Public Policy

  • June 08, 2026

    Meta Tries Again To End Mass. Instagram Addiction Case

    Meta Platforms is again asking a judge to toss a complaint by Massachusetts over its allegedly addictive Instagram platform, saying any purported harms to teens are caused by third-party content rather than its own features, which it says are shielded by the First Amendment and federal law.

  • June 08, 2026

    Trump Taps DC Appeals Court Picks To Fill Final Vacancies

    President Donald Trump has announced two picks for the D.C. Court of Appeals, which will fill the remaining vacancies on the District of Columbia's top court.

  • June 08, 2026

    Trump's $100K H-1B Fee Is Unauthorized Tax, Judge Rules

    A Massachusetts federal judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa payment constitutes a tax that Congress did not authorize the president to impose, declaring the fee unlawful and vacating it in its entirety.

  • June 08, 2026

    Conn. Expands Solar Energy System Tax, Limits Exemption

    Connecticut expanded the scope of a tax on solar energy systems and limited a property tax exemption for solar energy facilities under a bill signed by the governor.

  • June 08, 2026

    Seattle Fights Uber, Instacart Bid To Undo 9th Circ. Gig Ruling

    The city of Seattle urged the Ninth Circuit not to revisit a panel decision backing its app-based worker deactivation ordinance against a First Amendment challenge from Uber and Instacart, arguing the companies are trying to turn an ordinary worker protection law into a speech case.

  • June 08, 2026

    Top Court Turns Away Sentencing Disparity Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear the appeal of a man seeking early release from a life sentence for a drug offense, after ruling last month that reductions to mandatory minimum sentences cannot be cited as a reason for compassionate release.

  • June 08, 2026

    Justices Uphold 10th Circ. Native American Assault Rulings

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't overturn a pair of Tenth Circuit decisions that found that two Native American men cannot be convicted of simple assault under the Major Crimes Act after the federal government argued that the "senseless result" can't be reconciled with the law's plain text.

  • June 08, 2026

    High Court Won't Let Pa. AG Enter Grid Project Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed a plea from Pennsylvania's attorney general to let him intervene in Third Circuit proceedings that allowed an electricity transmission project to proceed despite having been rejected by state utility regulators.

  • June 08, 2026

    High Court Reopens Review Of DOE Furnace Efficiency Rules

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday vacated a D.C. Circuit decision that upheld Biden-era energy efficiency standards for furnaces and water heaters and ordered the circuit court to take another look in light of the Trump administration's intent to revise the rules.

  • June 05, 2026

    NY Bill To Ban Surveillance Pricing Heads To Gov.'s Desk

    New York is on the brink of becoming the third state to prohibit companies from using consumer data to set individualized prices for certain products and services, as policymakers across the country continue to ramp up scrutiny on the increasingly prevalent practice known as surveillance pricing. 

  • June 05, 2026

    USDA Food Assistance Conditions Halted By Mass. Judge

    A Massachusetts federal judge Friday blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture from conditioning funding for programs like school lunches and food assistance on compliance with Trump administration policies on gender, women's sports, diversity and immigration.

  • June 05, 2026

    Wash. Says 40-Year DV Gun Ban In Line With 2nd Amendment

    The Washington State Attorney General urged an Evergreen State federal court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a man prevented from gun ownership for 40 years due to his history of domestic violence against his ex-wife, arguing there was nothing unconstitutional about preventing him from owning weapons.

  • June 05, 2026

    Hemp Sellers Say Ohio Law Can't Mandate In-State Retail

    Hemp product manufacturers and sellers are looking to block an Ohio state law that reclassified their products as marijuana, which effectively handed the hemp market over to state-approved dispensaries, according to a federal lawsuit, which claims the statute violates the U.S. Constitution.

  • June 05, 2026

    HHS Can Issue Medicare Fines Without Jury, 4th Circ. Says

    The Fourth Circuit ruled Friday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can seek monetary penalties from Medicare participants for violating program requirements without a jury trial, rejecting a Maryland nursing home operator's argument that Medicare participants are guaranteed that right.

