Public Policy

  • October 15, 2025

    Court Ends Hemp Grower's Suit Over Seized Crop

    An Oregon cannabis cultivator can't sue the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on claims it failed to return 383 pounds of legal hemp mistakenly assumed to be illicit marijuana, a federal judge ruled, saying the government gets sovereign immunity.

  • October 15, 2025

    JPMorgan Dinged By Judge For Raising Arbitration Issue Late

    A Washington federal judge hinted on Wednesday that she's likely to stand by her past decision spurning JPMorgan Chase's attempt to force arbitration of a customer's racial discrimination claims, suggesting the bank lost its chance to make the points it's now relying on to persuade the court to reconsider.

  • October 15, 2025

    High Court Leans Toward Limiting Voting Rights Act Suits

    The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative supermajority seemed ready Wednesday to further limit the use of the Voting Rights Act in challenging alleged racial discrimination in legislative redistricting, but appeared divided over how to accomplish that.

  • October 15, 2025

    Proposed Bill Could Stall NFL Bears' Suburban Stadium Plan

    A member of the Illinois General Assembly has introduced a bill that could delay the Chicago Bears' efforts to build a stadium in the suburbs by requiring a 30-day window to review any proposed state or local agreements on new or renovated pro sports stadiums.

  • October 15, 2025

    Judge Won't Block Mich. Medicaid Mental Health Restructure

    A Michigan state judge has ruled that the Great Lakes State has the authority to competitively bid and restructure the geographic territory of prepaid inpatient health plans that manage mental health care for the state's Medicaid beneficiaries.

  • October 15, 2025

    FDIC's Hill Discusses Stablecoin Rulemaking Lift

    Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. acting Chairman Travis Hill said Wednesday that crafting a licensing regime for stablecoin issuers under his agency's purview will likely be relatively "straightforward," but the recently passed stablecoin legislation has also tasked banking regulators with thornier policy issues.

  • October 15, 2025

    Meat Industry Fights To Defend Nix Of Slaughterhouse Rules

    A meat and poultry industry group has told the Ninth Circuit it opposes green groups' challenge to the federal government's decision to rescind a Biden-era proposal that would have imposed stricter water discharge regulations on slaughtering, processing and rendering facilities.

  • October 15, 2025

    States Want To Keep Eye On $14B HPE-Juniper Deal Review

    The Justice Department is in the middle of trying to settle its challenge to Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks, but a dozen states are now trying to get involved and have asked a California federal judge to allow them to intervene in the litigation.

  • October 15, 2025

    Some Sugar Producers Escape Info Sharing Claims

    A Minnesota federal court dismissed several major sugar producers from a case accusing them of sharing competitively sensitive information but is allowing claims against Domino and United Sugar Producers & Refiners to proceed.

  • October 15, 2025

    10th Circ. Restores Asylum Grant In 10-Year Immigration Fight

    A Tenth Circuit panel said a Honduran woman and her two children can remain in the U.S., ruling that the Board of Immigration Appeals misstepped when it overturned their grant of asylum for a second time in 10 years.

  • October 15, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Again Urged To Probe Settled Expectations Rule

    A nonprofit represented by former U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director Kathi Vidal has thrown its weight behind the latest Federal Circuit petition challenging the USPTO's policy of denying review of patents based on the owner's "settled expectations," saying the rule is "economically harmful and legally unsound."

  • October 15, 2025

    Judge Sinks Youths' Suit Challenging Trump Energy Orders

    A Montana federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a suit by youths seeking to undo President Donald Trump's energy-related emergency orders, saying that it's beyond the power of federal courts to dictate U.S. environmental and energy policy.

  • October 15, 2025

    Wash. Urges 9th Circ. To Deny GEO Detention Law Rehearing

    Washington state called on the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday to reject Geo Group's request that the full appellate court revisit a panel's decision siding with the state in a case challenging a new law imposing additional health and safety standards at the state's privately run immigration detention center.

