Public Policy

  • July 24, 2025

    AI Rollout At USPTO Has Attys Foreseeing Stronger Patents

    As the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office incorporates more use of artificial intelligence in patent examination, attorneys predict the technology could lead to stronger patents in the future, especially for designs, though it may make the process more challenging for applicants.

  • July 24, 2025

    FCC Sheds Rules For Older Tech As Axing Other Regs Proceed

    The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday jettisoned some older rules applying to technologies that have fallen out of general use and asserted the power to wield an expedited procedure in the future to get rid of other rules it deems outdated.

  • July 24, 2025

    Va. County Board OKs Luxury, Mixed-Use Towers Project

    A three-tower, 970,000-square-foot luxury, mixed-use development project in Rosslyn, Virginia, recently received entitlement approval from the Arlington County Board, the project's developer Penzance announced Thursday.

  • July 24, 2025

    Groups Say Google Shirks EU Mandate To Allow App Deletion

    Advocacy groups asked European Union antitrust enforcers on Thursday to investigate Google's parent company, Alphabet, accusing the technology giant of "an open attempt to circumvent" EU law requiring designated technology "gatekeepers" to permit users to uninstall apps easily.

  • July 24, 2025

    FCC Inserts New Deadlines Into Pole Attachment Rules

    The Federal Communications Commission passed a set of rule changes Thursday morning aimed at making pole attachment regulations less of a thorn in everyone's side and hopefully speeding up the deployment of broadband.

  • July 24, 2025

    Green Groups Cleared To Join EV Funding Freeze Challenge

    A Washington federal judge will let the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations enter a multistate lawsuit against the federal government seeking to preserve funding for new electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, concluding the groups have a significant interest in protecting the project funds.  

  • July 24, 2025

    Mich. House, Secretary Of State To Mediate Subpoena Fight

    Michigan House Republicans and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson must attend mediation to try to resolve a lawsuit the House filed to enforce a subpoena for election training materials, a judge has ordered.

  • July 24, 2025

    Rubio Memo Still A Threat Despite Injunction, Khalil Says

    Mahmoud Khalil told a New Jersey federal judge Wednesday that the Trump administration's bid to stay an injunction that bars his removal, if successful, would leave him at risk of removal under the very grounds the court prohibited.

  • July 24, 2025

    EU Prepared To Impose €93B In Tariffs On US Goods

    The European Commission voted Thursday to impose tariffs on €93 billion ($109 billion) worth of U.S. goods if no trade deal is reached by August as the two sides continue negotiations.

  • July 24, 2025

    New FCC Auction Criticized For Lack Of Tribal Window

    The Federal Communications Commission pushed ahead with a new auction of the airwaves Thursday, but its rejection of a tribal "priority" window led to criticism from one FCC member.

  • July 24, 2025

    Fintech Orgs. Urge Trump Admin To Back Open Banking Rule

    A coalition of fintech and crypto industry groups on Thursday called on the Trump administration to defend the open banking rule in an ongoing legal challenge after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sided with banking trade groups to argue the data-sharing mandate exceeded its authority.

  • July 24, 2025

    NY Regents Say Court Already Ruled On Native Mascot Ban

    The New York State Board of Regents has told a federal judge the opponents of a ban on Native American mascots cannot rehash issues already settled by the court, while an advocacy organization has argued that tossing the lawsuit based on precedent would silence the very group the new rule seeks to help.

  • July 24, 2025

    Madigan Confidant Gets 2 Years For Role In ComEd Bribery

    An Illinois federal judge sentenced a lobbyist for Commonwealth Edison to two years in prison Thursday for his role in forging a "crucial connection" between the utility and his longtime friend, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, and acting as Madigan's mouthpiece in a scheme to illegally influence the powerful politician to support ComEd's legislative agenda.

  • July 24, 2025

    Texas Hemp Group Blasts New Legislative Proposal

    A Texas hemp industry advocate has slammed a second effort by the state Senate to ban all consumable products containing THC, saying residents want "smart, responsible regulation," not "prohibition."

  • July 24, 2025

    NCUA Board Members 'Glad To Be Back' Amid Trump Fight

    The National Credit Union Administration officials who were ousted this spring by President Donald Trump took part Thursday in their first board meeting since a federal judge reinstated them just two days earlier, even as the court fight for their jobs continues.

  • July 24, 2025

    Judge Blocks Crypto REIT From Collecting Rent In Detroit

    A Michigan state judge has barred a cryptocurrency-based real estate investment firm and affiliates from collecting rent at hundreds of Detroit properties until it brings them into compliance with city code.

  • July 24, 2025

    DC Council Sets Vote On Revised Commanders Stadium Deal

    The Washington, D.C., City Council will vote next Friday, Aug. 1, on a revised version of the proposal to build a stadium for the Washington Commanders at the site of its previous stadium, Council Chair Phil Mendelson announced Thursday.

  • July 24, 2025

    Navy Takes Ariz. Border Land For Immigration Enforcement

    The U.S. Department of the Interior said it turned over about 285 acres of land along the border with Mexico to the U.S. Navy for three years so the military can set up an enforcement area as part of the Trump administration's efforts to prevent illegal immigration.

  • July 24, 2025

    EU Probes If KKR Gave 'Incorrect Or Misleading' Merger Info

    European Union antitrust enforcers announced an investigation Thursday into whether KKR & Co. Inc. provided "incorrect or misleading information" as part of the review of its $23.7 billion acquisition of NetCo that received unconditional approval last year.

