Public Policy

  • July 14, 2025

    States Back Domestic Violence Groups In DOJ Grant Fight

    Nearly two dozen states are backing a group of domestic violence coalitions in their bid to block the Trump administration from imposing restrictions on grants by the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, saying the funding is critical to their ability to fulfill their public safety obligations.

  • July 14, 2025

    11th. Circ. Rules Ga. Strip Search Was Illegal, Nixes Immunity

    A full Eleventh Circuit ruled that Georgia Department of Corrections officers are not entitled to immunity in the case of a woman who was strip-searched while visiting her husband in prison, saying the search was unreasonable and violated her Fourth Amendment rights.

  • July 14, 2025

    5th Circ. Revives Suit Accusing UT Of Race-Based Admissions

    A Fifth Circuit panel partially revived a lawsuit accusing the University of Texas at Austin of continuing to consider race in admissions decisions despite the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 decision ending affirmative action programs.

  • July 14, 2025

    Ex-ComEd Exec Gets 1½ Years For Hiding Madigan Bribes

    An Illinois federal judge on Monday sentenced a former Commonwealth Edison executive and lobbyist to one and a half years in prison for his role in a scheme to steer payments to allies of ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to win his support for energy legislation favorable to the utility, and for falsifying company records to hide no-show jobs for Madigan's associates.

  • July 14, 2025

    San Francisco DA: 'Tough On Crime' Can Also Be Thoughtful

    In 2022, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins took charge of an office in turmoil after leading a successful recall effort against her predecessor, whom she criticized as too soft on crime. Now, Jenkins is under harsh public scrutiny as she works to shift the office's priorities. In this audio interview with the new Criminal Practice Law360, she discusses some of the challenges — and opportunities — of one of the highest-profile and most politicized prosecutors' offices in the nation.

  • July 14, 2025

    Former Del. GOP Leader Sworn In As US Atty

    The former head of the Delaware Republican Party was sworn in Monday as the top federal prosecutor in the First State, according to the agency's website and a social media post from the attorney.

  • July 14, 2025

    TV Reporter Fights Town's Appeal After Broken Leg Trial Win

    A television reporter whose leg was broken when he was allegedly hit by a public power employee's truck in the parking lot of a town hall has urged North Carolina's highest court to uphold a jury verdict finding that his injury was a result of the town worker's negligence.

  • July 14, 2025

    Judge Sets Hearing In $70M Alaskan Broadband Grant Row

    After over a year of battling it out in Alaska federal court, two Native Alaskan villages will have their chance to go before the judge and argue for summary judgment against the U.S. Department of Agriculture in their suit over $70 million in broadband funds.

  • July 14, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Reexamine Sentence Of Convicted Fla. Atty

    The Eleventh Circuit has rejected a Florida lawyer's request to reconsider her 75-month prison sentence for a COVID-19 loan fraud scheme.

  • July 14, 2025

    Mich. Justices Say GOP Can Challege Poll Worker Imbalance

    The Michigan Republican Party can sue to enforce a rule about the political makeup of poll workers, the Michigan Supreme Court said Monday, reversing a lower court's ruling.

  • July 14, 2025

    Supreme Court Clears Way For Education Dept. Layoffs

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday lifted a Massachusetts federal judge's order halting massive job cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, allowing the Trump administration to move forward with firing nearly 1,400 employees.

  • July 14, 2025

    Jury Says Commercial Real Estate Owner Hid $4.8M

    A jury in Washington federal court has found a commercial real estate company owner guilty on charges of concealing nearly $5 million in income from the Internal Revenue Service using a series of limited liability companies.

  • July 14, 2025

    Calif. Panel Keeps Charter PAGA Case Out Of Arbitration

    Charter Communications can't arbitrate an employee's Private Attorneys General Act suit because parts of the arbitration agreement are "unconscionable," a California appeals panel ruled, relying on the state Supreme Court's decisions addressing the same pact.

