Public Policy

  • October 15, 2025

    Feds Seek To Block Pot Legalization Talk In Maine Drug Trial

    Federal prosecutors have asked a Maine federal judge to bar any discussion of medical or recreational marijuana legalization in the state from an upcoming trial of persons accused of illegally growing cannabis.

  • October 15, 2025

    Sen. Panel To Consider Bill Meant To Curb Foreign Scam Calls

    A U.S. Senate committee later this month will consider a bill to direct Federal Communications Commission resources toward reducing spam robocalls originating overseas.

  • October 15, 2025

    Mich. AG Urges Justices To Leave Enbridge Suit In State Court

    Michigan's attorney general has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to strictly enforce the statutory deadline for transferring a case to federal court and refuse Enbridge Energy LP's entreaties to move her lawsuit seeking to shut down a pipeline out of state court.

  • October 15, 2025

    UNC Fights Ex-Provost's Bid To Access Trustee Devices

    The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill urged a state court to deny an ex-provost's request to expedite discovery in an open meetings lawsuit that implicated the hiring of UNC football coach Bill Belichick, panning the ask as a mere "fishing expedition."

  • October 15, 2025

    Ex-WH Ethics Attys Slam 'Vindictive' Comey, James Charges

    Three former White House ethics attorneys have filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Justice over what they call the "vindictive and meritless" criminal prosecutions of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

  • October 15, 2025

    Florida Accused Of Hiding Info On Detention Center Grant

    A nonprofit focused on protecting the Everglades has accused the Florida Division of Emergency Management of breaking the state's laws by refusing to provide information about federal grant funding for the "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center.

  • October 15, 2025

    Ethics Probe Of 2 Mich. Judges Recommended For Dismissal

    A retired Michigan judge overseeing an ethics probe of two state judges stemming from a dispute over a bike rental on Mackinac Island have recommended dismissing the complaints, determining that the judges did not commit misconduct and questioning why the matter led to a formal complaint.

  • October 15, 2025

    Some Federal Workers Win Quick Block On Shutdown Layoffs

    A California federal judge on Wednesday granted a request from two unions representing thousands of federal workers to immediately block the Trump administration from laying them off during the government shutdown, saying she believes the plaintiffs will show that "what's being done here is both illegal and is in excess of authority."

  • October 15, 2025

    Oregon, Groups Seek Dam Changes For Columbia River Basin

    The state of Oregon and several conservation groups asked a federal court to order changes to hydropower dam operations in the Columbia River Basin that they say will reduce harm to endangered salmon and steelhead.

  • October 15, 2025

    Ex-Trooper Gets 6 Years For Driver's License Bribery Scheme

    The former commanding officer of a Massachusetts State Police unit that conducted commercial driver's license exams has received a six-year prison sentence for leading a scheme to trade passing scores on road tests by unqualified drivers for what a prosecutor called the "oddest and greediest" of bribes.

  • October 15, 2025

    3rd Circ. Preview: US Atty, Columbia Activist, Ex-Union Prez

    The Third Circuit's late October arguments will include two nationally watched cases scrutinizing President Donald Trump's power to name "interim" government officials and his promise to deport foreign nationals who allegedly supported Hamas or took part in protests against Israel's war in Gaza.

  • October 15, 2025

    DHS Says Seizure Of Atty's Phone Tied To Employment Probe

    The government is pushing back on a Massachusetts immigration attorney's allegations that his work phone was seized in retaliation for his criticism of the Trump administration and advocacy for noncitizens, saying it's looking into whether he violated federal employment verification laws.

  • October 14, 2025

    GOP Bill Would Codify Trump Private Equity 401(k) Order

    A Montana Republican lawmaker announced Tuesday the introduction of a bill that would codify President Donald Trump's executive order that aims to make it easier for retirement plans to invest in nontraditional 401(k) assets like private equity and cryptocurrency.

