Public Policy

  • August 28, 2025

    Red States Fight Youths' Effort To Stop Trump Energy Orders

    Blocking implementation of President Donald Trump's energy-related emergency orders would harm the U.S. electric grid and economy in ways that would outweigh any purported climate change benefits, Republican-led states told a Montana federal judge.

  • August 28, 2025

    Trump Fires Democratic Member Of Rail Regulator

    President Donald Trump on Thursday fired a Democratic member of the Surface Transportation Board who has opposed further consolidation in the rail industry, ousting Robert Primus just as the board prepares to consider the proposed megamerger between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern.

  • August 28, 2025

    Ga.'s Chief Justice Warns Of AI's Risks To Trial Evidence

    As generative artificial intelligence tools have become widely accessible, Georgia's chief justice said Thursday he's worried about how the technology can be used to manipulate and distort evidence presented in court and what the judiciary can do to prevent that. 

  • August 28, 2025

    Hartford Cops' Assault Response Reveals Bias, Court Told

    The city of Hartford's police department discriminates against women of color by failing to properly investigate their claims of sexual assault, counsel for a Connecticut state representative told a federal judge Thursday, while the municipality argued that she has not backed the allegation that the force is biased.

  • August 28, 2025

    PBGC Must Reconsider Bakery Union's $132M Bailout Bid

    The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. must formally reexamine whether union bakery drivers can collect $132 million from a federal pension rescue program, a New York federal judge said Thursday after lifting a stay on the order following the Second Circuit's decision to reject the agency's rehearing bid.

  • August 28, 2025

    Hawaii Transient Tax Is Unconstitutional, Cruise Cos. Say

    The extension of Hawaii's 11% transient accommodation tax to cruise ship passengers under a new law violates the U.S. Constitution, a group of cruise companies told a U.S. district court.

  • August 28, 2025

    UK Plastic Packaging Tax Revenue Dips As Exemptions Rise

    The U.K. has collected slightly less revenue from its tax on plastic packaging over the past year as manufacturers have begun using more recycled materials to qualify for exemptions from the levy and imports have declined, HM Revenue & Customs said Thursday.

  • August 28, 2025

    First Chief PTAB Judge Remembered As Industrious Leader

    Colleagues and loved ones of James Donald Smith — the first chief judge of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board who died this spring — remembered him as a superb leader, talented violist and dear friend at a memorial service on Saturday that featured a reading of a letter from former President Barack Obama.

  • August 28, 2025

    Australia Aims To Cut 500 Nuisance Tariffs

    The Australian government wants to eliminate around 500 of what are known as nuisance tariffs on goods like televisions, air conditioners, tires, glassware and various foods, expecting to save businesses AU$127 million ($83 million) annually in compliance costs, the Treasury said Thursday.

  • August 28, 2025

    Ga. AG Loses Bid To Block Rival's No-Limit Fundraising

    A Georgia federal judge Thursday threw out a lawsuit aiming to block the state's lieutenant governor from raising unlimited money in his quest for the governorship, ruling that his Republican rival, Georgia's attorney general, lacked standing to "level the unequal playing field complained of."

  • August 28, 2025

    SC Ends Sandoz, Novartis Price-Fixing Claims For $2.4M

    A Connecticut federal judge on Thursday approved South Carolina's request to dismiss its generic drug price-fixing claims from three multistate lawsuits against Sandoz Inc., Sandoz AG, Novartis AG and Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc., four months after the parties filed a notice of settlement.

  • August 28, 2025

    Low Earth Co. Urges FCC To Open Spectrum For Satellite Use

    Logos Space, a new low Earth orbit network, urged the Federal Communications Commission to move forward with a proposal to open spectrum bands up for more extensive satellite usage.

  • August 28, 2025

    Judge OKs Deal With Mich. To Boost Kids' Mental Healthcare

    The state of Michigan has agreed to systemic reforms to increase access to mental health services available to Medicaid-eligible children and youth under a settlement approved by a federal judge Wednesday.

  • August 28, 2025

    Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook Sues Trump To Block Firing

    Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook filed suit in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday challenging President Donald Trump's "unprecedented and illegal attempt" to remove her from her position.

  • August 27, 2025

    HHS Says CDC Head Has Been Fired. She Says Otherwise.

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez said Wednesday that she's not resigning and also that she cannot be terminated except by the president himself, issuing a statement after CDC parent agency U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said she was "no longer director."

  • August 27, 2025

    India Tariff Hike Could Force Supply Chain Questions

    An additional 25% tariff took effect Wednesday on most goods entering the U.S. from India, raising the total rate to 50% and forcing businesses to fathom whether supply chain changes are necessary if the trade relationship between the two countries is in jeopardy for the long term.

