Public Policy

  • July 02, 2025

    Solar Farm Halt Can't Rest On Federal Tax Credits, Judge Says

    A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block a NextEra Energy solar farm in Kansas, saying arguments that the project can't receive federal clean energy tax credits until it undergoes an environmental review aren't supported by law.

  • July 02, 2025

    Unions Say Halt Of Parole Is Spreading Chaos In Workplaces

    A coalition of labor unions has told the First Circuit that the abrupt termination of Biden-era humanitarian parole programs is generating "chaos in American workplaces," as workers lose their work authorization and employers are left in the lurch.

  • July 02, 2025

    Ill. Judge Asks Deere Rivals To Stop Pestering Court Staff

    The judge overseeing the FTC's antitrust enforcement action against farm machinery maker Deere & Co. has penned a light-hearted order calling out another judge and asking equipment manufacturers to stop calling his staff to ask for advice.

  • July 02, 2025

    SEC Staff Shares Disclosure Guidance For Crypto ETPs

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission staff is providing more insight on its expectations around disclosures for novel crypto exchange-traded products, urging issuers to share risks specific to the product and use plain language over technical jargon to explain the business.

  • July 02, 2025

    Judge Backs Forest Service In Idaho Logging Project Dispute

    An Idaho federal judge has tossed Rocky Mountain conservation advocates' lawsuit alleging the U.S. Forest Service failed to properly analyze impacts on animal species when it approved a logging and construction project in the Idaho panhandle.

  • July 02, 2025

    NC Newspaper Says County Retaliated Over Political Columns

    The only newspaper serving a North Carolina county has sued three of its county commissioners in North Carolina federal court, alleging the trio revoked its status as the newspaper of record in retaliation over unflattering political cartoons and columns.

  • July 02, 2025

    Trump Announces 1st And 9th Circ. Nominees

    President Donald Trump announced nominations for judges on the First and Ninth circuit courts on Wednesday evening.

  • July 02, 2025

    Okla. Justices Say Tribal Citizen Must Pay State Income Taxes

    Oklahoma's high court upheld a decision to deny a state tax-exempt status for a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, saying that a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming the boundaries of the tribe's reservation does not apply in the dispute.

  • July 02, 2025

    Atkins Says SEC Is Taking A Fresh Look At SPAC Regulations

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Paul Atkins said Wednesday that regulators are reviewing recently beefed-up rules governing special-purpose acquisition companies as part of a broader policy of increasing public listings.

  • July 02, 2025

    Wash. Tribal Warrants Gain Statewide Reach Under New Law

    A Washington law that took effect this month will allow its state police to enforce tribal warrants, a move that legislators say closes a jurisdictional gap that often allowed individuals who committed crimes on Indigenous lands to evade prosecution by fleeing to state property.

  • July 02, 2025

    Wash. High Court Takes Up Off-Campus Fraternity Death Suit

    The Washington Supreme Court has agreed to review a lower appellate court's January ruling that an Evergreen State university owed a duty of care to a student who died of alcohol poisoning following a hazing ritual at an off-campus fraternity party.

  • July 02, 2025

    FCC To Vote On More 'Delete' Docket Regs This Month

    The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote this month on a proposal to remove outmoded regulations from its books that would advance FCC Chair Brendan Carr's "Delete, Delete, Delete" proceeding to cut down on what he considers burdensome agency rules.

  • July 02, 2025

    Dems Condemn Paramount's $16M Settlement With Trump

    Democratic lawmakers are incensed that CBS News' parent Paramount Global agreed to a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over his "60 Minutes" lawsuit, which came as the media company is seeking approval of an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance Media.

  • July 02, 2025

    Ex-Copyright Office Head Fights Gov't Arguments On Firing

    The fired leader of the U.S. Copyright Office said that a D.C. federal judge should ignore the Trump administration's arguments that her removal was lawful, saying the government wants the court to "stand idly by."

  • July 02, 2025

    GOP Reps. Want Probe Of RI Judge Blocking Funding Freeze

    Two Republican U.S. House members have asked the First Circuit to investigate a Rhode Island federal judge who blocked a Trump administration spending freeze, claiming the judge's link to a funding recipient constitutes a conflict of interest, one of those congressmen's office confirmed to Law360 Pulse on Wednesday.

  • July 02, 2025

    Judge Tosses NJ Law Prof's Free Speech Suit For Good

    A New Jersey federal judge has thrown out for good a law professor's free speech suit against Kean University over alleged controversial statements made in class, finding her twice-amended complaint contained no claims that state workplace policy infringes on her First Amendment rights.

  • July 02, 2025

    Trump Announces Trade Deal With Vietnam

    The U.S. government reached a trade deal with Vietnam days before a pause on worldwide tariffs is set to expire, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.

  • July 02, 2025

    DC Circ. Stands By Decision Nixing $7B Power Line Fight

    The D.C. Circuit has rejected an en banc rehearing petition from Illinois landowners and farmers challenging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's decision to issue a license for the $7 billion Grain Belt Express transmission project, affirming an appellate panel and a district court's findings that the plaintiffs lack standing.

  • July 02, 2025

    Former FTC General Counsel Joins Orrick In New York

    The former general counsel of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has made the move to private practice at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in New York.

  • July 02, 2025

    Seattle Sued Over 'Unconstitutional' Affordable Housing Rules

    A Washington construction company and two Seattle homeowners claimed in Washington federal court that the city's Mandatory Housing Affordability program is "unconstitutional," in part because it doesn't consider the public impact of housing projects and makes land-use permit applicants pay upzoning fees for the city's public housing fund.