  • October 14, 2025

    NJ, Del. Judges Stress Value Of Local Counsel For IP Attys

    Six judges with significant experience overseeing pharmaceutical patent litigation in the districts of New Jersey and Delaware urged litigators on Tuesday to rely on the expertise of local counsel if they're hoping to impress the court.

  • October 14, 2025

    Enviro Group Sues To Block LNG Export Terminal Extension

    An environmental group told a New Jersey federal judge that the Delaware River Basin Commission unlawfully granted a five-year lifeline for a delayed dock project tied to a proposed liquefied natural gas export terminal in the Garden State.

  • October 14, 2025

    Providers Bring No Surprises Act Fight To High Court

    Two air ambulance providers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow them to use the courts to collect on out-of-network billing dispute resolution awards granted under the No Surprises Act, saying that without judicial review, insurers can just skip out on NSA bills to providers.

  • October 14, 2025

    DC Circ. Wonders If $820M Grant Cut Suit Is Contractual

    The D.C. Circuit is set to decide whether a fight with the U.S. Department of Justice over $820 million in canceled public safety grants belongs in district court or before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims after hearing both sides out Tuesday morning.

  • October 14, 2025

    Skinny Labels, Orange Book Take Center Stage In IP Talks

    Patent litigators focused on pharmaceuticals and biotechnology met Tuesday to work through the biggest issues in their industries, including possible reform to skinny label law, frustration with position-switching in litigation, concerns about when to list patents in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Orange Book and data on the relatively low impact of new policies at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

  • October 14, 2025

    US Revokes Visas Over Comments Critical Of Charlie Kirk

    The U.S. State Department said Tuesday that it revoked the visas of at least six foreigners over comments they made about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

  • October 14, 2025

    Mass. Judge Strikes Down Pentagon's Research Rate Cap

    A Massachusetts federal judge ruled that the U.S. Department of Defense unlawfully capped universities' indirect research cost reimbursements at 15%, calling the move a sudden break from six decades of agency practice that lacks justification and ignores federal regulations. 

  • October 14, 2025

    Justices Decline To Hear Cannabis User's Gun Rights Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear one of several petitions urging review of a federal law that prohibits cannabis users from owning guns.

  • October 14, 2025

    Relief Concerns Grow As Sectoral Tariff Actions Build

    Importers' hopes for relief from industrywide tariffs are lagging alongside the trade deals President Donald Trump is trying to broker for some goods, while the administration's accelerated rollout of sectoral levies is also stoking concerns the government may be hamstringing its onshoring goals.

  • October 14, 2025

    Sony Is Among Latest To Apply For OCC Crypto Bank License

    Sony's online banking unit has applied with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to set up a U.S. offshoot that would mint stablecoins and custody digital assets, joining a wave of firms that have approached the agency with crypto-related business plans.

  • October 14, 2025

    Fla. Professor Wins Bid To Halt Trump Library Land Transfer

    A Florida state judge Tuesday temporarily blocked the transfer of roughly 3 acres of land Miami Dade College gave to the state to build the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library.

  • October 14, 2025

    Calif. Says Feds Can't Divert $4B High-Speed Rail Funds

    The California High-Speed Rail Authority has asked a federal judge to block the Trump administration from diverting $4 billion in grant funds that were previously set aside for the Golden State's electric high-speed rail project, saying the administration's contrived funding decisions are based on overt political animus.

