Public Policy

  • October 29, 2026

    Meta Faces Senate Inquiry Over AI Glasses Privacy Risks

    Two Democratic senators on Thursday launched an investigation into allegations that Meta Platforms' "smart" glasses capture sensitive images of users and bystanders without their consent and use the data to train the tech giant's artificial intelligence models.

  • October 29, 2026

    Archaeologists Win Bid To Halt Transfer Of Native Artifacts

    A Wyoming federal judge has for now blocked the U.S. Department of the Interior from moving six archaeological collections of Indigenous artifacts in Wyoming and Colorado out of the government's control, saying irreparable harm will result if the agency action moves forward.

  • October 29, 2026

    NY Bars AI Chatbots From Using Emotional Tactics With Kids

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law Wednesday that creates a regulatory framework restricting artificial intelligence chatbots' emotional interactions with minors, spurring swift pushback from business groups, which criticized the legislation for allegedly being unconstitutionally vague and overly broad.

  • October 29, 2026

    Colo. Justices Won't Review Hospital's Injunction Compliance

    The Colorado Supreme Court declined Thursday to take up transgender youth patients' challenge to a Denver judge's ruling that discharged their contempt citation against Children's Hospital Colorado for not resuming providing medical gender-affirming care to transgender adolescents.

  • October 29, 2026

    Panel Says Municipalities Can't Be Sued Under Colo. FCA Law

    In a matter of first impression, the Colorado Court of Appeals Thursday found that a municipality can't be held liable under the Colorado False Claims Act because a municipality isn't a "person" under the statute.

  • October 29, 2026

    7th Circ. Probes Trump's Challenge Of Ill. Sanctuary Laws

    The Seventh Circuit pressed the Trump administration Thursday to address how refusal by Illinois and other sanctuary jurisdictions to help federal officers take custody of immigrants leaving state jails amounts to unlawful interference with federal immigration law, while also expressing skepticism that such cooperation amounts to unconstitutional commandeering of local law enforcement resources.

  • October 29, 2026

    Navy Beats Clean Water Act Suit Over Fuel Discharges

    A Hawaii federal judge ruled in favor of the U.S. Navy over an environmental group's claims it violated the Clean Water Act by discharging fuel into Pearl Harbor, saying there's no reasonable likelihood that the Navy will continue to do so.

  • October 29, 2026

    GEO Says Colo. Health Inspection Law Suit Should Survive

    The federal contractor that runs an immigration detention center near Denver is coming out swinging against Colorado's attempt to kill its suit challenging a state law requiring extra inspections, saying its claims cannot be considered premature just because the state has not enforced the law yet.

  • October 29, 2026

    EMT Immunity Doesn't Cover Driving, Wash. Justices Say

    Emergency medical technicians' qualified immunity from negligence claims in Washington does not extend to driving ambulances, a divided state Supreme Court held Thursday, ruling that the transportation of patients falls outside EMTs' statutory immunity for rendering emergency services.

  • October 29, 2026

    Gov't Urges Court To Dismiss $50B Ligado Takings Case

    The federal government has urged the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to dismiss Ligado's attempt to secure $50 billion over claims the Pentagon prevented the company from using valuable spectrum rights it bought for exclusive use to build a terrestrial wireless network.

  • October 29, 2026

    Fugitive Former Conn. Official Must Pay Capital One $25K

    A onetime Connecticut budget official who fled to Greece as sentencing neared in one federal public corruption case and a trial loomed in another must pay more than $25,000 to cover the balance of a Capital One personal loan, a state judge has ruled.

  • October 29, 2026

    NY Judge Temporarily Pauses NYC's Chinatown Jail Project

    A New York state judge has placed a temporary pause on the construction of a jail in New York City's Chinatown neighborhood, siding with a group of New Yorkers who sued the city and a Tutor Perini Corp. joint venture over the noise allegedly caused by the project.

