Public Policy

  • July 15, 2025

    Agents Say Arrest Orders Came From Top In Free Speech Trial

    Four current or former Homeland Security Investigations supervising agents told a Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday that orders to locate and arrest student activists whose legal status in the United States had been revoked came from higher-ups, including via memos directly from the State Department — an unusual procedure for an agency that typically deals with criminal activity.

  • July 15, 2025

    Denver Defends Affordable Housing Fees, Citing Alternatives

    The city of Denver has urged a Colorado federal court to toss a homebuilder's suit challenging the constitutionality of an affordable housing fee for new development, arguing the developer's claims overlook a clause that allows it to construct affordable housing as an alternative.

  • July 15, 2025

    Funding 'Crisis' Jeopardizes Indigent Defense, Judiciary Says

    The judiciary rang the alarm on Tuesday that funding has been exhausted for the private attorneys who represent indigent federal criminal defendants, and this predicament is expected to last for three months.

  • July 15, 2025

    Calif. Legislature OKs Retroactive Solar Property Exclusion

    California would allow the purchaser of a new property a three-year window to apply for a property tax exclusion for solar energy systems under a bill passed by the state Senate and sent to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for approval.

  • July 15, 2025

    Law Curbing Arbitration Keeps AutoNation Bias Suit In Court

    AutoNation Inc. can't arbitrate a former sales associate's lawsuit claiming supervisors treated her differently because she's an older Black woman and made sexual comments in the workplace, a California state appeals court ruled, saying her case is shielded by a federal law prohibiting mandatory arbitration of sex harassment cases.

  • July 15, 2025

    PVC Pipe Buyers Seek Initial OK Of $6M Deal In Antitrust Row

    Counsel for two classes of purchasers of polyvinyl chloride pipe urged an Illinois federal judge Tuesday to grant preliminary approval to two $3 million settlements resolving their antitrust claims against an analytics service allegedly used in a conspiracy by PVC pipe makers to inflate the price of their products.

  • July 15, 2025

    Jeanine Pirro's $11M Net Worth Revealed In Disclosure

    Former judge and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, nominee for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, has a net worth of over $11 million, according to a financial disclosure obtained by Law360 on Monday.

  • July 15, 2025

    Baker Donelson Merges Policy Group With Its Advisory Firm

    Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC announced Tuesday that it has merged its public policy practice with its subsidiary, The Daschle Group, to form a bipartisan strategic consulting firm staffed with 20 attorneys and non-attorney professionals.

  • July 15, 2025

    DC Circ. Backs Dismissal Of Green Orgs' Drilling Permit Suit

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday rejected environmental groups' challenge to the approvals of thousands of federally approved oil and gas drilling permits in New Mexico and Wyoming, finding that a lower court was right to find they lacked standing.

  • July 15, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says Risk Of Harm Justifies Disarming Pot User

    The Third Circuit has found that illegal drug users, including cannabis users, can be disarmed if their use is determined to increase the risk that they could pose a physical danger while possessing a gun, while finding that individual inquiry is necessary.

  • July 15, 2025

    Pa. Senate Bill Seeks To End School District Property Taxes

    Pennsylvania would propose an amendment to the state constitution to eliminate school districts' authority to levy or collect property taxes after June 30, 2029, under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • July 15, 2025

    Small Carriers Caught Off Guard By Demand-Free T-Mobile OK

    Rural wireless carriers appeared stunned by the feds' recent decision to let T-Mobile absorb most of UScellular without setting new requirements meant to protect their service areas, but they aren't the only ones dismayed by the turn of events.

  • July 15, 2025

    UnitedHealth, Optum Accused Of Pregnancy Discrimination

    Optum Care Inc. and parent company UnitedHealth Group fired a care team supervisor while she was on maternity leave without a tangible reason, according to a suit lodged in California state court.

  • July 14, 2025

    4th Circ. Halts End To Afghan Protected Status Amid Appeal

    The Fourth Circuit has agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status for Afghans while immigrant rights advocates appeal a lower court's order denying summary judgment in their favor, according to an order issued Monday.

  • July 14, 2025

    FCC Greenlights Bell Canada's $3.65B Ziply Fiber Deal

    The Federal Communications Commission on Monday granted its approval to Canadian communications company BCE Inc.'s planned acquisition of U.S. internet provider Ziply Fiber for about CA$5 billion ($3.65 billion).

  • July 14, 2025

    Regulators Outline Crypto 'Safekeeping' Guidelines For Banks

    Federal regulators said Monday that banks are free to offer cryptocurrency "safekeeping" services but should be mindful of the risks involved, stressing the need for strong cybersecurity and clear customer agreements, among other considerations.

  • July 14, 2025

    States Blast Trump Admin Over $6.8B Education Fund Freeze

    A coalition of states sued the Trump administration Monday over its decision to freeze $6.8 billion in congressionally appropriated educational program funding, leaving schools scrambling ahead of the new school year, the same day the U.S. Supreme Court allowed mass U.S. Department of Education layoffs to move forward.

