Public Policy

  • July 15, 2025

    FDIC Floats Rule 'Indexing' Plan In Deregulatory Blitz

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has unveiled plans to begin automatically raising dollar thresholds used to determine which compliance requirements apply to banks, part of a broader raft of deregulatory measures that agency leaders advanced on Tuesday.

  • July 15, 2025

    EPA Defends Ending Enviro Justice Grants

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has asked a federal judge to dismiss a proposed class action filed by environmental groups, a Native American village and other local governments, alleging the EPA unlawfully stopped $3 billion in climate grant funding.

  • July 15, 2025

    Feds Urge Calif. Judge To End Suit Over Border Patrol Sweep

    The U.S. government moved Tuesday to end a proposed class action alleging Border Patrol agents conducted race-based stops and warrantless arrests of people who appear to be farmworkers, arguing the government has required agents to evaluate flight risks and reasonable suspicion for stops, which renders the suit's claims moot.

  • July 15, 2025

    FTC Still Bans Ex-Pioneer CEO From Exxon Board, For Now

    If the current Federal Trade Commission upends Biden-era Democrats' ban on the former CEO of Pioneer from serving on Exxon's board, it will be on the now-Republican-led commission's own volition rather than through a petition by the executive.

  • July 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects Sentencing Enhancement In Gun Case

    A Washington state federal court should not have applied a sentencing enhancement in the case of a man who handed a gun to someone who later used it to shoot an undercover federal agent, the Ninth Circuit said Monday, finding there wasn't proof his five-second hold on the weapon emboldened the shooter.

  • July 15, 2025

    FCC Drops 'Single Seller' Marketing Reg After 11th Circ. Ruling

    The Federal Communications Commission has plucked from the books a rule requiring individual consumer consent for companies to contact customers through comparison shopping sites after the Eleventh Circuit declared the regulation an overstep.

  • July 15, 2025

    Harrah's Accused Of Firing Supervisor Over Health Issues

    A housekeeping supervisor said Harrah's Resort Atlantic City used flimsy reasoning to fire her after she sought time off for multiple health problems in a complaint filed in New Jersey federal court.

  • July 15, 2025

    Trump Says US Has Struck Trade Deal With Indonesia

    President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. has reached a trade deal with Indonesia that includes a 19% tariff on all goods exported by the Southeast Asian country to the U.S., while American goods exported there will be free of tariffs. 

  • July 15, 2025

    Tribes, Enviro Groups Look To Block Copper Mine Land Swap

    Environmental and tribal groups are asking a federal court to extend an injunction blocking the transfer of more than 2,500 acres within Tonto National Forest to an Arizona copper mining company, arguing that a final environmental impact study and appraisal of the property raise serious questions in the dispute.

  • July 15, 2025

    11th Circ. Rules Inmate's Suit Against Nurse Was 'Malicious'

    The Eleventh Circuit upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit from a man incarcerated in Florida accusing a nurse practitioner of an Eighth Amendment violation, saying the lower court was right in tossing the complaint after deeming it "malicious" because he failed to disclose two prior legal actions. 

  • July 15, 2025

    Afghan's Challenge To Biden Asylum Rule Is Moot, DOJ Says

    The Trump administration has moved to toss an Afghan's challenge to Biden-era asylum regulations, telling a D.C. federal judge he no longer has standing after a second negative credible fear interview found him ineligible for asylum.

  • July 15, 2025

    Take New Spectrum Auction Powers Out For Spin, Feds Told

    Telecom regulators need to act quickly to open a critical portion of midband airwaves to wireless companies while ensuring safeguards to block any interference with aircraft safety equipment using a nearby band, a mobile services group said this week.

  • July 15, 2025

    Grassley Rejects Dems' Push For 2nd Hearing On Emil Bove

    Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Tuesday rebuffed the request from Democrats on his committee for the whistleblower who made claims regarding Third Circuit nominee Emil Bove to testify and said the committee will proceed with the vote on Bove's nomination Thursday.

  • July 15, 2025

    5th Circ. Says Media Matters Can Challenge X Suit Venue

    The Fifth Circuit gave left-leaning watchdog Media Matters for America another shot at transferring a business disparagement lawsuit launched by X Corp. to California, saying Tuesday the Texas federal judge overseeing the case didn't do an adequate venue analysis.

  • July 15, 2025

    High Court Term Yields Gains For Criminal Defendants

    The U.S. Supreme Court addressed several contentious issues this term, with the conservative majority prevailing in numerous high-profile cases. Yet, in a notable trend, the court also issued multiple rulings favorable to criminal defendants, including expanding prisoners' rights in civil lawsuits and reinforcing due process protections in capital cases.

  • July 15, 2025

    NYC's Suit Against Flavored E-Cig Sellers Can Continue

    A Manhattan federal judge on Monday rejected a bid by eight vape wholesalers to toss an action brought by New York City alleging the companies flooded the city with flavored e-cigarettes in violation of federal, state and local law.

  • July 15, 2025

    Michigan Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2025

    Michigan's courts are gearing up for a busy second half of the year, with high-profile prosecutions of Chinese scientists accused of smuggling, the state's top court tackling arbitration and automotive contracts, and revisions to the professional conduct rules for lawyers and judges all on deck.

