Public Policy

  • August 22, 2025

    NY Localities, Officials Back Rochester In Sanctuary Fight

    Dozens of cities and localities from around the country urged a New York federal judge to reject the Trump administration's challenge to Rochester's "sanctuary city" policies Thursday, accusing the feds of trying to "strong arm" local governments and arguing that the policies actually make the public safer.

  • August 22, 2025

    7th Circ. Backs TSA's Cybersecurity Rules For Railroads

    The Seventh Circuit on Thursday rejected the challenge from a pair of railways to recent cybersecurity mandates from the Transportation Security Administration, saying the agency wasn't required to first take notice and comment and that it has "broad authority to identify cybersecurity threats and craft appropriate responses."

  • August 22, 2025

    Newsmax Says FCC Can't Ditch TV Ownership Cap

    Right-wing media outlet Newsmax Media said the only thing the Federal Communications Commission will get if it removes the national television ownership cap "is a permanent injunction," as it "lacks authority and a compelling reason to change the rule."

  • August 22, 2025

    Trump Admin To Appeal Susman Godfrey Exec Order Ruling

    The Trump administration announced Friday its intention to appeal a June ruling that struck down as unconstitutional an executive order targeting Susman Godfrey LLP, after the court said the order was issued in retaliation for its representation of clients and causes the president opposes.

  • August 22, 2025

    Trump Admin Pauses Visas For Commercial Truck Drivers

    Truck drivers are the newest target of the Trump administration's escalating immigration crackdown, with the government announcing that it will not be issuing any more worker visas for commercial truck drivers.

  • August 22, 2025

    FTC Can't Pause Order Blocking Media Matters Probe

    A D.C. federal court refused on Friday to pause an order blocking the Federal Trade Commission's investigation into left-leaning watchdog Media Matters for America, saying the group is likely to show the probe over potential collusion in the ad industry was retaliatory.

  • August 22, 2025

    Judge Can't Become Public Defender After Not Practicing Law

    A California state appellate panel has ruled that a sitting superior court judge is ineligible to serve as public defender because he had not been a practicing attorney in the state's courts for the year before he sought the appointment.

  • August 22, 2025

    Tribe Member Can't Discharge Tax Debt, 10th Circ. Affirms

    An Oklahoma federal court correctly affirmed a bankruptcy court's refusal to reopen a case brought by a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation who claimed his tax debt should have been discharged in bankruptcy, the Tenth Circuit said.

  • August 22, 2025

    Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Weil, Fried Frank

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, private equity firm Thoma Bravo buys human resources software provider Dayforce Inc. in a take-private deal, Lowe's buys Foundation Building Materials, Nexstar Media Group Inc. acquires fellow media company Tegna Inc., and Soho House & Co. Inc. inks a take-private deal with hotel operator MCR.

  • August 22, 2025

    DOJ Expands Expedited Docket For Families Facing Removal

    The Executive Office for Immigration Review is expanding a program the Biden administration rolled out in 2021 to fast-track removal proceedings for families facing removal, directing immigration courts nationwide to place more cases on the so-called dedicated docket.

  • August 22, 2025

    DC Circ. Rejects NM Ranchers' Bird Protection Challenge

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday rejected New Mexico ranchers' challenge to the federal government's decision to preserve Endangered Species Act protections for a small, migratory songbird.

  • August 22, 2025

    PE Industry Primed To Capitalize On Trump 401(k) Order

    The Trump administration recently said it would reduce regulatory obstacles to retirement plans investing in alternative assets such as private equity, and while attorneys cautioned it could carry risks, they generally applauded the move towards "democratizing capital."

  • August 22, 2025

    IRS Guidance Sparks Mixed Reaction For Solar, Wind Projects

    The IRS recently narrowed the way large solar and wind energy development projects can set their construction start dates to qualify for certain tax credits, a change offering relief for some developers but new hurdles for others depending on the stage, type and size of the project.

  • August 22, 2025

    9th Circ. Tosses Wash. City's Win In Military Leave Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel threw out a Washington federal judge's ruling that a City of Ocean Shores firefighter was not entitled to pay for military leave after the state's top court decided otherwise.

  • August 22, 2025

    BBK Taps Gov't Affairs Director From Interior Leadership

    Best Best & Krieger LLP has hired a U.S. Department of the Interior leader who helped advance drought resilience plans and advise the agency's secretary on water and science policy as the new director of its government affairs group, the firm announced.

  • August 22, 2025

    Fla. Appeals Order To Wind Down Detention Center Operations

    A Florida official filed notice late Thursday that the state will appeal a federal judge's ruling ordering the government to begin winding down operations at the Everglades immigration detention center after finding the plaintiffs challenging it are likely to prevail on their environmental claims.

  • August 21, 2025

    Fla. Judge Orders Wind Down Of Everglades Detention Center

    A Florida federal judge Thursday ordered the government to stop bringing new detainees to the Everglades immigration detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" and to begin winding down operations after finding the plaintiffs challenging the center are likely to prevail on their environmental claims.

  • August 21, 2025

    9th Circ. Dissenters Rip Judge's 'Weaponization Of Sanctions'

    A half-dozen Ninth Circuit judges Thursday denounced six-figure sanctions against attorneys for prominent politicians challenging Arizona election procedures, accusing a lower court of "twisting and contorting" allegations in order to punish lawyers "based on the nature of the complaint and the clients that they represented."