  • October 15, 2025

    FERC Ignored La. LNG Terminal's Enviro Harms, DC Circ. Told

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shirked its obligation to evaluate the potential harms of a massive liquefied natural gas export terminal in Louisiana before approving its construction, environmental groups and fishermen have told the D.C. Circuit.

  • October 15, 2025

    Glock Loses Bid To Toss New Jersey AG's Gun Violence Suit

    A New Jersey state judge has declined to dismiss a suit brought by the state's attorney general seeking to hold Glock Inc. liable for gun violence, finding that a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case brought by Mexico against gunmakers doesn't bar the state's claims.

  • October 15, 2025

    Pa. Justice Criticizes Court For Passing On Pot-Smell Appeal

    After hearing oral arguments and receiving briefs, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismissed an appeal as "improvidently granted," refusing to clarify whether a Philadelphia police chase that arose from the smell of pot smoke was legal, to the dismay of a dissenting justice.

  • October 15, 2025

    Tax Court Says Easement Fraud Penalties Don't Require Jury

    The U.S. Tax Court refused to throw out civil fraud penalties faced by a partnership accused of overvaluing a conservation easement tax deduction, rejecting the partnership's reliance on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited federal agencies' authority to impose certain penalties without a jury trial.

  • October 15, 2025

    3rd Circ. Weighs If AR-15s Are 'Dangerous,' 'Unusual' Arms

    The full Third Circuit on Wednesday quizzed counsel in a gun rights case about whether AR-15s, other widely owned semi-automatic firearms, and high-capacity magazines should be considered so "dangerous" or "unusual" as to not be protected by the Second Amendment, with the panel giving no clear leanings as to how it might rule.

  • October 15, 2025

    Ga. Justices Stand By Holding That Runoff Fees Aren't Taxes

    The Supreme Court of Georgia has for the second time ruled that a landowner can't use a constitutional challenge to get out of paying stormwater utility bills to its local government, declining Wednesday to overturn a decade-plus precedent that ruled the county was enforcing a fee rather than a tax.

  • October 15, 2025

    Feds Drop 1 Lying Count Amid Ex-Budget Official's Trial

    Federal prosecutors on Wednesday dropped one charge against Connecticut school construction official Kosta Diamantis, releasing him from allegations that he lied to the FBI when he allegedly said he didn't care who was hired to manage an emergency school construction project in Tolland.

  • October 15, 2025

    AGs Concerned About Landlord Settlements In RealPage Case

    Attorneys general of the District of Columbia and three states told a Tennessee federal court Wednesday that they have concerns about a combined $141.8 million worth of class settlements for antitrust claims against several multifamily landlords that allegedly used property management software company RealPage Inc.'s technology for rent price-fixing.

  • October 15, 2025

    DC Think Tank Says It Wants FBI FISA Compliance Docs

    The Justice Department will not turn over records related to an FBI audit it conducted to determine whether the agency was complying with section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which gives the government a backdoor to intercept communications without a warrant, a new suit says.

  • October 15, 2025

    Carriers Take Heat From Hill GOP Over Sens.' Phone Data

    The Big Three phone carriers face growing pressure from Capitol Hill Republicans over reports that they tracked eight senators' cellphone data at the FBI's request, with one lawmaker saying there was no "criminal predicate" for the subpoenas.

  • October 15, 2025

    Colo. Urges Justices To Reject Nebraska South Platte Case

    Colorado on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court not to get involved in Nebraska's claims that Colorado is failing to deliver water from the South Platte River according to the terms of an early 20th-century compact.

  • October 15, 2025

    Cherokee Nation Member Appointed IHS Chief Of Staff

    The Indian Health Service has appointed a Cherokee Nation citizen as its new chief of staff, responsible for overseeing the coordination of key agency activities, including support for its leadership in a broad range of duties related to development and implementation of initiatives and priorities.