  • July 24, 2025

    Senate Tees Up Vote On Emil Bove To 3rd Circ.

    The Senate voted 50-48 on Thursday to tee up the confirmation of Emil Bove to the Third Circuit, which will likely happen next week.

  • July 24, 2025

    Trump Says AI Needs Free Content For Global Competition

    President Donald Trump has expressed support for letting large language model developers use copyrighted material for training their systems without payment, saying during the unveiling of his artificial intelligence action plan that licensing requirements would impede the technology's progress and give China an unfair advantage.

  • July 24, 2025

    High Court Hits Pause On 8th Circ. Voting Rights Order

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday paused an Eighth Circuit order to vacate two North Dakota tribes' challenge to two of the state's voting laws that they allege will silence the state's Indigenous voters and disenfranchise millions across seven Midwestern states.

  • July 24, 2025

    DOL Relaunches Employer Self-Audit FLSA Program

    The U.S. Department of Labor relaunched an employer self-audit program Thursday that supports employers that seek to resolve potential wage violations and avoid litigation — an initiative from the first Trump administration that was popular among employers.

  • July 24, 2025

    Jeanine Pirro's Nomination Advances To Full Senate

    The Senate Judiciary Committee voted out seven U.S. attorney nominations Thursday, which include Jeanine Pirro, former Fox News host and New York state judge, and four others who had to be revoted on after Democrats walked out of last week's meeting over objections to how the consideration of controversial Third Circuit nominee Emil Bove was being handled.

  • July 24, 2025

    3rd Circ. Rules Philly Injection Site Equals Religious 'Person'

    A nonprofit battling government resistance to its planned safe drug injection site in Philadelphia can qualify for religious freedom protections, the Third Circuit said in a precedential opinion on Thursday, reasoning the organization meets the definition of a "person" practicing religion.

Expert Analysis

  • Diversity, Equity, Indictment? Contractor Risks After Kousisis

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Kousisis v. U.S. decision, holding that economic loss is not required to sustain wire fraud charges related to fraudulent inducement, may extend criminal liability to government contractors that make false diversity, equity and inclusion certifications, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

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    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • What To Expect As UK, US Gov'ts Develop Stablecoin Policies

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    While the U.K. and U.S. governments’ policies both suggest that fiat-backed stablecoins can improve efficiency and safety in payments systems, a perception that crypto-assets remain high risk means consumers are unlikely to use them in significant volume anytime soon, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

  • Series

    Texas Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    In the second quarter of 2025, the Texas Business Court's newly expanded jurisdiction set the stage for rising caseloads, while the state Legislature narrowed an exception to state bank control requirements and closed a cryptocurrency dividends payments loophole, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Lawsuit, Exec Orders Should Boost Small Modular Reactors

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    A lawsuit in Texas federal court and a set of new executive orders from the White House may finally push the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to allow for accelerated deployment of small modular reactors — a technology that could change the country's energy future, says Aleksey Shtivelman at Shutts & Bowen.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

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    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • Congress Crypto Movement Could Bring CFTC 'Clarity' At Last

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    The Clarity Act's arrival at the House floor during "Crypto Week" in Congress demonstrates enduring bipartisan support for legislation addressing digital assets and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's important role in a future regulatory structure, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • What Employers Can Learn From Axed Mo. Sick Leave Law

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    Missouri's recent passage and brisk repeal of Proposition A, which would have created a paid sick time benefit for employees, serves as a case study for employers, highlighting the steps they can take to adapt as paid sick leave laws are increasingly debated across the country, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • Preparing For Trump Pushback Against State Climate Laws

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    An April executive order from President Donald Trump mandated a report from the U.S. attorney general on countering so-called state overreach in climate policy, and while that report has yet to appear, companies can expect that it will likely call for using litigation, legislation and funding to actively reshape energy policy, say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • Practical Implications Of SEC's New Crypto Staking Guidance

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent staff guidance that protocol staking does not constitute securities offerings provides a workable compliance blueprint for crypto developers, validators and custodial platforms willing to keep staking strictly limited to protocol-driven rewards, say attorneys at Cahill.

  • Stablecoin Bills Present Opportunities, Challenges For Banks

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    Stablecoin legislation that Congress is expected to adopt in the coming weeks — the GENIUS and STABLE Acts — would create openings for banks to engage in digital asset activities, but it also creates a platform for certain tech-savvy nonbanks to directly compete, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery

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    E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.

  • New FCPA Guidance May Flip The Whistleblowing Script

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s updated Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guidelines lay out a new incentive structure that may put multinational U.S.-based companies in an unusual offensive whistleblowing position, potentially spurring them to conduct external investigations of their foreign rivals, says Markus Funk at Perkins Coie.

  • Opinion

    GENIUS Act Could Muck Up Insolvency Proceedings

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    While some of the so-called GENIUS Act's insolvency provisions are straightforward, others run the risk of jeopardizing the success of stablecoin issuers' insolvency proceedings and warrant another look from Congress, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How McKesson Ruling Will Inform Interpretations Of The TCPA

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    Amid the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in McLaughlin Chiropractic Associates v. McKesson, we can expect to see both plaintiffs and defendants utilizing the decision to revisit the Federal Communications Commission's past Telephone Consumer Protection Act interpretations and decisions they did not like, says Jason McElroy at Saul Ewing.

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