  • June 05, 2026

    Rail Co. Loses DC Circ. Appeal Challenging State Forest Law

    The D.C. Circuit rejected Grafton & Upton Railroad Co.'s effort to preempt a Massachusetts town's claim over forest land the railroad wants to use for a new transloading facility, finding Friday that the federal Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act doesn't preempt a state right-of-first-refusal law.

  • June 05, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Tribal Smoke Shop Owner's RICO Suit

    Officials with the Colorado River Indian Tribes must face a lawsuit brought by a smoke shop owner who claims they wrongfully evicted his business and stole its inventory, the Ninth Circuit ruled in a published opinion, saying tribal employees aren't automatically shielded by sovereign immunity.

  • June 05, 2026

    Trump Signs Memo To Speed Up AI Use For National Security

    President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday aimed at accelerating the development and use of artificial intelligence for national security applications and barring companies from preventing the U.S. military from using their AI systems unless they get approval to.

  • June 05, 2026

    Epic Fights Apple's Bid For High Court Sanctions Review

    Epic Games told the U.S. Supreme Court there's no need for high court review of a California federal court's contempt order against Apple for violating a ban on company policies that barred app developers from steering users to outside payment options.

  • June 05, 2026

    Quinnipiac Hit With Title IX Suit After Dropping Rugby Team

    Current and future players for a women's rugby team eliminated by Quinnipiac University sued in Connecticut federal court Friday to reinstate the team, accusing the school of Title IX discrimination and of using NCAA revenue-sharing rules as an excuse to cut it.

  • June 05, 2026

    Trans Patients Urge Blocking DOJ 'Campaign Of Harassment'

    Transgender adolescents urged a California federal judge Friday to block a Stanford Medicine hospital from sharing gender-related care medical records in response to a Texas grand jury criminal subpoena, arguing that other courts have rebuffed similar government subpoena attempts and the judge should end the DOJ's "campaign of harassment."

  • June 05, 2026

    7th Circ. Says Ind. Can Bar Press From Attending Executions

    A divided Seventh Circuit panel on Friday ruled that an Indiana prison rule restricting journalists' access to inmate executions does not violate the First Amendment, as reporters are not actually prevented from covering executions.

  • June 05, 2026

    NYC Beats Taxi Drivers' Unfair Suspensions Suit

    A New York federal judge has said the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission had probable cause for summarily suspending the licenses for taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers who've been arrested, but not convicted, rejecting a proposed class action alleging the drivers were maliciously prosecuted.

  • June 05, 2026

    EPA Asks 4th Circ. To Back 'Streamlined' Haze Plan Reviews

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urged the Fourth Circuit to deny a petition challenging its approval of West Virginia's regional haze plan, saying it reasonably accepted the plan after proposing to reject it based on a new policy to streamline reviews.

  • June 05, 2026

    Texas Justices Say Cities Sued Wrong Party In Telecom Row

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday tossed a group of cities' challenge to state laws limiting what they can charge telecommunications companies to use public rights-of-way, finding the cities sued the wrong defendant and leaving the constitutional fight unresolved.

  • June 05, 2026

    GOP Lawmakers Target China With 2 Patent Bills

    Republican lawmakers are floating a pair of bills that would block anyone who is considered a national security threat from gaining a U.S. patent and require anyone with connections to "foreign adversaries" to list the association on an application.

Expert Analysis

  • New Connecticut Law On Employers' AI Use Is Inventive

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    A recently passed Connecticut law regulating the use of artificial intelligence in employment decisions innovates by using third-party risk assessments to vet and certify AI models, and by recognizing a division of responsibility between developers and deployers, potentially influencing pending legislation in other states, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Opinion

    High Court's Abortion Pill Stay Reinforces Appellate Principles

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent order in Danco Laboratories v. Louisiana, staying a Fifth Circuit ruling that reinstated an in-person requirement for dispensing the abortion medicine mifepristone, should be seen not as a definitive ruling on reproductive rights, but as an affirmation of a more disciplined jurisdictional reality, says Daniel Nardo at Nardo & Associates.

