Public Policy

  • March 19, 2026

    Colo. Appeals Court Clarifies, Limits Insurer Defense Rule

    An insurer is not required to provide a defense for an insured on claims "arguably" covered by the policy in the context of title insurance, the Colorado Court of Appeals held Thursday for the first time in ruling for an insurer in an insurance coverage dispute.

  • March 19, 2026

    USPTO Requires US-Registered Attys For Foreign Patent Apps

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday finalized a rule requiring that foreign patent applicants and owners be represented by attorneys registered with the agency, saying other intellectual property offices have such a policy and arguing that the measure will help combat fraud.

  • March 19, 2026

    Senate Panel To Vote On Satellite Security Bills Next Week

    U.S. senators next week will consider sending to the floor two bills designed to beef up satellite security, one of which had already gained bipartisan backing in the U.S. House of Representatives during the last Congress.

  • March 19, 2026

    9th Circ. Upholds Gun Ban For Domestic Violence Offenders

    Three men who were found to have used violence against their female partners in separate incidents were correctly convicted under a federal law prohibiting domestic abusers from possessing guns, the Ninth Circuit said, agreeing with other circuits that such restrictions were legal.

  • March 19, 2026

    NHTSA Heightens Tesla Full Self-Driving Probe

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday said that it was focusing its investigation into Tesla's advanced driver-assistance system on its ability to spot degrading road conditions after receiving more reports of crashes potentially linked to the technology.

  • March 19, 2026

    Judge Says ICE Must Face Suit Over Detainee Records

    A D.C. federal judge denied U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's push to escape a suit alleging it's unlawfully using a regulation to shield records about detained immigrants held in Michigan jails, rejecting its arguments that the Freedom of Information Act could provide relief.

  • March 19, 2026

    7th Circ. Dissenters: Due Process Row Deserved Rehearing

    A trio of judges on the Seventh Circuit accused the full appeals court of cementing a circuit split with its sister courts by refusing to rehear a case about whether incarcerated people moved into disciplinary housing are entitled to formal due process hearings.

  • March 19, 2026

    Squires Concludes That Foreign Gov'ts Can't File AIA Petitions

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires said foreign governments cannot file patent challenges under the America Invents Act, providing the reasoning for his February rejection of a Chinese company's proceeding against an LG touch screen patent.

  • March 19, 2026

    DC Gov't Urged To Reshape SALT Cap Workaround Plan

    A Washington, D.C., bill that would give pass-through entities a workaround to the federal cap on deductions for state and local taxes needs changes to integrate properly with existing district taxes, witnesses said at a D.C. Council hearing Thursday.

  • March 19, 2026

    Legislative Update: Cannabis And Psychedelics Bill Roundup

    Virginia lawmakers last week gave final approval to legislation that would tax and regulate the sale of adult-use cannabis, Georgia legislators passed a dramatic expansion of the state's medical cannabis program, and Iowa lawmakers approved a bill to designate kratom as a Schedule I substance. Here are the major moves in cannabis and psychedelics legislation from the past week.

  • March 19, 2026

    FERC Chair Aims To Ease Energy Squeeze From War On Iran

    The U.S.-Israel war on Iran that is roiling global energy markets underscores the need for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve gas infrastructure projects more quickly so that energy prices can be kept in check, FERC Chair Laura Swett said Thursday.

  • March 19, 2026

    Justice Kagan Denies Apache Bid To Block Ariz. Land Transfer

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday declined to block a federal government land transfer in Arizona after four Apache women looked to stop the exchange on behalf of their daughters, arguing that the area contains a site used for a coming of age ceremony that will be destroyed.

  • March 19, 2026

    Protect 911 In Tech Transition, Public Interest Group Says

    A public interest group has urged the Federal Communications Commission to add more protections for 911 service to an upcoming rule paving the way for all-internet-based phone networks, though it still says the underlying rule is unwarranted.

  • March 19, 2026

    Still No Shenanigans: Fed. Circ. Keeps Review Bar High

    The Federal Circuit's rejection of all mandamus petitions asking it to rein in the way U.S. Patent and Trademark Office leadership is ​evaluating patent challenges cements the appeals court's near-impossible standard for reviewing institution decisions, attorneys say.

  • March 19, 2026

    Feds' Bid To Wipe Calif. Clean Car Regs Spells More Upheaval

    The Trump administration's assault on California's more than decade-old clean car regulations deliberately upends the U.S. auto industry's transition toward alternative-powered vehicles, spelling even more regulatory uncertainty as the antagonistic political climate and long legal battles persist, experts say.

  • March 19, 2026

    Calif. Families Sue Rady Health Over Move To End Trans Care

    Four families have asked a state judge to prevent California's largest pediatric health system from cutting off gender-affirming care for minors, alleging the move would violate state antidiscrimination laws and leave them scrambling to find new providers, some more than 100 miles away.

  • March 19, 2026

    4th Circ. Probes Basis For Chemours River Pollution Order

    The Chemours Co. FC LLC found favor Thursday with at least one Fourth Circuit judge who appeared skeptical of why a lower court decided to render an injunction that blocks the company from continuing to discharge forever chemicals into the Ohio River.

  • March 19, 2026

    Calif. Bill Seeks Legal Aid For Residents Facing Deportation

    California residents facing federal deportation proceedings would receive legal representation under a new bill introduced by state Assemblymember Mia Bonta. 

  • March 19, 2026

    Copyright Office Seeks Fee Hikes For First Time Since 2020

    The U.S. Copyright Office is proposing its first major fee overhaul since 2020, saying in rulemaking unveiled Thursday that the changes are needed to account for inflation and a drop in cost recovery since the agency's last fee adjustment.

