization that buys and operates youth hockey rinks nationwide denied knowledge of a reported Michigan state probe into whether that and similar groups are using anticompetitive behavior in purchasing the facilities.

  • April 29, 2026

    Bipartisan Bill Would Give Parents Control Over Kids' AI Use

    A group of Democratic and Republican senators introduced legislation that would allow parents to keep a better eye on their children's use of chatbots by requiring artificial intelligence companies to establish safeguards the lawmakers say will help protect kids' mental health and social development.

  • April 29, 2026

    Judge Slams $68M DOJ Deal As He Ends Colony Ridge Suit

    A Texas federal judge formally closed a Biden-era lawsuit alleging reverse redlining in a Houston-area development after the U.S. Department of Justice reached a $68 million deal that he says is untethered to the complaint and risks harm to the people claimed to be affected.

  • April 29, 2026

    FCC Looks To Update How It Collects Broadband Map Data

    The Federal Communications Commission has its eye on the National Broadband Map, with plans to vote next month on launching a proceeding to explore how to cut red tape from the data collection process while also increasing the accuracy of the data being collected.

  • April 29, 2026

    5th Circ. Skeptical Of Immigrants' Bond Eligibility Claim

    A Fifth Circuit panel pressed counsel for multiple detained immigrants to explain why people who crossed the border unlawfully should get access to a bond hearing, saying Wednesday that the law clearly states that an allegedly unauthorized immigrant "shall be detained pending removal proceedings."

  • April 29, 2026

    Hanes Must Face Email Suit After State Law Declared Legal

    Hanes can't get out of a lawsuit accusing it of sending marketing emails that make untrue claims by arguing that a Washington state law banning commercial emails with false or misleading subject lines is unconstitutional, a Washington federal judge has found.

  • April 29, 2026

    Mich. Justices Adopt Rule Banning ICE Civil Arrests In Court

    The Michigan Supreme Court Wednesday adopted a rule prohibiting civil arrests of those attending court proceedings or those who have legal business at the courthouse, which drew strong rebuke in a dissent describing the amendment as "a political statement as a solution in search of a problem."

  • April 29, 2026

    Feds Say Lack Of Injury Dooms Gold Card Program Challenge

    The Trump administration said a suit challenging the gold card visa program's legality must be thrown out because the immigrants and academic professionals union that filed it can't show the program hurts their chances at getting visas.

  • April 29, 2026

    High Court Seeks Path To Limited Ruling On 'Skinny Labels'

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared reluctant to craft new standards for deciding whether makers of generic drugs that use so-called skinny labels have encouraged others to infringe patents, with several justices saying existing law is sufficient to make a decision.

  • April 29, 2026

    FCC Pushed To Scale Back Radio Ownership Regs

    A broadcast company that helped persuade the Eighth Circuit to toss federal limits on local media ownership last year is now urging the Federal Communications Commission to pare back radio station limits.

  • April 29, 2026

    Feds Can't Hide Records Of FEMA Cuts, Judge Says

    The Trump administration tried to shield too many documents from public view in a lawsuit challenging its cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies, a California federal judge ruled, siding with a labor-led coalition in a dispute over the administration's motion for a protective order.

  • April 29, 2026

    Kennedy Center Director Says Safety Perils Warrant Overhaul

    The Kennedy Center's new director said he was "dumbfounded" when he first saw the true condition of the cultural hub's facilities, telling a D.C. federal court weighing whether to stop the center's planned two-year closure that now is the right time to catch up on a growing backlog of work.

  • April 29, 2026

    Burgum, Senate Dems Spar Over Energy Permitting Moves

    U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on Wednesday blasted a federal court's recent pause of policies that imposed stricter reviews on wind and solar projects as Senate Democrats said such moves could kill the chances for significant permitting reform legislation.

  • April 29, 2026

    Consultant Says Venezuela Work Didn't Require FARA Filing

    The government did not prove that political consultant Esther Nuhfer was operating in bad faith when she worked with former Florida congressman David Rivera under a $50 million contract with a unit of Venezuela's state-owned oil company, Nuhfer's attorney said Wednesday in his final pitch to jurors.

  • April 29, 2026

    Comey Indictment Built On Bad Legal Foundation, Experts Say

    The criminal indictment of former FBI Director James B. Comey over an alleged threat against President Donald Trump by way of a social media post of seashells appears to be based on either an outdated or flawed understanding of the legal standard required to prove the charges in the case, which could sink the prosecution, according to experts.

  • April 29, 2026

    Squires Snubs 10 IPRs While 4 Pass Muster In Latest Order

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires rejected 10 petitions for America Invents Act patent reviews and granted four challenges in an order marking the roughly half-year mark since he took over the duty of making institution decisions.

  • April 29, 2026

    US Lawmakers Back Bid To Win Trump Park Pass Suit

    A coalition of Democratic congressional lawmakers are looking to back a conservation group's summary judgment bid in its challenge to the U.S. Department of Interior's decision to put President Donald Trump's image on this year's America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

  • April 29, 2026

    Sauer Urges Justices To Ignore Alleged Bias In TPS Case

    U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday that courts shouldn't, as a matter of foreign policy, consider President Donald Trump's disparaging comments about Haitians in reviewing rescissions of temporary protected status for Haiti and Syria.

  • April 29, 2026

    Fla. Judge Pick Denies Conflict In Trump Defamation Case

    A judicial nominee for the Southern District of Florida on Wednesday denied there was any overlap between when he presided over a case involving President Donald Trump and when the White House let him know Trump was considering him for the federal judgeship.

Expert Analysis

  • Justices' Geofence Ruling May Test 4th Amendment's Future

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    When the U.S. Supreme Court decides in Chatrie v. U.S. whether law enforcement may use geofence warrants to compel Google to disclose location history data, the ruling is likely to become an important statement about the future of Fourth Amendment law in data-driven investigations, says Duncan Levin at Levin & Associates.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    In the first quarter of 2026, New York's banking developments were headlined by initiatives to expand oversight of financial institutions and strengthen consumer protection laws, including a new framework for buy now, pay later lenders, a sweeping debt collection rule and a revised corporate self-disclosure program for financial crimes, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Seeking A Policy Fix As Merger Reporting Fight Continues

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    A recently announced request by the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice for public comment on the Hart-Scott-Rodino premerger reporting requirements, as litigation challenging the commission's updated requirements continues, suggests the government's willingness to address how best to support modern merger enforcement without unduly burdening filing parties, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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'

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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