  • October 29, 2026

    US Tells Justices FedEx Can't Appeal Interested Party Order

    The U.S. government has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to ignore a petition from FedEx Corp. seeking review of whether Qualcomm Inc. complied with real-party-in-interest requirements when it challenged FedEx patents, saying the Federal Circuit got it right by declining to hear the case.

  • October 29, 2026

    Courts Can't Nix Calif. Waiver Moves, EPA Tells DC Circ.

    The Trump administration has urged the D.C. Circuit to restore the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's move to make Clean Air Act waivers for California subject to potential rescission by lawmakers, saying a lower court wrongly intruded on Congressional authority in blocking the effort.

  • October 29, 2026

    Union Sues IRS Over Termination Of Workers' Contract

    The Internal Revenue Service violated federal law by terminating its collective bargaining agreement with a union representing the agency's employees in light of a 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump, the union has claimed in a lawsuit filed in Massachusetts federal court.

  • October 29, 2026

    Utah Hits Kalshi With Criminal Charges Over Sports Offerings

    Utah has brought criminal charges in state court against Kalshi and its co-founders under its anti-gambling laws, amid an ongoing jurisdictional battle over whether federal law preempts state and tribal regulation of the prediction market platform's sports event contracts.

  • October 29, 2026

    Warren Calls For BofA Criminal Probe After $1.2B AML Fine

    Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, called for a federal criminal probe Thursday into Bank of America after the U.S. Treasury Department fined the institution $1.2 billion this month over alleged anti-money laundering failures.

  • October 29, 2026

    Admin Ordered To Identify States Hit With Voter Roll Demands

    A D.C. federal judge ordered the Trump administration to quickly turn over a list of states from which it has demanded immigration-related voter roll changes to Democratic campaign officials and congressional leaders Thursday, saying the list could make or break the Democrats' bid for an injunction to halt the demands.

  • October 29, 2026

    Treasury Asked To Narrow Crackdown On Fund Strategies

    The U.S. Treasury Department should develop targeted rules distinguishing abusive transactions from long-standing investment management practices in new enforcement that scrutinizes novel strategies exploiting the tax benefits of certain investment vehicles and financial products, firms and organizations told the department.

  • October 29, 2026

    FCC Agrees To Rules Targeting Some Foreign Test Labs

    The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to block recognition of equipment testing labs in countries that do not similarly recognize U.S.-based labs.

  • October 29, 2026

    Mich. Judge Mulls Detroit Sign Rules Ahead Of Election

    A Michigan federal judge questioned Detroit's permitting requirements for political signs Thursday as she considered whether to let a congressional write-in candidate display dozens of campaign signs outside businesses ahead of Tuesday's election.

  • October 29, 2026

    House Bill Would Increase Oversight Of Antitrust Settlements

    Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., introduced proposed legislation Thursday that would increase court scrutiny of antitrust settlements reached by federal enforcers, with the lawmaker saying more oversight is needed after the White House's involvement in recent cases.

  • October 29, 2026

    Squires Grants 4 Patent Review Bids In Latest Bulk Order

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has greenlighted four new petitions seeking review of patents in his latest round of decisions, while turning down one on discretionary grounds.

  • October 29, 2026

    Judge Seems Unswayed By Fears SEC Seeks 'Enemies List'

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Thursday appeared reluctant to block the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's subpoena seeking information about voting advice that proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services gives to institutional investors despite ISS' concerns about political retaliation.

  • October 29, 2026

    9th Circ. Drops Speech Holding In Seattle Gig Worker Ruling

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday withdrew its earlier finding that Seattle's protections for app-based delivery workers don't regulate speech, replacing it with a narrower ruling that assumes the law involves speech but still passes First Amendment scrutiny.

Expert Analysis

  • Discovery Into Insurers' AI Use Should Stay Proportional

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    As insurers increasingly use artificial intelligence to make claim decisions, plaintiffs in first-party coverage litigation should seek discovery that tracks how materially the automated system influenced the challenged decision, not whether the insurer used AI somewhere in its operations, says attorney Joe Zaid.