  • March 19, 2026

    Detroit Clinic Zones Impede Free Speech, Protesters Say

    Anti-abortion advocates sued the city of Detroit, claiming an ordinance creating speech-restriction zones around healthcare facilities unlawfully blocks peaceful counseling outside an abortion clinic on the city's west side.

  • March 19, 2026

    Minn. House Bill Seeks $4B Property Tax Refund

    Minnesota would allow eligible taxpayers to claim a refund for a portion of property taxes paid in 2026 under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives. 

  • March 19, 2026

    More Discovery Allowed On USPTO Patent Quality Program

    A Washington, D.C., federal magistrate judge has reopened discovery into whether the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office covertly revived a now-defunct program for flagging "sensitive" patent applications for extra review.

  • March 19, 2026

    Sitting Judges Take Stand Over Threats Growing 'Ordinary'

    On the heels of an ethics opinion giving them wider latitude to speak publicly, sitting federal judges brought attention Thursday to the increasing threats against them and their family members, warning about the dangers of such threats becoming "ordinary."

  • March 19, 2026

    Ex-Top Cop Charged With Gambling Dept. Funds Faces Judge

    The former police chief of New Haven, Connecticut, appeared for the first time Thursday before a serious felony docket judge after being charged with embezzling $85,500 from two city funds while wagering nearly $4.5 million on the online gambling apps DraftKings and FanDuel.

  • March 19, 2026

    Judges Scrutinize DOD's Claim Of Hesai's China Military Ties

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Thursday raised serious questions about the U.S. Department of Defense's broad interpretation of a law used to designate companies as "contributors" to the Chinese military-industrial base, pressing a government attorney on the basis for finding links between Shanghai LiDAR-maker Hesai and the Chinese military.

Expert Analysis

  • What Applicants Can Expect From Calif. Crypto License Law

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    With the July effective date for California's Digital Financial Assets Law fast approaching, now is a critical time for companies to prepare for licensure, application and coverage compliance ahead of this significant regulatory milestone that will reshape how digital asset businesses operate in California, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Elections Mean Time For Political Law Compliance Checkups

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    An active election year is the perfect time for in-house counsel to conduct a health check on their company's corporate political law compliance program to ensure it’s prepared to minimize risks related to electoral engagement, lobbying, pay-to-play laws and government ethics rules, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Next Steps For Fair Housing Enforcement As HUD Backs Out

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    A soon-to-be-finalized U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rule, which would hand responsibility for determining disparate impact liability under the Fair Housing Act to the courts, reinforces the Trump administration’s wider rollback of fair lending enforcement, yet there are reasons to expect litigation challenging this change, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • As Federal Enviro Justice Policy Goes Dormant, All Is Not Lost

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    Environmental justice is enduring a federal dormancy brought on by executive branch reversals and agency directives over the past year that have swept long-standing federal frameworks from the formal policy ledger, but the legal underpinnings of EJ have not vanished and remain important, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • What Clarity Act Delay Reveals About US Crypto Regulation

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    The Senate Banking Committee's decision to delay markup of the Clarity Act, which would establish a comprehensive federal framework for digital assets, illuminates the political and structural obstacles that shape U.S. crypto regulation, despite years of bipartisan calls for regulatory clarity, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.

  • Courts' Rare Quash Of DOJ Subpoenas Has Lessons For Cos.

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    In a rare move, three federal courts recently quashed or partially quashed expansive U.S. Department of Justice administrative subpoenas issued to providers of gender-affirming care, demonstrating that courts will scrutinize purpose, cabin statutory authority and acknowledge the profound privacy burdens of overbroad government demands for sensitive records, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • The Little Tucker Act's Big Class Action Moment

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    The Little Tucker Act, which allows claims against the government for illegally exacted fees, is transforming from a niche procedural mechanism into a powerful vehicle for class action litigation, with more than $500 billion in such fees — including President Donald Trump's tariffs — now ripe for challenge, says Dinis Cheian at Susman Godfrey.

  • Venezuela Legal Shifts May Create Investment Opportunities

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    Since the removal of President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has shown signs of economic liberalization, particularly in the oil and mining sectors, presenting unique — but still high-risk — investment opportunities for U.S. companies, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Unpacking Dormant Commerce Clause Cannabis Circuit Split

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    Federal courts have reached differing conclusions as to whether state-legal cannabis is subject to the dormant commerce clause, with four opinions across three circuit courts in the last year demonstrating the continued salience of the dormant commerce clause debate to the nation's cannabis industry, regulators and policymakers, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Remote Patient Monitoring Is At Regulatory Inflection Point

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    With remote patient monitoring at the center of new federal pilot programs and a recent report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General examining Medicare billing for those services, it is clear that balancing innovation and risk will be a central challenge ahead for digital health stakeholders, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Latest Nasdaq Proposals Stand To Raise Listings Quality

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    Nasdaq's recent proposals stand to heighten both quantitative and qualitative standards for issuers, which, if approved, may bring investors stronger market integrity and access but also raise the listings bar, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    CFIUS Must Adapt To Current Foreign Investment Realities

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    To continue protecting the U.S.’ long-term strategic and economic interests, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States should implement practical enhancements that leverage technology, expertise and clear communication, and enable it to keep pace with evolving demands, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • Texas AG Wields Consumer Protection Law Against Tech Cos.

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has targeted technology companies using the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a broadly worded statute that gives the attorney general wide latitude to pursue claims beyond traditional consumer protection, creating unique litigation risks, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • When Bankruptcy Collides With Product Recalls

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    The recent bankruptcy filing by Rad Power Bikes on the heels of a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warning about dangerously defective batteries sold by the company highlights how CPSC enforcement clashes with bankruptcy protections, leaving both regulators and consumer litigants with limited options, says Michael Avanesian at Avian Law Group.

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