Expert Analysis

  • How Financial Cos. Can Prep As NYDFS Cyber Changes Loom

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    Financial institutions supervised by the New York State Department of Financial Services can prepare for two critical cybersecurity requirements relating to multifactor authentication and asset inventories, effective Nov. 1, by conducting gap analyses and allocating resources to high-risk assets, among other steps, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Shutdown May Stall Hearings, But Gov't Probes Quietly Go On

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    Thanks to staff assurances under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act, the core work of congressional investigations continues during the shutdown that began Oct. 1 — and so does the investigative work that is performed behind closed doors on Capitol Hill, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Opinion

    Ending Quarterly Reporting Would Erode Investor Protection

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    President Donald Trump recently called for an end to the long-standing practice of corporate quarterly reporting, but doing so would reduce transparency, create information asymmetries, provide more opportunities for corporate fraud and risk increased stock price volatility, while not meaningfully increasing long-term investments, say attorneys at Bleichmar Fonti.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

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    After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

  • Strategies For Defending Banks In Elder Abuse Cases

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    Several recent cases demonstrate that banks have plenty of tools to defend against claims they were complicit in financial abuse of older adults, but financial institutions should also continue to educate customers about third-party scams before they happen, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • AG Watch: Va. Race Spotlights Consumer Protection Priorities

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    Ahead of the state's attorney general election, Virginia companies should assess how either candidate's approach could affect their compliance posture, with incumbent Jason Miyares promising a business-friendly atmosphere that prioritizes public safety and challenger Jay Jones pledging to focus on economic justice and corporate accountability, says Chuck Slemp at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Preparing For What DOD Cybersecurity Audits May Uncover

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    Defense contractors seeking certification under the U.S. Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program that begins implementation on Nov. 10 may discover previously unknown violations, but there are steps they can take to address any issues before they come to the attention of enforcement authorities, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • A Look At Project Crypto's Plans For Digital Asset Regulation

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins' recent announcement of Project Crypto, an agencywide initiative to modernize federal securities regulations, signals a significant shift toward a more flexible regulatory framework that would shape the future of the U.S. digital asset market, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Breaking Down The Intersection Of Right-Of-Publicity Law, AI

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    Jillian Taylor at Blank Rome examines how existing right-of-publicity law governs artificial intelligence-generated voice-overs, deepfakes and deadbots; highlights a recent New York federal court ruling involving AI-generated voice clones; and offers practical guardrails for using AI without violating the right of publicity.

  • Civil Maritime Nuclear Sector Poised For Growth, Challenges

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    The maritime industry now stands on the verge of a nuclear-powered renaissance, with the need for clean energy, resilient power generation and decarbonized logistics driving demand for commercial maritime nuclear technology — but these developments will raise significant new legal, regulatory and technical questions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

  • H-2A Rule Rollback Sheds Light On 2 Policy Litigation Issues

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    The Trump administration’s recent refusal to defend an immigration regulation implemented by the Biden administration highlights a questionable process that both parties have used to bypass the Administrative Procedure Act’s rulemaking process, and points toward the next step in the fight over universal injunctions, says Mark Stevens at Clark Hill.

  • NY AML Rules Get Crypto Rebrand: What It Means For Banks

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    A recent letter from the New York State Department of Financial Services outlining how banks can use blockchain analytics in anti-money laundering efforts is a reminder that crypto activity is not exempted from banks' role in keeping the financial system safe, says Katherine Lemire at Lankler Siffert.

  • What's At Stake At High Court For Presidential Removal Power

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    Two pending U.S. Supreme Court cases —Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook — raise fundamental questions about the constitutional separation of powers, threaten the 90-year-old precedent of Humphrey's Executor v. U.S. and will determine the president's authority to control independent federal agencies, says Kolya Glick at Arnold & Porter.

  • Using The GHG Protocol For California Climate Reporting

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    With the California Air Resources Board's recent announcement that entities subject to the state's climate disclosure laws can use the Greenhouse Gas Protocol as a standard for structured, auditable reporting, a review of methods, data sources and disclosures under the protocol is timely for compliance planning, says Thierry Montoya at Frost Brown.

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