  • How FCC Covered List Blitz Is Sidelining Commerce Dept.

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    The swath of recent Federal Communications Commission rulemakings raises serious questions about the purpose and future of Commerce's Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services, and how the U.S. government will go forward in imposing national security regulation on domestic applications of adversary-linked technologies, says Peter Jeydel at Troutman.

  • DOJ Healthcare Declination Offers Self-Disclosure Checklist

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's declination of criminal charges against Campus Eye Management signals that its new self-disclosure policy provides a real path for healthcare companies to avoid criminal exposure, but that path is paved with speed, transparency and operational remediation, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • SEC Rulemaking Radar: The Rubber Meets The Road

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rulemaking agenda shows its regulatory reset taking shape, with sweeping crypto proposals that could bring the biggest changes it has made to broker-dealer, exchange and trading compliance in decades, says Christopher Grobbel at Goodwin.

  • Monitor Exposure, Stay Flexible Amid Tariff Uncertainty

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    To navigate an unstable trade environment, businesses must evaluate their exposure to new tariffs invoked under a patchwork of statutory authorities and be prepared to adapt to further changes that may be on the horizon, says Bhargav Prajapati at Capital Trade.

  • CFPB Complaint Portal Overhaul Signals Changing Priorities

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's updates to its consumer complaint portal and decision to cease publishing consumer complaint narratives should be viewed by companies as one component of a larger recalibration of how the CFPB collects information and allocates its supervisory and enforcement resources, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Series

    Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Opinion

    Correctional Healthcare Requires Clearer Legal Standards

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    As the correctional healthcare industry increasingly faces financial instability due to litigation, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons should develop clear standards for constitutionally adequate care for incarcerated patients, says Susanne Moore at Blackstone Trial Group.

  • 6 Risk Areas Future Fla. Stablecoin Issuers Should Plan For

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    Companies hoping to issue stablecoins under Florida’s new supervision regime should prioritize constructing robust risk management architecture across key areas before the Oct. 1 effective date so they can secure licenses, avoid a web of potential liabilities, and operate sustainably as state and federal regulations evolve, says Elizabeth Brusa at Shumaker.

  • 6 Key Takeaways From CFIUS Annual Report

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    Attorneys at Simpson Thacher review highlights from the annual report of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., released to Congress this month, including the launch of the American First Investment Policy and the Known Investor Pilot Program, and the agency's continued focus on enforcement despite its resource constraints.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Surviving A Long Trial

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    Most of law school trial advocacy is geared toward the sprint of trying a short case, but beyond managing a cross-examination or closing argument, effectively handling the marathon of a lengthy trial requires the ability to maintain composure, organization and credibility with the jury, says Mihir Elchuri at Hirschler.

  • AI Chatbot's Medical Claims Highlight Enforcement Risks

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    The Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine's recent lawsuit against Character Technologies, arguing that an artificial intelligence chatbot engaged in the unlicensed practice of medicine, may provide other state licensing boards with a road map for going after AI platforms, and counsel should advise clients to calibrate compliance accordingly, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • A Deepening Patent-Trademark Divide Over Irreparable Harm

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    Recent Federal Circuit decisions, along with legislation being considered in Congress, may exacerbate the differences that patent owners and trademark owners face when seeking to stop infringement before irreparable harm is caused, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Upping Fed, FDIC's Insider Loan Cap May Ease Bank Burdens

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    Coordinated Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Federal Reserve proposals to raise the 1970s-era cap for bank executives borrowing from their institutions represent a long-needed regulatory recalibration that would lighten compliance obligations caused by the outdated ceiling without diminishing the original protections against conflicts of interest, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • What Calif.'s New Focus On Microplastics Means For Cos.

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    The recent move by California's Department of Toxic Substances Control to designate microplastics as candidate chemicals under its Safer Consumer Product regulations does not create a new product restriction — but it expands the agency's future reach by putting microplastics on the department’s regulatory runway, says Gregory Berlin at Alston & Bird.

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