Public Policy

  • August 12, 2025

    Groups Urge IRS To Resist Pressure To Share Taxpayer Info

    Advocacy groups urged the Internal Revenue Service on Tuesday to keep resisting presidential pressure to share confidential tax-return information with immigration enforcement authorities, saying the abrupt departure of the agency's new commissioner highlights the need for oversight.

  • August 12, 2025

    Trump Nominates 5 To Mississippi, Alabama Federal Courts

    President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday five judicial nominees for federal courts in Mississippi and Alabama, one of whom Trump tried to put on the bench in his first term.

  • August 12, 2025

    NM School Board Sues Feds Over Native American Bias Probe

    A New Mexico school board is suing the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and acting Chair Andrea Lucas, arguing they overstepped their authority by lodging an "overly broad and vague" Native American discrimination charge and probe against it.

  • August 12, 2025

    Forge Ahead On Cellphone Hearing Aid Rules, FCC Told

    Federal rules need to be updated as soon as possible to align with an upcoming standard for hearing aid compatibility with cellphones, advocates for consumers with hearing loss said.

  • August 12, 2025

    DOL Yanks 2021 Guidance On Private Equity 401(k) Risks

    The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm on Tuesday rescinded guidance from 2021 that warned 401(k) plan managers about the risks of investing in private equity, which comes after an executive order last week that called for expanding access to alternative asset classes in defined-contribution retirement plan investing.

  • August 12, 2025

    2nd Circ. Rules Dormant Commerce Clause Covers Marijuana

    A split Second Circuit panel on Tuesday ruled that, despite marijuana's federal illegality, the U.S. Constitution prohibits states from privileging their own residents when awarding licenses to cannabis businesses.

  • August 12, 2025

    FTC Skeptical Of 'Partial' Sale For GTCR Merger Fix

    The Federal Trade Commission told an Illinois federal court that enforcers are reviewing an offer by private equity firm GTCR BC Holding to sell parts of a medical device coatings company in order to fix concerns raised by the company's planned purchase of Surmodics, but said a full sale is preferable.

  • August 12, 2025

    FCC Urged To Ramp Up Mobile High-Cost Support

    The Federal Communications Commission needs to reform its mobile support rules for subsidizing carriers in largely rural areas, a wireless trade group told the agency.

  • August 12, 2025

    Md. Judges Say DOJ Habeas Suit Wreaks 'Havoc' On Judiciary

    The Maryland federal bench again moved to throw out the Trump administration's "disruptive affront" challenging a standing order that temporarily paused the removal of noncitizen detainees who filed habeas petitions, arguing Monday that the executive branch's suit fails to state a claim and "wreaks unprecedented havoc on the Judiciary."

  • August 12, 2025

    NJ Is Key Battleground In Fight Over Newborn Blood Tests

    Newborn blood screening, a cornerstone of modern public health, is the focus of a debate over patient privacy, parental consent and what happens to the samples after initial tests are complete. A New Jersey court recently weighed in.

  • August 12, 2025

    Ex-Judges, DAs Blast DOJ Suit Over ICE Courthouse Arrests

    New York district attorneys, legal aid groups, law professors and retired judges have expressed support for a state law that blocks federal immigration officials from making arrests near courthouses, calling it essential to a functioning justice system and urging the dismissal of a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit challenging the law.

  • August 12, 2025

    DOJ Demurs On Lawsuit Seeking Emil Bove Docs

    The U.S. Department of Justice is contesting a watchdog's lawsuit seeking to obtain public records requests on now-Third Circuit Judge Emil Bove, who was formerly President Donald Trump's criminal attorney and a top DOJ official.

  • August 12, 2025

    Trump's Tariffs Add Billions In Revenue, Think Tank Says

    President Donald Trump's enacted tariffs are generating billions of dollars more in revenue when compared to duty collections prior to his taking office, and that revenue could be used to reduce the U.S. budget deficit, according to a recent analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

  • August 12, 2025

    6th Circ. Says Officials' Cabin Search Violated 4th Amendment

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday upheld a lower court's decision denying qualified immunity to Michigan officials who entered a family's property without a warrant or permission, ruling the mini cabins they inspected were protected as homes under the Fourth Amendment and the search was unreasonable.

