Public Policy

  • January 06, 2026

    Cider-Maker Challenges Federal Ban On Vintage Labeling

    A Washington state maker of alcoholic beverages is challenging a federal government restriction that prevents producers of cider, mead and wines made from any fruit besides grapes from including vintage years on their product labels, arguing that the policy withholds information from consumers and violates the First Amendment.

  • January 06, 2026

    1st Circ. Questions Feds' Mootness Claim In NIH Grant Suits

    The First Circuit appeared to push back Tuesday on assertions by the government that new guidance for terminating medical research grants over supposed links to issues like DEI, gender identity and vaccines — along with a partial settlement last week — moot a pair of lawsuits challenging the directives.

  • January 06, 2026

    7th Circ. Blocks Satanic Temple's Ind. Abortion Law Challenge

    The Seventh Circuit ruled Tuesday the Satanic Temple doesn't have standing to challenge Indiana's abortion ban, saying it has no ties to an in-person abortion clinic in the state and that its argument it could be prosecuted for providing telehealth appointments to those seeking the procedure isn't enough to show injury.

  • January 06, 2026

    RFK Jr. Can't Avoid Medical Groups' Challenge To Vax Policy

    A Boston federal judge on Tuesday rebuffed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s bid to dismiss a challenge to vaccine policy changes, saying medical associations have plausibly alleged a federal vaccine committee is not fairly balanced.

  • January 06, 2026

    Public Health Atty Talks Botulism, Infants And FDA Staffing

    Three years ago, a bacterial outbreak at a Michigan manufacturing plant sparked a shutdown and a national infant formula shortage. Another episode last year at a formula plant in Iowa should be a red flag for the public and a short-handed FDA, according to Sarah Sorscher of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

  • January 06, 2026

    Drugmakers Fight Multifront Legal Battles Over GLP-1s

    In the wake of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, surging public demand and massive profits have inspired a broad range of drugmaker litigation against competitors, alleged counterfeits and telehealth providers.

  • January 06, 2026

    Calif. Tribe Rejects Feds' Delay In 40-Acre Land Transfer Fight

    A California tribe is asking a D.C. federal court to deny a bid by the U.S. Department of the Interior for an indefinite stay in responding to a challenge to the agency's decision to approve a 40-acre land transfer for a fellow state tribe's casino project.

  • January 06, 2026

    Calif. Locomotive Emissions Rule Repeal Ends Industry Suit

    A California federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a legal challenge from rail industry groups to a since-repealed regulation that would've required railroads to transition to zero-emission locomotives in the Golden State, closing the book on the dispute after the parties agreed to drop the case.

  • January 06, 2026

    Wyo. High Court Strikes Down 2 Laws Restricting Abortion

    The Wyoming Supreme Court struck down the state's near-total abortion ban and a first-of-its-kind prohibition on abortion pills on Tuesday, saying the laws violated the state constitution.

  • January 06, 2026

    Visa Suit Tossed After DHS Restored Students' Status

    A Washington federal judge agreed Tuesday to dismiss a lawsuit a student brought against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after it reinstated his visa status, finding the action is moot because the government indicated it has no plans to re-terminate visas based on criminal database searches.

  • January 06, 2026

    Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

    Groups lobbying the Federal Communications Commission stayed busy in December as the agency closed out a year of rapid change, with advocates focused on satellite spectrum sharing, amateur radio rules, network recovery on the U.S. Virgin Islands, and more.

  • January 06, 2026

    9th Circ. Says Christian Ministry Can Reject Gay Applicants

    The Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday that a Christian ministry is constitutionally clear to refuse employment to people based on their sexual orientation, explaining that the First Amendment allows religious ministries to prefer candidates who share their beliefs about marriage and sexuality.

  • January 06, 2026

    Groups Again Push Fed. Circ. To Eye 'Settled Expectations'

    The latest petition challenging the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's use of "settled expectations" based on a patent's age to deny reviews has gotten support from several industry groups, which told the Federal Circuit the policy will cause "severe damage" to the patent system.