  • July 15, 2025

    Bankruptcy Experts Call For Reset On Sub V, Student Debt

    A group of judges and bankruptcy experts told a congressional panel Tuesday that a reset is needed for the eligibility cap for Subchapter V bankruptcies and the standards for discharging student loan debt.

  • July 15, 2025

    Judge Lays Out New Framework For Refugee Admissions

    A Washington federal judge established a framework for determining which refugees should be admitted to the country, despite President Donald Trump's executive order dismantling the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

  • July 15, 2025

    Ex-Prosecutor With IP Roots Tapped To Lead NJ Watchdog

    The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation has appointed Bruce P. Keller, a former Debevoise & Plimpton LLP intellectual property partner who went on to fight the appeal of two "Bridgegate" figures as a federal prosecutor, as its new executive director following months of leadership controversy.

  • July 15, 2025

    Advocates Turn To Florida High Court For Bondi Ethics Probe

    A group of attorneys, law professors and former judges asked the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday to order the Florida Bar to investigate U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for alleged unethical conduct.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • In 2nd Term, Trump Has New Iran Sanctions Enforcement Tool

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    As tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalate, the Trump administration may use a whistleblower program enacted in 2022 to target violations that were previously more difficult to detect, thus expanding enforcement of economic sanctions, say attorneys at MoloLamken and Zuckerman Law.

  • Texas Targets Del. Primacy With Trio Of New Corporate Laws

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    Delaware has long positioned itself as the leader in attracting business formation, but a flurry of new legislation in Texas aimed at attracting businesses to the Lone Star State is aggressively trying to change that, says Andrew Oringer at the Wagner Law Group.

  • Explicit Pic Takedown Law Casts A Wide Net

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    With a surprisingly broad range of online platforms potentially subject to the new Take It Down Act’s process for removing revenge porn or explicit deepfakes, all services that allow user interaction or content hosting should proactively evaluate their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance, say attorneys at Goodwin, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

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    As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • What Money Transmitters Need To Know About New Colo. Law

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    Colorado's new Money Transmission Modernization Act updates standards for the licensing, supervision and regulation of money transmitters while codifying an agent-to-payee exemption, and represents another step toward standardizing these rules across state governments, say Sarah Auchterlonie and Joel Herberman at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • How States Are Taking The Lead On Data Center Regulation

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    While support for data center growth is a declared priority for the current administration, federal data center policy has been slow to develop — so states continue to lead in attracting and regulating data center growth, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Justices' Charter School Tie Delays Church-State Reckoning

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent deadlock in Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board v. Drummond, blocking the creation of the nation’s first religious charter school, preserved the separation of church and state for now, but offered little reassurance about its continued viability, says Jeffrey Sultanik at Fox Rothschild.

  • When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility

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    As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Opinion

    It's Time To Expand The WARN Act Liability Exception

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    With layoffs surging across several industries, Congress should amend the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to address an exception-based disparity that prevents directors and officers from taking all reasonable steps to save a company before being required to provide workers with a mass-layoff notice, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Texas Bill Could Still Boost Property Rights In Gov't Disputes

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    The passage of a bill in Texas that would provide litigants with access to a greater swath of judicial remedies in immunity disputes with government entities and officials would be an invaluable boon for property rights, says Nathan Vrazel at Munsch Hardt.

  • Two Bills Promise A Crypto Revamp, But Not A Done Deal Yet

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    Recent efforts in Congress toward an updated regulatory framework for digital assets have led to two bills — the GENIUS Act and the CLARITY Act — that represent the most consequential legislative developments yet in the push for coherent, pro-innovation, reliable regulation for the industry, but both face multiple hurdles, says Mike Katz at Manatt.

  • Opinion

    NJ Should Align With Federal Rule On Expert Testimony

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    The time is right to amend Rule 702 of the New Jersey Rules of Evidence to align it with the recently amended Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence and clarify the standard for admissibility of expert testimony, says Timothy Freeman at Tanenbaum Keale.

  • Recent Reports Shed Light On Section 340B's Effectiveness

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    Recent analyses of the Section 340B program's effectiveness in helping patients afford drugs in Minnesota reinforce concerns about the program's lack of transparency and underscore the need for further evaluation of whether legislative reform should be enacted, say William A. Sarraille at the University of Maryland, and Andrée-Anne Fournier and Molly Frean at Analysis Group.

  • Opinion

    Congress Should Pass IP Reform, Starting With 3 Patent Bills

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    Congress is considering a trio of bipartisan bills to fix patent law problems that have cropped up over the past two decades, and it shouldn't stop there — addressing two other intellectual property issues is critical for America's economy, says retired Judge Kathleen O'Malley at the Council for Innovation Promotion.

  • Perspectives

    The Reforms Needed To Fight Sexual Abuse By Prison Staff

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    Prisoners sexually assaulted by corrections staff, such as the California women who recently won a consent decree against FCI Dublin, often delay reporting out of fear of retaliation by their abusers, but several practical reforms could empower prisoners to disclose abuse while the evidence necessary to indict perpetrators is still available, says Jaehyun Oh at Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law.

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