  • July 14, 2025

    Top Data Privacy & AI Developments Of 2025: Midyear Report

    The rise and rapid fall of a federal proposal to ban states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade and an uptick in activity from data privacy enforcers in states across the country dominated headlines in the first half of 2025, and attorneys are expecting these areas to continue to grab attention in the coming months. 

  • July 14, 2025

    Groups Renew Push For Everglades Detention Center Ruling

    Environmental advocacy groups have renewed their push for an order against an immigrant detention facility in the Everglades, telling a Florida federal court that the center is holding detainees in inhumane conditions and damaging surrounding protected land.

  • July 14, 2025

    Vape Groups Urge 4th Circ. To Stall NC E-Cigarette Law

    Vape interests are urging the Fourth Circuit to temporarily stop North Carolina officials from enforcing a law that could prevent the sale of many types of e-cigarettes in the state, claiming the statute was pushed by "Big Tobacco" company Reynolds American Inc. and targets products that help people quit smoking.

  • July 14, 2025

    NY Judge Snuffs Counties' Bid To Derail Congestion Pricing

    A New York federal judge on Monday tossed claims from two local counties alleging Manhattan's discriminatory congestion pricing tolls trampled on motorists' right to travel, saying inconvenient tolls for certain commuters don't amount to a constitutional violation.

  • July 14, 2025

    CFPB Deal To Put Medical Debt Back On Reports OK'd

    A Texas federal court has reversed a Biden-era rule that kept an estimated $49 billion in medical debt from credit reports after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and lender trade groups struck a deal to axe the rule.

  • July 14, 2025

    Judge Halts DHS' Diversion Of Migrant Shelter Funds

    An Illinois federal judge temporarily barred the Trump administration from clawing back funds to shelter and assist new migrants after Chicago, Denver and an Arizona county said the government had plans to transfer their funds to Florida for the so-called Alligator Alcatraz detention facility.

  • July 14, 2025

    Texas AG Says Several Officials Indicted For Ballot Collection

    The Texas Office of the Attorney General released a statement Monday announcing indictments and arrests for nine people for an allegedly ongoing ballot collection scheme in Frio County, adding to a growing list of state officials facing charges for participation in the alleged scheme.

  • July 14, 2025

    DOJ Drops Vax Card Case Against Plastic Surgeon Mid-Trial

    The Justice Department dismissed charges against a Utah plastic surgeon accused of leading a conspiracy to forge COVID-19 vaccination cards for over 1,500 people, ending the case less than a week after trial began in Salt Lake City federal court.

Expert Analysis

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Kousisis Concurrence Maps FCA Defense To Anti-DEI Suits

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    Justice Clarence Thomas' recent concurrence in Kousisis v. U.S. lays out how federal funding recipients could use the high standard for materiality in government fraud cases to fight the U.S. Justice Department’s threatened False Claims Act suits against payees deviating from the administration’s anti-DEI policies, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Despite Dark Clouds, Outlook For US Solar Has Bright Spots

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    While tariff, tax policy and bankruptcy news seemingly portends unending challenges for the U.S. solar energy industry, signs of continued growth in solar generating capacity and domestic solar manufacturing suggest that there is a path forward, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Assessing New Changes To Texas Officer Exculpation Law

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    Consistent with Texas' recent modernization of its corporate law, the recently passed S.B. 2411 allows officer exculpation, streamlines certificate of formation amendments, authorizes representatives to act on shareholders' behalf in mergers and makes other changes aimed toward companies seeking a more codified, statutory model of corporate governance, say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Rising Enforcement Stakes For Pharma Telehealth Platforms

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    Two pieces of legislation recently introduced in Congress could transform the structure and promotion of telehealth arrangements as legislators increasingly scrutinize direct-to-consumer advertising platforms, potentially paving the way for a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy with bipartisan support, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • One Year On, Davidson Holds Lessons On 'Health Halo' Claims

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    A year after the Ninth Circuit's Davidson v. Sprout Foods decision — which raised the bar for so-called health halo claims — food and beverage companies can draw insights from its finding, subsequently expanded on by other courts, that plaintiffs must be specific when alleging fraud in healthfulness marketing, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Justices' NRC Ruling Raises New Regulatory Questions

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    In Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court avoided ruling on the NRC's authority to license private, temporary nuclear waste storage facilities — and this failure to reach the merits question creates new regulatory uncertainty where none had existed for decades, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • 3 Judicial Approaches To Applying Loper Bright, 1 Year Later

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    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, a few patterns have emerged in lower courts’ application of the precedent to determine whether agency actions are lawful, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Navigating Antitrust Risks When Responding To Tariffs

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    Companies should assess competitive perils, implement compliance safeguards and document independent decision-making as they consider their responses to recent tariff pressures, say attorneys at White & Case.

  • Breaking Down Part 3 Of The Copyright Office's AI Report

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    On May 9, the U.S. Copyright Office published a prepublication version of the third and final part of its three-part report on artificial intelligence, offering key insights on the unauthorized use of copyrighted material by AI systems, says Courtney Sarnow at CM Law.

  • 8 Insurer Takeaways From Sweeping Georgia Tort Reform

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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