  • July 02, 2025

    The Funniest Moments Of The Supreme Court's Term

    After justices and oral advocates spent much of an argument pummeling a lower court's writing talents, one attorney suggested it might be time to move on — only to be told the drubbing had barely begun. Here, Law360 showcases the standout jests and wisecracks from the 2024-25 U.S. Supreme Court term.

  • July 02, 2025

    Target Board Sued Over 2023 Pride Campaign 'Backlash'

    Executives and directors of Target have been hit with a shareholder derivative suit in Minnesota federal court accusing them of damaging the company by implementing an LGBTQ+ pride-themed marketing campaign two years ago despite knowing the risk of "public backlash."

  • July 02, 2025

    Wisconsin High Court Narrowly Blocks 1849 Abortion Ban

    The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Wednesday narrowly struck down an 1849 statute criminalizing abortion, finding that the law has been effectively replaced by more modern legislation regulating the procedure.

  • July 01, 2025

    NY Judge Blocks DHS From Ending Haitians' Protected Status

    A New York federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration's bid for an early end to temporary deportation protection for certain Haitians escaping political instability and effects of natural disasters, saying the government's partial vacatur of the program in February was unlawful.

  • July 01, 2025

    NYT Says Palin Can't Get New Defamation Trial, Recusal

    The New York Times urged a New York federal judge to refuse Sarah Palin's request for a new trial and judge after a jury rejected her defamation claims over a 2017 editorial, saying her arguments misunderstood circuit court rulings in the long-running case and skipped a procedural bar.

Expert Analysis

  • High Court Order On Board Firings Is Cold Comfort For Fed

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Trump v. Wilcox order, upholding the firings of two independent agency board members during appeal, raises concerns about the future of removal protections for Federal Reserve System members, and thus the broader politicization of U.S. monetary policy, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • DOJ Policy Shifts May Resurrect De Facto 'China Initiative'

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently unveiled white collar enforcement strategy seemingly marks a return to a now-defunct 2018 policy aimed at combating national security concerns with China, and likely foretells aggressive scrutiny of trade and customs fraud, sanctions evasion, and money laundering, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Supporting A Trial Team

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    While students often practice as lead trial attorneys in law school, such an opportunity likely won’t arise until a few years into practice, so junior associates should focus on honing skills that are essential to supporting a trial team, including organization, adaptability and humility, says Lucy Zelina at Tucker Ellis.

  • Recent Complex Global Deals Reveal Regulatory Trends

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    An analysis of six complex global deals that were completed or abandoned in the last year suggests that, while such deals continue to face significant and lengthy scrutiny across the U.S, U.K. and European Union, the path to closing may have eased slightly compared to recent years, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Opinion

    Address Nationwide Injunction Issues With Random Venues

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    Many of the qualms about individual district court judges' authority to issue nationwide injunctions could be solved with a simple legislative solution: handling multiple complaints about the same agency action filed in different district courts by assigning a venue via random selection, says Harvey Reiter at Stinson.

  • 7 D&O Coverage Areas To Assess As DOJ Targets DEI

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    Companies that receive federal funds or have the remnants of a diversity, equity and inclusion program should review their directors and officers liability insurance policies ahead of a major shift in how the U.S. Department of Justice enforces the False Claims Act, says Bill Wagner at Taft.

  • CFPB Industry Impact Uncertain Amid Priority Shift, Staff Cuts

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    A recent enforcement memo outlines how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory agenda diverges from that of the previous administration, but, given the bureau's planned reduction in force, it is uncertain whether the agency will be able to enforce these new priorities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • FAR Rewrite May Cloud Key Gov't Contract Doctrine

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    The Trump administration's government procurement overhaul, under which sections of the Federal Acquisition Regulation are eliminated by default, is bound to collide with a doctrine that allows courts to read omitted clauses into government contracts if they represent long-standing pillars of federal procurement law, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • SEC Staff Input Eases Path For Broker-Dealer Crypto Activities

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    Recent guidance from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission staff on broker-dealer and transfer agent crypto-asset activities suggests a more constructive regulatory posture on permissibility and application of financial responsibility rules, bringing welcome clarity for blockchain market participants and traditional financial institutions alike, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Compliance Essentials To Mitigate AI Crime Enforcement Risk

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    As artificial intelligence systems move closer to accurately mimicking human decision-making, companies must understand how the U.S. Department of Justice might prosecute them for crimes committed by AI tools — and how to mitigate enforcement risks, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • Employer-Friendly Fla. Law Ushers In New Noncompete Era

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    Florida's CHOICE Act is set to take effect July 1, and employers are welcoming it with open arms as it would create one of the most favorable environments in the country for the enforcement of noncompete and garden leave agreements, but businesses should also consider the nonlegal implications, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Could Shake Up US Pharma

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    Recent moves from the executive and legislative branches represent a serious attempt to revive and refine the first Trump administration's most-favored-nations model for drug pricing, though implementation could bring unintended consequences for pharmaceutical manufacturers and will likely draw significant legal opposition, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: A Supersonic 'Boom' Going Nowhere Fast

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    Legislation recently introduced in Congress to repeal the Federal Aviation Administration's ban on supersonic flight over U.S. territory appears to benefit a single company with an uncertain business plan, and is not truly in the public interest, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • How The DOJ Is Redesigning Its Approach To Digital Assets

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    Two key digital asset enforcement policy pronouncements narrow the Justice Department's focus on threats like fraud, terrorism, trafficking and sanctions evasion and dial back so-called regulation by prosecution, but institutions prioritizing compliance must remember that the underlying statutory framework hasn't changed, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

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