  • Opinion

    International Patent Licensing System Must Be Maintained

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    As foreign approaches to patent enforcement threaten to distort the licensing markets that underpin modern technology, courts and policymakers must take action to ensure that the standard essential patent framework is preserved, says Brian O'Shaughnessy at Dinsmore.

  • Tax Highlights From Georgia's 2026 Legislative Session

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    Georgia's two-year legislative cycle recently concluded with the enactment of several significant tax bills that reflect efforts to modernize tax policy in response to evolving economic priorities, and a broader trend toward increased scrutiny of administrative agency interpretations, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • How SEC, CFTC Proposal Would Ease Private Fund Reporting

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    While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s recent proposal to streamline and lighten certain confidential reporting requirements could bring welcome changes for many private fund advisers, sponsors should consider important nuances of its potential impact, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Studying Foreign Languages Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Studying Italian and Japanese has shown me that learning a new language can benefit a legal career in several ways, including by demonstrating the importance of approaching problems from a fresh perspective and the value of practicing patience with colleagues and clients, says Anna King at Genworth Financial.

  • 6th Circ. Ruling Highlights Split On Labor Cost Depreciation

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    The Sixth Circuit's recent decision in Schoening Investment v. Cincinnati Casualty throws into relief the fine lines of courts' varying interpretations of whether a commercial property insurer may justifiably depreciate labor costs to determine the actual cash value of damage, says Nabila Rahim at Zelle.

  • Sold Inventory May Drive Tax Treatment Of Tariff Refunds

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    Companies determining the tax treatment of refunds expected following the U.S. Supreme Court's February decision invalidating tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act should consider whether the tariff costs have already reduced their income considering the cost of goods sold, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • NCUA Proposal Could Streamline Credit-Union-Bank Mergers

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    While the National Credit Union Administration's recently proposed merger overhaul may reduce procedural barriers to combinations involving banks and credit unions and signals a willingness to revisit long-settled regulations, parties should still ensure careful planning and regulator engagement throughout complex transactions, say attorneys at Fox Rothschild.

  • Operational AI Washing: Fortifying The Disclosure Record

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    The same artificial intelligence-driven workforce narratives that once appeared in earnings calls and Form 8-Ks can easily become raw material for future operational AI washing claims, so companies must be careful when drafting public disclosures because winning a federal motion to dismiss starts months before a lawsuit is ever filed, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • How The High Court Expanded Freight Broker Liability

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II that freight brokers may be liable for selecting unsafe motor carriers, the key question will be whether brokers used reasonable care in selecting a given motor carrier, with the concurring opinion offering some clues as to what reasonable care might look like, says Marc Blubaugh at Benesch.

  • Treasury Proposal Maps Compliance Road For Stablecoins

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    Stablecoin issuers should prepare for bank-style anti-money laundering and sanctions obligations under, and consider submitting comments on, the Treasury Department's proposed Genius Act rules, which are reshaping compliance expectations for digital asset businesses and affiliated financial institutions alike, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Adapting To AI-Driven Scrutiny Of Foreign Asset Disclosures

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    As the government expands AI-driven, cross-agency fraud detection, foreign asset disclosure should be viewed as part of a broader, data‑driven enforcement ecosystem that prioritizes consistency, documentation and proactive governance, says Logan Koehring at FBT Gibbons.

  • New USPTO Procedure May Be A Boon For Patent Owners

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    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's new ex parte reexamination procedure, allowing patent owners to file preorder papers to inform the EPR decision process, marks the first meaningful opportunity for owners to prevent EPR, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.

  • Sizing Up The Rescheduling Hurdles Medical Pot Cos. Face

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    The Justice Department’s recent lowering of certain medical marijuana products to Schedule III means operators — particularly those simultaneously offering federally illegal adult-use cannabis — must implement greater structural discipline to navigate an increasingly fragmented legal landscape if they hope to benefit from new tax deductions and access to capital, say attorneys at Akerman.

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