Public Policy

  • January 15, 2026

    HUD Must Award Homeless Housing Grants, Court Hears

    A coalition of local governments and service providers have urged a Rhode Island federal court to order the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to award funding previously allocated under a key homelessness program, without making changes to grant requirements.

  • January 15, 2026

    NJ Courts Report Bail Reform Successes, COVID Snags

    A New Jersey state court report on Thursday found that the state's mostly cashless, risk-based bail system has resulted in a dramatic decrease in people jailed because of an inability to post minimal bail, despite lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • January 15, 2026

    ICE Detention Facilities Nearly Doubled Last Year, Report Says

    An American Immigration Council report said the Trump administration detained record numbers of noncitizens last year, most without criminal records, and held them in a rapidly expanding network of facilities that could soon rival the federal criminal prison system.

  • January 15, 2026

    3M Brings Conn. Town's PFAS Case To Federal Court

    Pointing to immunity defenses for federal contractors and officers, 3M has removed to federal court a Connecticut town's claims that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from a U.S. Army reserve training facility and other sources contaminated local water supplies.

  • January 15, 2026

    Judge Sanctions 'Breathtaking' Plot Against Gaza Protesters

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday said immigration actions taken against noncitizen class members in a free speech lawsuit will be presumed retaliatory, as a sanction for what he called a "breathtaking" unconstitutional conspiracy by the Trump administration to chill the right to protest.

  • January 15, 2026

    Verizon, Calif. Strike Diversity Deal In Frontier Takeover

    California utility regulators approved Verizon's takeover of Frontier Communications' fiber network Thursday, after the wireless giant has reached several agreements to support statewide diversity and digital equity initiatives.

  • January 15, 2026

    Equinor Win Makes Wind Projects 2-For-2 In Restart Bids

    A D.C. federal judge on Thursday allowed work to resume on the Empire Wind project, the second time this week that a federal court has enjoined the Trump administration's stoppage of offshore wind projects under construction.

  • January 15, 2026

    Five Tribes Demand Federal Talks On Indian Education Deals

    The Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Tribes has approved a series of resolutions that call for more formal consultation efforts from federal agencies, oppose an immigration detention center in Oklahoma and support Haskell Indian Nations University's efforts to transition to a self-governing, federally chartered corporation.

  • January 15, 2026

    Trump Admin Open To Settling Ill. National Guard Case

    An Illinois federal judge agreed to stay forthcoming deadlines in a suit over the deployment of National Guard troops to Illinois, with the parties exploring a possible settlement after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled President Donald Trump can't federalize the Guard to aid in immigration enforcement.

  • January 15, 2026

    Ex-LA Fire Official Alleges Retaliation In Whistleblower Case

    A former Los Angeles Fire Department deputy chief Thursday filed a whistleblower lawsuit against the city in state court, alleging she was discriminated against for being a gay female and constructively terminated after reporting the misappropriation of wildfire funds by a subordinate. 

  • January 15, 2026

    Seattle Judge Fights Removal Rec Over Forged Parking Doc

    Washington state's high court seemed split Thursday on whether to bar a substitute county judge from the bench for using an official court stamp without permission in pursuit of a parking discount, with one justice remarking she "can't even imagine" behaving that way, while another suggested removal would be a disproportionate sanction.

  • January 15, 2026

    PTAB Denials, Reexams & New Patent Suits Rose In 2025

    The volume of Patent Trial and Appeal Board petitions dropped last year, while requests for ex parte reexaminations surged with a 66% increase from those in 2024, according to a new report from Unified Patents.

  • January 15, 2026

    Feds Must Show Their Work On Ending South Sudan Protections

    A Massachusetts judge on Thursday ordered the federal government to produce records documenting the decision-making process that led to ending deportation protections for South Sudanese nationals, as she weighs whether to keep the protections in place.