  • August 21, 2025

    FTC Warns Tech Cos. To Honor Data Vows In Foreign Dealings

    The head of the Federal Trade Commission on Thursday cautioned Meta, Google, Apple, Amazon and other major tech companies to refrain from weakening data security protections or censoring content in response to pressure from foreign governments, reminding them that reneging on promises they make to U.S. consumers could land them in hot water with the agency.

  • August 21, 2025

    Pa. Court Revives Fired County Worker's Whistleblower Claim

    A Pennsylvania appeals court on Thursday sent back a dispute to a lower court over a fired county employee's whistleblower allegation tied to her reporting that a union representative secretly taped meetings, determining the union official acted as a county employee when she made the recordings.

  • August 21, 2025

    Pa. Biz Groups, Providers, Uber Want Fault Loophole Closed

    Uber and a coalition of organizations often targeted by injury lawsuits urged a Pennsylvania appeals court to close a legal loophole that they claim largely undermines the purpose of the Fair Share Act, which limits a defendant's liability to their portion of fault.

  • August 21, 2025

    Challenge To Fed. Layoffs A 'Fishing Expedition,' 9th Circ. Told

    A federal government attorney told a Ninth Circuit panel Thursday that a group of unions, nonprofits and cities challenging President Donald Trump's massive layoffs of federal workers have no right to communications and documents showing what went into the layoff decisions, saying it's a "fishing expedition in search of a viable legal theory."

  • August 21, 2025

    SBA Proposes Increasing Small Business Size Thresholds

    The Small Business Administration has proposed increasing the monetary thresholds for what it considers to be a small business across 263 industries, creating a larger pool of small businesses for federal agencies to secure services from.

  • August 21, 2025

    Appeals Court Says Dallas Must Release Discrimination Records

    A Texas appeals court ruled Thursday that the city of Dallas has to turn over records on a federal housing discrimination investigation to The Dallas Morning News, saying the information was not exempt from public disclosure.

  • August 21, 2025

    Biz Groups Appeal Calif. Climate Reporting Ruling To 9th Circ.

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups have appealed a court order rejecting their bid to block new California state regulations requiring large companies to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks that they claim violate their First Amendment rights.

Expert Analysis

  • How Trump Admin Treasury Policies Are Reaching Banks

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    The Treasury Department has emerged as an important facilitator of the Trump administration's financial policies affecting banks, which are now facing deregulation domestically and the use of international economic authorities in cross-border trade and investment, say attorneys at Davis Polk.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • FTC Focus: Enforcers Study AI Innovation And Entrenchment

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    The Federal Trade Commission and other regulators setting their sights on the burgeoning artificial intelligence ecosystem are considering how the government should approach innovation in tech markets that tend, almost inevitably, toward concentration, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • High Court ACA Ruling May Harm Preventative Care

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood last week, ruling that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary has authority over an Affordable Care Act preventive care task force, risks harming the credibility of the task force and could open the door to politicians dictating clinical recommendations, says Michael Kolber at Manatt.

  • Policy Shifts Bring New Anti-Money Laundering Challenges

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    In the second half of 2025, the U.S. anti-money laundering regulatory landscape is poised for decisive shifts in enforcement priorities, compliance expectations and legislative developments — so investment advisers and other financial institutions should take steps to prepare for potential new obligations and areas of risk, say attorneys at Linklaters.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Kousisis Concurrence Maps FCA Defense To Anti-DEI Suits

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    Justice Clarence Thomas' recent concurrence in Kousisis v. U.S. lays out how federal funding recipients could use the high standard for materiality in government fraud cases to fight the U.S. Justice Department’s threatened False Claims Act suits against payees deviating from the administration’s anti-DEI policies, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Despite Dark Clouds, Outlook For US Solar Has Bright Spots

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    While tariff, tax policy and bankruptcy news seemingly portends unending challenges for the U.S. solar energy industry, signs of continued growth in solar generating capacity and domestic solar manufacturing suggest that there is a path forward, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Assessing New Changes To Texas Officer Exculpation Law

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    Consistent with Texas' recent modernization of its corporate law, the recently passed S.B. 2411 allows officer exculpation, streamlines certificate of formation amendments, authorizes representatives to act on shareholders' behalf in mergers and makes other changes aimed toward companies seeking a more codified, statutory model of corporate governance, say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Rising Enforcement Stakes For Pharma Telehealth Platforms

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    Two pieces of legislation recently introduced in Congress could transform the structure and promotion of telehealth arrangements as legislators increasingly scrutinize direct-to-consumer advertising platforms, potentially paving the way for a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy with bipartisan support, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • One Year On, Davidson Holds Lessons On 'Health Halo' Claims

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    A year after the Ninth Circuit's Davidson v. Sprout Foods decision — which raised the bar for so-called health halo claims — food and beverage companies can draw insights from its finding, subsequently expanded on by other courts, that plaintiffs must be specific when alleging fraud in healthfulness marketing, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Justices' NRC Ruling Raises New Regulatory Questions

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    In Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court avoided ruling on the NRC's authority to license private, temporary nuclear waste storage facilities — and this failure to reach the merits question creates new regulatory uncertainty where none had existed for decades, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • 3 Judicial Approaches To Applying Loper Bright, 1 Year Later

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    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, a few patterns have emerged in lower courts’ application of the precedent to determine whether agency actions are lawful, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

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