  • July 14, 2025

    Ex-City Workers' Disability Bias Suit Should Fail, Judge Says

    An Atlanta suburb shouldn't have to face a suit alleging it fired two employees because of their stress and anxiety, a Georgia federal magistrate judge recommended, saying neither worker could overcome explanations that poor performance cost her the job.

  • July 14, 2025

    NY Court Declines To Make Trump US Atty Permanent

    The Northern District of New York said on Monday that it has declined to appoint interim U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III to the permanent seat ahead of his short-term tenure's expiration, despite his previous comments to the contrary to local media.

  • July 14, 2025

    Nonprofit Sues DHS For Info On ICE Actions

    Democracy Forward Foundation has launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration in Washington federal court, seeking to compel the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to release documents pertaining to White House official Stephen Miller's role in leading immigration enforcement actions.

  • July 14, 2025

    Calif. Panel Upends Arbitration Pact In Worker's Firing Suit

    A Charter Communications worker's wrongful termination suit should not have been sent to arbitration, a California appeals court said, after finding the company's alternative dispute resolution pact held one-sided provisions and made it difficult for employees to opt out.

  • July 11, 2025

    Judge Bars Indiscriminate Immigration Stops In SoCal

    A California federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from relying on people's perceived ethnicity or job to stop individuals amid federal immigration raids in Southern California, while also ordering the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide detainees with access to lawyers.

  • July 11, 2025

    Adams Loses Suit Seeking Reelection Campaign Match Funds

    A Brooklyn federal judge Friday backed the New York City Campaign Finance Board's decision to deny Mayor Eric Adams $3.5 million in reelection campaign matching funds, saying the board didn't deny the funds solely due to now-tossed corruption charges against the mayor.

  • July 11, 2025

    DOJ Sends Warning In Gender Care Provider Subpoenas

    The announcement of federal subpoenas targeting doctors who offer gender-affirming care signals an escalation in the Trump administration's campaign against such treatment, experts say, delivering a warning to healthcare providers.

  • July 11, 2025

    Midyear 2025: A Glimpse At Sports Betting Enforcement

    The first half of 2025 saw a flurry of activity in the enforcement of sports betting rules, with two NBA veterans finding themselves at the center of a federal gambling probe, two mixed martial arts fighters receiving lengthy suspensions, and Shohei Ohtani's disgraced interpreter catching a 57-month prison sentence for theft.

  • July 11, 2025

    Catching Up On Stewart's Discretionary Denial Decisions

    Acting U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Coke Morgan Stewart and a top administrative patent judge issued 15 discretionary denial decisions on Patent Trial and Appeal Board petitions over the past week, across nearly 40 cases. Here's what they decided.

  • July 11, 2025

    Grayscale Tells SEC 'End-Run' Shouldn't Delay Crypto ETP

    Digital asset management firm Grayscale Investments LLC has challenged a decision by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to hold back the launch of its multi-crypto exchange-traded fund, arguing in a letter to the agency that the stay violates the Exchange Act's rules on approval timelines.

  • July 11, 2025

    Colo. Court Mostly Backs Coal Mine In Water Permit Dispute

    A Colorado appeals court said that most of the stormwater discharges produced by a mining company in Gunnison County do not require a permit, reversing lower court and administrative judge rulings.

  • July 11, 2025

    Hospital Says Wash. Withholding Docs In Billing Fraud Suit

    A hospital system accused of overbilling Medicaid in connection to a neurosurgeon's fraud scheme contends the Washington state attorney general's office has wrongly refused to provide records from agencies involved in the misconduct investigation, according to new filings in federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • The CFTC Is Shaking Up Sports Betting's Legal Future

    Author Photo

    The sports betting industry faces a potential sea change amid recent state and federal actions across the regulatory landscape that have expanded access to sporting event contracts against the backdrop of waning Commodity Futures Trading Commission opposition, says Nick Covek at Foley & Lardner.

