Public Policy

  • March 18, 2026

    Macy's Judge Rules Wash. Antispam Law Is Constitutional

    Macy's must face a consumer class action accusing the retail giant of breaking a Washington state law prohibiting certain spam emails, a Seattle federal judge ruled Wednesday, declaring that Washington's Commercial Electronic Mail Act is neither unconstitutional nor preempted by federal law.

  • March 18, 2026

    Feds Say It's End Of The Line For NY, NJ Hudson Tunnel Suit

    The Trump administration has asked a Manhattan federal judge to dismiss New York and New Jersey's attempt to force the federal government to continue funneling payments for the ongoing $16 billion rehabilitation of aging commuter train tunnels under the Hudson River.

  • March 18, 2026

    NTIA Still Crafting Plans For $21B In 'Non-Deployment' Funds

    The U.S. Department of Commerce has doled out many billions of dollars for broadband projects and has been asking for public input about how to spend roughly $21 billion in unspent funds, but there is no target date to unveil any decisions, the federal official in charge of spending the money said Wednesday.

  • March 18, 2026

    Fla. Lawmakers Expanded Housing Efforts In Slow Session

    At a time when housing affordability is a major concern among constituents, Florida state lawmakers produced mixed results in the realm of real estate during their 2026 session, taking some significant actions but also not reaching consensus on numerous proposals, including the most prominent — property tax reform.

  • March 18, 2026

    DOL Tweaks ERISA Regs After Fiduciary Rule Lawsuits End

    The U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits arm on Wednesday published technical amendments to its fiduciary investment advice regulations, to better reflect current policy following the conclusion of two lawsuits challenging a 2024 rule that would have expanded the definition of an investment advice fiduciary under federal benefits law.

  • March 18, 2026

    Tribal Groups Back High Court Bid To Halt Ariz. Land Transfer

    Native American rights groups are backing four Apache women's bid to have the Supreme Court halt a 2,500-acre Arizona land transfer, arguing an Indigenous worship site on the property is there because of U.S. policies designed to strip tribal nations of their homelands and suppress their religions.

  • March 18, 2026

    Wash. Law Ensures Personality Rights Cover AI Deepfakes

    Washington state has adopted a law clarifying that using someone's "forged digital likeness" without their consent counts as a personality rights violation, in an effort to address broader privacy concerns stemming from the proliferation of AI-generated deepfakes.

  • March 18, 2026

    Duty Evasion Probe Eyes Steel Wheels Via Vietnam, Thailand

    The U.S. Department of Commerce has initiated investigations into steel wheels imported from Vietnam and Thailand to determine if they are circumventing U.S. countervailing and antidumping duties placed on those goods from China, according to a notice published Wednesday.

  • March 18, 2026

    DOJ Defends Labeling Anthropic A Security Risk

    The Trump administration told a California federal judge it lawfully labeled Anthropic PBC a supply chain risk to national security after the company tried to "strong-arm" the U.S. Department of Defense into usage restrictions for its artificial intelligence tools.

  • March 18, 2026

    ADA Challenge to Oregon Psilocybin Law Can Proceed

    An Oregon federal judge Tuesday rejected the state's health regulator's bid for a favorable judgment in a suit brought under federal antidiscrimination law, seeking to broaden access for homebound patients to the state's regulated psilocybin program.

  • March 18, 2026

    Ill. Panel Chides State Over 'Absurd' Reading Of Wage Law

    An Illinois appellate court had choice words Tuesday for the Illinois Department of Labor's argument that an amendment to the Wage Payment and Collection Act deems certain corporate officers "employers" that can be held personally liable for employees' unpaid wages, calling the agency's interpretation "legally unsound" and "unjust."

  • March 18, 2026

    FTC Says Amazon Seeks 'Impossible' Standard For Sanctions

    The Federal Trade Commission pressed a Washington federal judge Tuesday to sanction Amazon.com for using autodeleting Signal chats and deleting raw meeting notes to hide evidence of company policies that created an artificial pricing floor across online retail stores, arguing Amazon is fighting the motion by inventing an "impossible-to-meet standard" for imposing sanctions.