  • January 06, 2026

    Bankers Urge Senate To Ban Stablecoin Yield Payments

    The American Bankers Association is doubling down on efforts to convince policymakers to outlaw yield payments for stablecoins, urging banking CEOs and their clients to flood U.S. senators with letters and calls as a forthcoming crypto market structure bill presents an opportunity to solidify the prohibition.

  • January 06, 2026

    NJ Bill Aims To Earmark $2.5B In Development Tax Credits

    New Jersey would earmark $2.5 billion in economic development tax credits, with up to $300 million designated for sports and entertainment projects, as part of a bill introduced in the state Assembly.

  • January 06, 2026

    Texas Justices Erase ABA Approval In Bar Admissions

    The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an order ending a longstanding rule requiring graduation from a law school approved by the American Bar Association for admittance to the state bar, with the court giving itself the authority for accreditation.

  • January 06, 2026

    Kalshi Seeks To Keep Status Quo Amid Sports Contract Fight

    Kalshi is urging the Ninth Circuit to allow it to continue offering sports event contracts as it litigates a patchwork of cases from state gaming regulators arguing that the trading platform is using the contracts to violate sports betting laws.

  • January 06, 2026

    Fulton County Says Feds Can't Force Release Of 2020 Ballots

    Fulton County, Georgia's clerk of court called on a federal judge to toss the Trump administration's bid to force her to hand over 2020 election ballots, arguing the government sought the records under the wrong law and in the wrong venue.

  • January 06, 2026

    Rep. McIver To Face All Counts From Detention Center Scrum

    U.S. Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., must face the full criminal indictment accusing her of assaulting federal officers outside an immigration detention center in Newark, a New Jersey federal judge has ruled.

  • January 06, 2026

    Former Ga. State Legislator Accused Of Pandemic Aid Fraud

    A former Georgia state House member was charged Monday with fraudulently obtaining pandemic-era unemployment benefits, the second Democratic lawmaker from the Peach State targeted in a criminal case related to COVID-19 relief in the past month. 

  • January 06, 2026

    Indiana Lawmaker Files Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

    An Indiana state lawmaker has introduced legislation to decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of marijuana.

  • January 06, 2026

    WH Says Judge Can't Pursue Immigration Contempt Probe

    The Trump administration has once again told the D.C. Circuit that U.S. District Judge James Boasberg lacks the constitutional authority to open a contempt probe into the government's removal of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants against his emergency order in March, calling the investigation an "unprecedented criminal fact-finding inquisition."

  • January 06, 2026

    FTC Urges DC Circ. To Unblock Media Matters Probe

    The Federal Trade Commission told the D.C. Circuit the agency's investigation into left-leaning watchdog Media Matters for America is about potential collusion in the advertising industry, not retaliation for reporting on Nazi content, and said a lower court was wrong to block the probe.

  • January 06, 2026

    ISP Asks Feds To Preempt SC City Over Fiber Deployment

    A broadband provider has urged the Federal Communications Commission to use its preemption authority to block a South Carolina city's requirements for deployment of new internet services.

  • January 06, 2026

    Judgeship Nomination Not Renewed Amid Fla. Charity Probe

    The nomination of John Guard, senior counselor to the attorney general of Florida, for a Middle District of Florida federal judgeship, has not been renewed for the new session of Congress after he came under scrutiny in a criminal probe regarding a charity connected to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Expert Analysis

  • Revisiting Jury Trial Right May Upend State Regulatory Power

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    Justice Neil Gorsuch’s recent use of a denial of certiorari to call for the U.S. Supreme Court to revisit whether the Seventh Amendment jury trial right extends to states, building off last year's Jarkesy ruling, could foretell a profound change in state regulators' ability to enforce penalties against regulated companies, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How Nasdaq, SEC Proposals May Transform Listing Standards

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    Both Nasdaq and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have increasingly focused their recent regulatory efforts on small and foreign issuers, particularly those from China, reflecting an intention to strengthen the overall quality of companies accessing U.S. markets, but also potentially introducing a chilling effect on certain issuers, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • New NCAA Betting Policy Fits Trend Of Eased Restrictions

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    Allowing NCAA student-athletes to bet on professional sports fits into a decade-long trend of treating college athletes more like adults in a commercial system, but decreasing player restrictions translates to increased compliance burdens for schools, say attorneys at Robins Kaplan.