  • January 15, 2026

    IRS Updates Rules For Groups Seeking Tax-Exempt Status

    The Internal Revenue Service released new rules Thursday for obtaining tax-exempt status as a group, addressing concerns of religious organizations that had worried they would be excluded if they were forced to submit financial information to their central organizations.

  • January 15, 2026

    State Dept. Releases List Of Countries Targeted By Visa Pause

    The U.S. Department of State released an official list of the 75 countries for which it will pause issuing immigrant visas, after it said immigrants from these countries "take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates."

  • January 15, 2026

    Colo. Bill Would Widen Ranch, Farm Definitions For Taxes

    Colorado would broaden its definitions of ranches and farms for property tax purposes under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • January 15, 2026

    Fla. Eye Clinics To Pay $6M Over False Medical Billing Claims

    Five Florida ophthalmology clinics have reached settlements with the government over allegations that they filed false claims to Medicare and Medicaid, agreeing to collectively pay nearly $6 million to resolve accusations that the clinics billed the federal healthcare programs for medically unnecessary eye procedures.

  • January 15, 2026

    Nvidia Sued In Del. For US 'Tax' On Chip Deal With China

    Alleging possible company conflicts of interest and unlawful agreements involving the White House and Commerce Department, two NVIDIA Corp. stockholders sued the company late Wednesday for records involving company agreements to pay the U.S. Department of Commerce percentages of high-end graphics processing chip sales to buyers in China.

  • January 15, 2026

    EU Should Use Tax Transparency For Public Bids, Report Says

    The European Union should require large companies to submit country-by-country tax reports to authorities when bidding for public contracts, a tax transparency group and EU public-sector union said ahead of the bloc revising its public procurement laws.

  • January 15, 2026

    Colo. Bill Would Allow Taxes On Vacant Residential Property

    Colorado would authorize local governments to impose taxes on vacant residential properties under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

  • January 15, 2026

    Utah Urges Decision In Fight With Tribe Over Split Estate Lands

    The state of Utah and three of its counties are asking a federal district court to declare that split estate lands within the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation are not Indian Country for the purpose of determining criminal and civil jurisdiction, arguing that appellate and Supreme Court precedent settles the dispute.

  • January 15, 2026

    NJ Requires Update Of Requirements For Ag Land Taxation

    New Jersey will require a state committee to periodically adjust gross sales and income requirements for land to be deemed devoted to agricultural and horticultural use for assessment and tax purposes under a bill signed by Gov. Phil Murphy.

  • January 15, 2026

    Ga. Election Board Disputes $435K Cost For County Records

    Georgia's State Election Board has challenged the estimated $435,000 that Fulton County's elections director said it would have to pay to obtain the county's 2020 presidential election records.

  • January 15, 2026

    RJ Reynolds Asks ITC To Probe Vape Restriction Violations

    R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. is pushing the U.S. International Trade Commission to open an investigation into China-based competitors' alleged skirting of vape restrictions in order to illicitly grow their market share.

  • January 15, 2026

    Civil Rights Groups Fight Relaxed Media Ownership Regs

    Groups representing Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders urged the Federal Communications Commission not to allow media companies to further expand their ownership of local broadcasters, citing the need to protect viewpoint diversity and consumers.

Expert Analysis

  • 6 Issues That May Follow The 340B Rebate Pilot Challenge

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    Though the Health Resources and Services Administration withdrew a pending case to reconsider the controversial 340B rebate pilot program, a number of crucial considerations remain, including the likelihood of a rework and questions about what that rework might look like, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • Wis. Sanctions Order May Shake Up Securities Class Actions

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    A Wisconsin federal court’s recent decision to impose sanctions on a plaintiffs law firm for filing a frivolous Private Securities Litigation Reform Act complaint in Toft v. Harbor Diversified may cause both plaintiffs and defendants law firms to reconsider certain customary practices in securities class actions, says Jonathan Richman at Brown Rudnick.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2026 And Beyond