  • March 18, 2026

    IRS Summons For Man's Coinbase Info Cleared To Go Ahead

    A man who alleged that the IRS violated his privacy rights in its summons of personal financial documents from Coinbase failed to properly serve the U.S. in his attempt to block the summons, a California federal judge said Wednesday, dismissing the case.

  • March 18, 2026

    NJ Justices Say Tidelands Steward Can Modify Pierhead Lines

    The New Jersey Supreme Court on Wednesday held that the state's tidelands steward is permitted to modify or establish a pierhead line in front of an individual property owner's land, rejecting a challenge to the approval of two licenses permitting the expansion of a dock in Barnegat Bay.

  • March 18, 2026

    Reps. Seek Inquiry Of DHS Official's Influence Over Contracts

    Democratic lawmakers urged a U.S. Department of Homeland Security watchdog on Wednesday to investigate outgoing secretary Kristi Noem's "shadow chief of staff," whom they accuse of wielding undue influence over DHS contracting decisions.

  • March 18, 2026

    USPTO Wants 900 New Patent Examiners By October

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office plans to hire 900 patent examiners focusing on sciences and engineering by Oct. 1, two agency managers said in a Wednesday webinar.

  • March 18, 2026

    Rand Paul Goes After DHS Secretary Nom Mullin In Hearing

    Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., the nominee to replace Kristi Noem as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, faced a scathing rebuke on Wednesday from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who was chairing the confirmation hearing.

  • March 18, 2026

    9th Circ. Urged To Rehear Cannabis Dormant Commerce Case

    A California attorney who has challenged cannabis social equity programs in numerous jurisdictions asked the entire Ninth Circuit on Tuesday to reconsider whether the U.S. Constitution's dormant commerce clause applies to federally illegal marijuana.

  • March 18, 2026

    FCC Removes 4 Drone Systems From Security Risk List

    The Federal Communications Commission has authorized more drones for distribution on the U.S. market, after defense officials cleared them from posing national security risks.

  • March 18, 2026

    Wash. Tribes Dispute 'Inaccurate' Salmon Hatchery Fund Order

    Two Washington tribes are asking a federal court to reconsider a decision that denied their bid to side aside $22 million in salmon hatchery funding, arguing that despite National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration claims to the contrary, they've never said they're ineligible for the grant money.

  • March 18, 2026

    Georgia DA Cleared To Appeal Election Case Legal Fee Ruling

    Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis can appeal a ruling that blocked her from intervening in an attempt by President Donald Trump and 13 co-defendants previously accused of election interference to recoup nearly $16 million in legal fees, a Georgia judge ruled this week.

  • March 18, 2026

    Suit Aims To Stop Gulf Endangered Species Exemption

    A conservation group asked a D.C. federal judge Wednesday to declare that an upcoming U.S. Department of the Interior meeting to exempt oil and gas activities in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act was called illegally, arguing that the meeting could ultimately result in species' extinction.

  • March 18, 2026

    9th Circ. Upholds Bulk Denial Of Worker Tax Credits

    Two tax preparation companies don't have enough interest in their clients' refunds to stop the IRS from issuing batch denials of thousands of pandemic-era worker credit claims, the Ninth Circuit found, affirming an Arizona district court's ruling.

  • March 18, 2026

    Calif. Bills Would Reform Litigation Funding, Client Recruiting

    Two new bills introduced to the California Assembly this week seek to impose reforms on the state's legal industry, including adding mandatory disbarment for attorneys convicted of felony "capping" — or illegally paying for client recruitment — and blocking corporate litigation funders from influencing cases.

  • March 18, 2026

    FCC Warns 'Rip, Replace' Participants That It Will Be Watching

    Companies receiving Federal Communications Commission funds under the "rip and replace" program ought to be keeping good records of how they're spending the agency's money and disposing of the equipment they're supposed to be replacing, the FCC warned recently.

Expert Analysis

  • How Internal Reporting Could Benefit Antitrust Whistleblowing

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    As the Justice Department's new antitrust whistleblower program stands to raise questions over the interaction between rewards and corporate leniency, incentivizing internal reporting first could increase the likelihood that the Antitrust Division receives the high-quality evidence needed to successfully prosecute cartel cases, says Daniel Oakes at Axinn.