  • Series

    Building With Lego Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Building with Lego has taught me to follow directions and adapt to unexpected challenges, and in pairing discipline with imagination, allows me to stay grounded while finding new ways to make complex deals come together, says Paul Levin at Venable.

  • How Banks Can Safely Handle Payments For Gambling Biz

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    As the betting market continues to expand, it's crucial for banks and fintechs to track historical developments in wagering and ongoing prediction markets litigation that can factor into a risk analysis for payment processing with respect to gambling operators, says Laura D'Angelo at Jones Walker.

  • Wading Into NY Wetland Regs' 2025 Changes And Challenges

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    Solar developers in New York should keep a weather eye on litigation challenging the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s recently expanded authority to regulate wetlands and waterways, which could erode the impact of a new permitting process meant to streamline solar development on protected wetlands, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Networking 101

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    Cultivating a network isn't part of the law school curriculum, but learning the soft skills needed to do so may be the key to establishing a solid professional reputation, nurturing client relationships and building business, says Sharon Crane at Practising Law Institute.

  • Defeating Estoppel-Based Claims In Legal Malpractice Actions

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    State supreme court cases from recent years have addressed whether positions taken by attorneys in an underlying lawsuit can be used against them in a subsequent legal malpractice action, providing a foundation to defeat ex-clients’ estoppel claims, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

  • Takeaways As Justices Let 5th Circ. Pollution Ruling Stand

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent certiorari denial leaves intact a Fifth Circuit ruling that environmental justice organizations have standing to pursue a civil rights challenge to a parish's land-use practice, underscoring the importance of local governments proactively engaging with communities to address cumulative impacts of development, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • AI's Role In Google Antitrust Suit May Reshape Tech Markets

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    The evolution of AI in retail has reshaped the U.S.' antitrust case against Google, which could both benefit small business innovators and consumers, and fundamentally alter future antitrust cases, including the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Amazon, says Graham Dufault at ACT.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: How It Works In Massachusetts

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    Since its founding in 2000, the Massachusetts Business Litigation Session's expertise, procedural flexibility and litigant-friendly case management practices have contributed to the development of a robust body of commercial jurisprudence, say James Donnelly at Mirick O’Connell, Felicia Ellsworth at WilmerHale and Lisa Wood at Foley Hoag.

  • Next Steps For DOE's Large-Load Interconnection Reforms

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    The U.S. Department of Energy's recent letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may mark a substantial expansion of FERC's open-access framework for large-load facilities, though the proposed timeline for the rulemaking appears to be extraordinarily short, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Adapting To Calif.'s Enhanced Regulation Of PE In Healthcare

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    New California legislation enhances oversight on the role of private equity groups and hedge funds in healthcare transactions, featuring both a highly targeted nature and vague language that will require organizations to carefully evaluate existing practices, says Andrew Demetriou at Husch Blackwell.

  • What To Note In OCC, FDIC Plan To Standardize Supervision

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    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent proposals to standardize the meaning of "unsafe or unsound practice" and revise the process for issuing matters requiring attention could significantly narrow the scope of activities that spawn enforcement actions, says Brendan Clegg at Luse Gorman.

  • How The SEC May Overhaul Its Order Protection Rule

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    Attorneys at Skadden trace the evolution of the controversial Rule 611 of Regulation National Market System, examine the current debate surrounding its effectiveness, and consider how the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's emerging Project Crypto initiative could reshape Regulation NMS for a tokenized, on-chain market environment.

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