  • DOJ Atty Firing Highlights Tension Between 2 Ethical Duties

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent firing of a prosecutor-turned-whistleblower involved in the Abrego Garcia v. Noem case illustrates the tricky balancing act between zealous client advocacy and a lawyer’s duty of candor to the court, which many clients fail to appreciate, says David Atkins at Yale Law School.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

    Author Photo

    Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Fla. Condo Law Fix Clarifies Control Of Common Areas

    Author Photo

    Florida's repeal of a controversial statutory provision that permitted developers of mixed-use condominium properties to retroactively assert control over common facilities marks a critical shift in legal protections for unit owners and associations, promoting fairness, transparency and accountability, say attorneys at Pardo Jackson.

  • Trade In Limbo: The Legal Storm Reshaping Trump's Tariffs

    Author Photo

    In the final days of May, decisions in two significant court actions upended the tariff and trade landscape, so until the U.S. Supreme Court rules, businesses and supply chains should expect tariffs to remain in place, and for the Trump administration to continue pursuing and enforcing all available trade policies, say attorneys at Ice Miller.

  • Shareholder Takeaways From NY Internal Affairs Doctrine Suit

    Author Photo

    A May New York Court of Appeals decision in Ezrasons v. Rudd involving Barclays — affirming the state's "firmly entrenched" internal affairs doctrine — is a win for all corporate stakeholders seeking stability in resolving disputes between shareholders and directors and officers, say attorneys at Sadis & Goldberg.

  • The Legal Fallout Of The Open Model AI Ecosystem

    Author Photo

    The spread of open-weight and open-source artificial intelligence models is introducing potential harms across the supply chain, but new frameworks will allow for the growth and development of AI technologies without sacrificing the safety of end users, says Harshita Ganesh at CMBG3 Law.

  • Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

    Author Photo

    Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • 3 Rulings May Reveal Next Frontier Of Gov't Contract Cases

    Author Photo

    Several U.S. Supreme Court decisions over the past year — involving wire fraud, gratuities and obstruction — offer wide-ranging and arguably conflicting takeaways for government contractors that are especially relevant given the Trump administration’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • How Ore. Law Puts New Confines On Corp. Health Ownership

    Author Photo

    A newly enacted law in Oregon strengthens the state’s restrictions on corporate ownership of healthcare practices, with new limitations on overlapping control, permissible services, restrictive covenants and more making it necessary for practices to review decades-old physician practice arrangements, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Early Trends In Proxy Exclusion After SEC Relaxes Guidance

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent guidance broadening shareholder proposal exclusion under Rule 14a-8 has been undoubtedly useful to issuers this proxy season, but it does not guarantee exclusion, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • How New Texas Law Revamps Electric Grid To Meet Demand

    Author Photo

    A new Texas law enacted in response to the burdens that data centers, crypto mining and other large-scale users are placing on the state's electric grid means that stakeholders must review updated requirements around grid interconnection, disclosure of development plans and operational flexibility during tight conditions, say attorneys at Jackson Walker.

  • Best Practices For State Banks Eyeing Federal Conversions

    Author Photo

    Amid a notable uptick — fueled by ongoing regulatory upheaval — in state-chartered banks exploring conversion to national bank charters, banks contemplating the decision should weigh the benefits, like uniform supervision, and potential impediments, like costly exam fees, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • DOJ May Rethink Banning Firearms For Marijuana Users

    Author Photo

    In light of various federal circuit court decisions and an executive order from President Donald Trump, U.S. Department of Justice enforcement policy now may be on the verge of changing decidedly in favor of marijuana users' gun rights, and could foreshadow additional marijuana-friendly reforms, says Jacob Raver at Dentons.

  • EDNY Ruling May Limit Some FARA Conspiracy Charges

    Author Photo

    Though the Eastern District of New York’s recent U.S. v. Sun decision upheld Foreign Agents Registration Act charges against a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, its recognition of an affirmative legislative policy to exempt some officials may help defendants charged with related conspiracies, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

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.