  • What Texas Anti-Boycott Ruling Means For ESG Landscape

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    A Texas federal court's recent ruling in American Sustainable Business Council v. Hegar that Texas' anti-ESG law is unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds will likely embolden legal challenges to similar laws in other states that have adopted fossil fuel boycott statutes, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • How To Wield The Clarity Act As A Litigation Defense Tool

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    The Clarity Act is being discussed as a future compliance statute, but for litigators it can be used as a present-day defense tool to strengthen fair‑notice framing, argue for forward‑looking remedies rather than punitive ones and reprice settlement leverage as statutory clarity approaches, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: The Human Element

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    Law school teaches you to quickly apply intellect and logic when handling a legal issue, but every fact pattern also involves a person, making the ability to balance expertise with empathy critical to the growth of relationships with clients, colleagues and adversaries, says Rachel Adcox at Adcox Strategies.

  • As Justices Mull Suncor, Cos. Face New Climate Suit Realities

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    Following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to hear Suncor Energy v. Boulder County — its first case analyzing the litigation impact of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rescission of its 2009 greenhouse gas endangerment finding — companies must consider new preemption questions surrounding climate lawsuits after the rescission, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • 7 Steps For Gov't Contractors In Post-IEEPA Tariff Landscape

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    In response to U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down tariffs issued by the Trump administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, there are several actions federal contractors should take to preserve their place in any refund waterfall, and to manage audit, overpayment and False Claims Act risk, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How DExit, Mandatory Arbitration Could Alter IPO Outlook

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    As companies continue to leave Delaware and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission begins allowing companies to implement mandatory arbitration provisions, these developments could have a major impact on the initial public offering, securities class action, and directors and officers insurance landscapes, says Walker Newell at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

  • How High Court Recast State Sovereign Immunity In Galette

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in Galette v. New Jersey Transit, asserting that the state-chartered transit agency has independent corporate personhood and sole obligation to pay judgments against it, turned on substance rather than form — and its analysis should be carefully reviewed in courthouses and statehouses, say attorneys at McCarter & English.

  • Get Smart: Navigating The Genius Act's Regulatory Gaps

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    While some recent Genius Act rulemaking has covered consumer protection issues within the stablecoin market, the context is generally narrow and the final outcome remains uncertain for financial institutions or companies in the evolving landscape, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Opinion

    Ga. HOA Reform Bills Risk Undermining Local Governance

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    Lawmakers considering several bills in Georgia that would centralize regulation of homeowners associations should acknowledge that effective reform needs to protect homeowners’ rights while preserving the financial and governance structures that allow communities to function, says Julie Howard at NowackHoward.

  • Why Prediction Market Regulation Is At Major Inflection Point

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    As prediction markets experience tremendous growth and rapid mainstream adoption, regulators have begun to exercise enforcement authority to ensure market integrity and protect participants, though forthcoming guidance will shed light on how aggressively the agencies will police the fast-changing landscape, say attorneys at Latham.

  • How Cos. Should Prepare For NY RAISE Act Compliance

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    With the New York Responsible AI Safety and Education Act taking effect March 19, state regulators will expect subject artificial intelligence governance policies to understand whether appropriate safeguards and protocols are in place to prevent or mitigate discriminatory or adverse outcomes by frontier models, says Michael Paulino at Gordon Rees.

  • Compliance Takeaways Amid Increased Auto Finance Scrutiny

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    Recent supervisory focus on consumer protection in auto finance by agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. provides meaningful signals regarding areas of heightened regulatory scrutiny for lenders, including data accuracy, AI risk management and vendor oversight, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • The Benefits Of Choosing A Niche Practice In The AI Age

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    As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly accessible, lawyers with a niche practice may stand out as clients seek specialized judgment that automation cannot replicate, but it is important to choose a niche that is durable, engaging and a good personal fit, says Daniel Borneman at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • How PBMs Can Adapt To Plan Sponsors' Disclosure Demands

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    As federal reforms, growing state regulation and litigation threats push plan sponsors to expect visibility into revenue streams, pharmacy benefit managers should leverage transparency strategically, including by simplifying how they get paid, offering clients audit-ready data and co-designing contracts that are easy for fiduciaries to explain and defend, says Kristie Blase at Frazer + Blase.

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