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    2026 will likely be shaped by issues ranging from artificial intelligence regulatory turbulence to potential evidence rule changes, and e-discovery professionals will need to understand how to effectively guide the responsible and defensible adoption of emerging tools, while also ensuring effective safeguards, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Reinventing Bank Risk Mgmt. After 2025's Cartel Crackdown

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    The Trump administration's 2025 designation of certain transnational drug cartels as terrorists means that banks must adapt to a narrowing margin of error in their customer screening and transaction assessments by treating financial crime prevention as a continuous and cross-enterprise concern with national security implications, says Jack Harrington at Bradley Arant.

  • How Developers Can Harness New Texas Zoning Framework

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    A Texas law introducing a new zoning framework has the potential to unlock meaningful multifamily development opportunities, but developers and their project teams should follow four steps to help identify how affected cities are interpreting and implementing the new law, says Angela Hunt at Munsch Hardt.

  • Where States Jumped In When SEC Stepped Back In 2025

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    The state regulators that picked up the slack when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission scaled back enforcement last year should not be underestimated as they continue to aggressively police areas where the SEC has lost interest and probe industries where SEC leadership has actively declined to intervene, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • 2026 Enforcement Trends To Expect In Maritime And Int'l Trade

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    The maritime and international trade community should expect U.S. federal enforcement to ramp up in 2026, particularly via Office of Foreign Asset Control shipping sanctions, accelerating interagency investigations of trade fraud, and U.S. Coast Guard narcotics and pollution inspections, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • 2026 State AI Bills That Could Expand Liability, Insurance Risk

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    State bills legislating artificial intelligence that are expected to pass in 2026 will reshape the liability landscape for all companies incorporating AI solutions into their business operations, as any novel private rights of action authorized under AI-related statutes signal expanding exposures, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Streamlining Product Liability MDLs With AI And Rule 16.1

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    With newly effective Rule 16.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure providing enhanced guidance on multidistrict litigation and the sophistication of artificial intelligence continuing to advance, parties have the opportunity to better confront the significant data challenges presented by product liability MDLs, say attorneys at Hollingsworth.

  • USCIS Asylum Pause Could Drive Federal Mandamus Filings

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    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' recent freeze on asylum applications is likely to accelerate Administrative Procedure Act unreasonable delay and writ of mandamus filings, making it important for practitioners handling such cases to familiarize themselves with the mandamus framework and evidentiary standards, says Kemal Hepsen at Mandamus Lawyers.

  • SEC Virtu Deal Previews Risks Of Nonpublic Info In AI Models

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent settlement with Virtu Financial Inc. over alleged failures to safeguard customer data raises broader questions about how traditional enforcement frameworks may apply when material nonpublic information is embedded into artificial intelligence trading systems, says Braeden Anderson at Gesmer Updegrove.

  • How Mamdani Will Shift NYC Employment Law Enforcement

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    Under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the New York City labor law regime is poised to become more coordinated, less forgiving and more willing to test gray areas in favor of workers, with wage and hour practices, pay equity and contractor relationships among likely areas of enforcement focus, says Scott Green at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Boost Access To Justice

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    Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Samuel A. Thumma writes that generative artificial intelligence tools offer a profound opportunity to enhance access to justice and engender public confidence in courts’ use of technology, and judges can seize this opportunity in five key ways.

  • Opinion

    DHS' Parole Termination Violates APA And Due Process

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    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s abrupt termination of family reunification parole programs violates both the Administrative Procedure Act and the due process rights of vetted beneficiaries who relied on the government's explicit invitation to wait in the U.S. for an immigrant visa to become available, says Abdoul Konare at Konare Law.

  • 2025's Most Notable State AG Activity By The Numbers

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    State attorneys general were active in 2025, working across party lines to address federal regulatory gaps in artificial intelligence, take action on consumer protection issues, continue antitrust enforcement and announce large settlements on behalf of their citizens, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

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