  • August 12, 2025

    Petition Seeks FCC Files On Trump-Skydance Meeting

    The head of an artificial intelligence streaming platform called on the Federal Communications Commission to release its findings on his complaint alleging improper lobbying by Skydance Media for its $8 billion merger with Paramount, claiming that Skydance planned an impromptu meeting with President Donald Trump at an April UFC fight.

  • August 12, 2025

    Maryland Says It's Immune To Hemp Cos.' Challenge To Regs

    The state of Maryland and its regulators are urging a federal court to toss hemp companies' challenge to a state regulation requiring licenses for intoxicating hemp-derived products, saying the claims are blocked by sovereign immunity under the 11th Amendment.

  • August 11, 2025

    Utah Gov. Cox Escapes Ute Tribe's Bidding Scheme Suit

    Utah's governor and other state officials won't have to face a challenge by the Ute Indian Tribe accusing them of a racist bidding scheme to prevent a land purchase, a federal judge ruled, finding the tribe failed to provide specific allegations tying them to the supposed conspiracy.

  • August 11, 2025

    Army Brass Grilled On Trump's Calif. Troop Deployment

    A San Francisco federal judge overseeing a bench trial over California's claims that President Donald Trump unlawfully deployed military troops in the state dug into a U.S. Army commander's testimony Monday that soldiers were sent to help enforce immigration laws, even when the military's own assessment showed a low risk of violence or damage.

  • August 11, 2025

    GCI To Pay $10K To End Fed Probe Over Alaska Cable Permit

    Alaska telecom GCI Communication Corp. will have to pay $10,000 for letting the cable landing licenses for one of its undersea cable systems expire, the Federal Communications Commission has announced.

  • August 11, 2025

    'Flipping NJ' Developer Fights Charges, Citing Habba's Role

    A New Jersey real estate developer and influencer, who is accused of running a Ponzi-like investment fraud scheme and laundering drug money, on Monday became the latest defendant to seek dismissal of his indictment over what he says was the illegal appointment of Alina Habba as acting U.S. attorney for the Garden State.

  • August 11, 2025

    Wash. AG Sues Feds For Pulling Climate Resiliency Grants

    Washington launched a lawsuit accusing the Trump administration of abruptly canceling grants awarded to the Evergreen State to address climate change impacts, including about $9.3 million approved last year for a collegiate-tribal partnership to prep more than 2,100 students for sustainability-focused careers.

  • August 11, 2025

    Ohio Justice's Suit Over Partisan Label Rule Moves Forward

    Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner's challenge to a state law requiring judicial candidates to list their political party affiliations on general election ballots will go on after a federal judge ruled the justice sufficiently alleged that her First Amendment rights were violated.

  • August 11, 2025

    11th Circ. Rejects Speedy Trial Claim In MetroPCS Robberies

    The Eleventh Circuit will not overturn the conviction of a man arrested in a string of MetroPCS store robberies in Miami, saying that even though the government may have violated the Speedy Trial Act, the man missed the window to challenge the charges.

  • August 11, 2025

    Paxos Is Latest Crypto Firm To Seek OCC Bank Charter

    Stablecoin issuer Paxos Trust Co. LLC said Monday that it has applied to become licensed and supervised by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, joining a wave of digital asset firms that are now pursuing U.S. banking charters from the agency.

  • August 11, 2025

    GTCR Says Sale, Market Nix FTC Med Tech Merger Concerns

    Private equity firm GTCR BC Holdings urged an Illinois federal judge not to block its planned $627 million purchase of a medical device coatings company, arguing in a brief made public Friday that a planned divestiture fully resolves Federal Trade Commission concerns.