Expert Analysis

  • Top Takeaways From Trump's AI Action Plan

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    President Donald Trump's AI Action Plan represents some notable evolution in U.S. policy, including affirmation of the administration's trend toward prioritizing artificial intelligence innovation over guardrails and toward supporting greater U.S. private sector reach overseas, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Navigating Executive Perk Enforcement Under Trump Admin

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    While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently signaled a softer approach to executive perks, companies should remain vigilant due to the bipartisan and lengthy nature of executive perquisite cases and Chairman Paul Atkins' previous support for disclosure requirements, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Ill. Toxic Tort Jurisdiction Law Raises Constitutional Concerns

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    Illinois' S.B. 328, purporting to broaden state courts' jurisdictional reach over out-of-state corporations, is presented as a measure aimed at facilitating recovery in toxic tort cases, but the legislation raises significant due process and dormant commerce clause issues, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Rebuttal

    BigLaw Settlements Should Not Spur Ethics Deregulation

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    A recent Law360 op-ed argued that loosening law firm funding restrictions would make BigLaw firms less inclined to settle with the Trump administration, but deregulating legal financing ethics may well prove to be not merely ineffective, but counterproductive, says Laurel Kilgour at the American Economic Liberties Project.

  • Opinion

    8th Circ. Should Reaffirm False Commercial Speech's Nature

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    The Eighth Circuit in Goldfinch Laboratory v. Iowa Pathology Associates should assert that false commercial speech is not categorically immune from antitrust scrutiny, says Daniel Graulich at the Federal Trade Commission.

  • Unpacking Ore. Law's Limits On PE Healthcare Investment

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    A recent Oregon law imposes significant restrictions on nonphysicians owning or controlling medical practices, but newly enacted amendments provide some additional flexibility in certain ownership arrangements without scuttling the law's intent of addressing concerns about the rise of private equity investment in healthcare, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Environmental Justice Is Alive And Well At The State Level

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    Even as the Trump administration has rolled back federal environmental justice policies, many states continue to prioritize it, with new regulations, strengthened enforcement of existing rules and ongoing private litigation — so companies must stay alert to how state-level EJ enforcement may affect their operations, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • What FinCEN's AML Rule Delay Means For Advisers

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    Even with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's statement last month delaying the compliance date for a rule requiring advisers to report suspicious activity, advisers can expect some level of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission oversight in connection with anti-money laundering compliance, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • 5 Ways Lawyers Can Earn Back The Public's Trust

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    Amid salacious headlines about lawyers behaving badly and recent polls showing the public’s increasingly unfavorable view of attorneys, we must make meaningful changes to our culture to rebuild trust in the legal system, says Carl Taylor at Carl Taylor Law.

  • What Insurers Must Know About New La. Proof Of Loss Law

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    Insurers that comply with all the requirements under a Louisiana law effective this month may condition claim payments on receipt of proof of loss statements, but those that overlook even one prerequisite risk penalties and late payments, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Legal Jeopardy Looms Over Trump's Trade Negotiation Plans

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    Even as the Trump administration announces one trade deal after another, the legal authority of the executive branch to impose tariffs under consensual arrangements with leading trading partners is just as debatable as the unilateral imposition of U.S. tariffs under the president's executive orders, says Jeffrey Bialos at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Criminal Healthcare Fraud Takeaways From 4th Circ. Reversal

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    After the Fourth Circuit reversed a doctor’s postconviction acquittal in U.S. v. Elfenbein last month, defense attorneys should consider three strategies when handling complex criminal healthcare matters, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Opinion

    Furtive Changes To Federal Health Data Threaten Admissibility

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    A recent study showing that nearly 100 U.S. federal health datasets have been modified this year without any notation in official change logs should concern plaintiffs counsel, defense counsel and judges alike — because undermining data's integrity, authenticity and chain of custody threatens its admissibility in litigation, say attorneys at Kershaw Talley.

  • State Laws Show Uniformity Is Key To Truly Fair Bank Access

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    The lack of uniformity among state laws — including new Idaho legislation — that forbid banks from discriminating against customers based on ideology shows that a single set of federally administered fair access rules would better serve financial institutions and American consumers, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • A Look At Justices' Rare Decision Not To Limit Agency Powers

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    The Supreme Court's recent denial of Alpine's cert petition in its long-running case against the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority sends a strong signal that litigation strategies dependent on the elimination of government agencies merit caution, even from a court that lately hasn't been shy about paring back agency authority, say attorneys at Venable.

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