Expert Analysis

  • 8 Insurer Takeaways From Sweeping Georgia Tort Reform

    Author Photo

    Insurers should take note of several critical components of Georgia's tort litigation overhaul — including limitations on damages anchoring, procedural rules governing dismissals, and liability standards in negligent security cases — and adapt claims-handling strategies to reduce litigation risk, says Lucy Aquino at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Bill Leaves Renewable Cos. In Dark On Farmland Reporting

    Author Photo

    A U.S. Senate bill to update disclosure requirements for foreign control of U.S. farmland does not provide much-needed guidance on how to report renewable energy development on agricultural property, leaving significant compliance risks for project developers, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

    Author Photo

    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    FCPA Shift Is A Good Start, But There's More DOJ Should Do

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guidelines bring a needed course correction amid overexpansive enforcement, but there’s more the DOJ can do to provide additional clarity and predictability for global companies, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    IRS Should Work With Industry On Microcaptive Regs

    Author Photo

    The IRS should engage with microcaptive insurance owners to develop better regulations on these arrangements or risk the emergence of common law guidance as taxpayers with legitimate programs seek relief in the federal courts, says Dustin Carlson at SRA 831(b) Admin.

  • How Providers Can Brace For Drug Pricing Policy Changes

    Author Photo

    Though it's uncertain which provisions of the Trump administration's executive order aimed at addressing prescription drug costs will eventually be implemented, stakeholders can reduce potential negative outcomes by understanding pathways that could be used to effectuate the order's directives, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Comparing New Neural Data Privacy Laws In 4 States

    Author Photo

    Although no federal law yet addresses neural privacy comprehensively, the combined effect of recent state laws in Colorado, California, Montana and Connecticut is already shaping the regulatory future, but a multistate compliance strategy has quickly become a gating item for those experimenting with neuro-enabled workplace tools, says Kristen Mathews at Cooley.

  • 2025's First Half Brings Regulatory Detours For Fintechs

    Author Photo

    The first half of the year has resulted in a bifurcated regulatory environment for fintechs, featuring narrowed enforcement in some areas, heightened scrutiny in others and a policy window that, with proper compliance, offers meaningful opportunities for innovation, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Debunking 4 Misconceptions Around Texas' IV Therapy Law

    Author Photo

    Despite industry confusion, an IV therapy law enacted in Texas last week may actually be the most business-friendly regulatory development the medical spa industry has seen in recent years, says Keith Lefkowitz at Hendershot Cowart.

  • A Pattern Emerges In Justices' Evaluation Of Veteran Statute

    Author Photo

    The recent Soto v. U.S. decision that the statute of limitations for certain military-related claims does not apply to combat-related special compensation exemplifies the U.S. Supreme Court's view, emerging in two other recent opinions, that it is a reviewing court's obligation to determine the best interpretation of the language used by Congress, says attorney Kenneth Carpenter.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

    Author Photo

    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • Psychedelic Treatment Regs May Be At A Tipping Point

    Author Photo

    Recent scientific and public attention suggest that development of psychedelics as treatment for some conditions may be at a tipping point, which could bring on more rapid change and opportunities for stakeholders who may in the future benefit from greater access to safe and effective psychedelic medicines, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • In NRC Ruling, Justices Affirm Hearing Process Still Matters

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas safeguards the fairness, clarity and predictability of the regulatory system by affirming that to challenge an agency's decision in court, litigants must first meaningfully participate in the hearing process that Congress and the agency have established, says Jonathan Rund at the Nuclear Energy Institute.

  • Comparing Stablecoin Bills From UK, EU, US And Hong Kong

    Author Photo

    For multinational stablecoin issuers, navigating the differences and similarities among regimes in the U.K., EU, Hong Kong and U.S., which are currently unfolding in several key ways, is critical to achieving scalable, compliant operations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Baseball Can Teach Criminal Attys About Rule Of Lenity

    Author Photo

    Judges tend to assess ambiguous criminal laws not unlike how baseball umpires approach checked swings, so defense attorneys should consider how to best frame their arguments to maximize courts' willingness to invoke the rule of lenity, wherein a tie goes to the defendant, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

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.