  • August 27, 2025

    DC Circ. Told Quick Removals For Parolees Rightly Blocked

    The D.C. Circuit should not allow the Trump administration to "destroy" the promise that the federal government made to immigrant parolees during the Biden administration by subjecting them to expedited removal, an advocacy group told the appellate court.

  • August 27, 2025

    Citizens Say FinCEN's Real Estate Transfer Rule Unlawful

    Two citizens asked a Texas federal judge to throw out FinCEN's rule requiring disclosure of residential real estate transfers to corporate entities and trusts even when no money changes hands, saying the rule runs afoul of the Constitution.

  • August 27, 2025

    US, Others Warn Of China-Backed Cyber Threats To Networks

    U.S. intelligence agencies and their international partners Wednesday put telecoms, transportation operators and other critical infrastructure providers on high alert about persistent efforts by Chinese state-sponsored hackers to gain long-term access to their essential networks worldwide. 

  • August 27, 2025

    47 AGs Push Search, Payment Platforms To Stop 'Deepfakes'

    A bipartisan coalition of 47 attorneys general called on search engine giants Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, as well as PayPal, Apple and other payment platforms, to step up their efforts to stop the spread of computer-generated "deepfake" images and videos, warning about the need to protect young internet users.

  • August 27, 2025

    Seattle Asks Court To Bar Feds From Yanking Grants Over DEI

    The city of Seattle has urged a federal court to block the Trump administration from enforcing two executive orders that condition federal grants on recipients abandoning the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion or "gender ideology," saying the conditions are unconstitutional and jeopardize several of the city's critical public services.

  • August 27, 2025

    Tribe Wins Limited Approval Of Bid To Intervene In Casino Suit

    A California federal judge said the Koi Nation may intervene in the state's lawsuit over a U.S. government plan to put land into trust for the tribe's proposed casino, but she also ruled it hasn't waived its sovereign immunity so it will not be joined to the litigation as an indispensable party.

  • August 27, 2025

    4th Circ. Upholds Va. County's 'Sensitive Places' Gun Bans

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday upheld a Virginia county's ban on guns in public parks and left in place its ban near county-permitted events, leaning on U.S. Supreme Court dicta on school gun bans and ruling that plaintiffs hadn't shown enough to sustain their facial challenge to the restrictions.

  • August 27, 2025

    DHS Aims To Limit Visa Duration For Foreign Students, Press

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday it intends to change the terms of F, J and I visas for foreign students, exchange visitors and members of the foreign press, respectively, scrapping open-ended admissions in favor of fixed stays.

  • August 27, 2025

    Crypto Orgs. Won't Back Bill Without Developer Protections

    A coalition of 112 crypto industry groups and firms came together in a Wednesday letter to tell federal lawmakers that they will not back a bill to regulate crypto markets without "explicit" protections for software developers and service providers of decentralized projects.

Expert Analysis

  • Balancing The Promises And Perils Of Tokenizing Securities

    Author Photo

    Tokenizing listed securities offers the promise of greater efficiency, accessibility and innovation, but a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission statement makes clear that the federal securities laws continue to apply to tokenized securities, so financial institutions and technology developers must work together to create clear rules, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • How To Increase 3rd-Party Preissuance Patent Submissions

    Author Photo

    Attorneys Marian Underweiser and Marc Ehrlich, who helped draft the America Invents Act, discuss changes that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office could potentially implement to facilitate its hopes for increased participation in front-end patent challenges.

  • How Cos. In China Can Tailor Compliance Amid FCPA Shifts

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently updated Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement guidelines create a fluid business environment for companies operating in China that will require a customized compliance approach to navigate both countries’ corporate and legal systems, say attorneys at Dickinson Wright.

  • 7 Ways Employers Can Avoid Labor Friction Over AI

    Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence use in the workplace emerges as a key labor relations topic in the U.S. and Europe, employers looking to reduce reputational risk and prevent costly disputes should consider proactive strategies to engage with unions, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Open Banking Is On Ice As CFPB Seeks To Toss Its Own Rule

    Author Photo

    Even as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's efforts to toss its open banking rule play out in Kentucky federal court, it remains statutorily required to effectuate consumer access to data, raising questions about how it would replace the previously finalized standard, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • SEC, FINRA Obligations In Changing AI Regulatory Landscape

    Author Photo

    Despite the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent withdrawal of its proposed artificial intelligence conflict rules, financial regulators remain focused on firms developing the correct AI compliance framework, as well as continuously testing and supervising them to ensure they're fit for purpose, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • Trump Air Emissions Carveouts Cloud The Regulatory Picture

    Author Photo

    President Donald Trump's new proclamations temporarily exempting key U.S. industries from air toxics standards, issued under a narrow, rarely-used provision of the Clean Air Act, will likely lead to legal challenges and tighter standards in some states, contributing to further regulatory uncertainty, say attorneys at GableGotwals.

  • Opinion

    DOJ's HPE-Juniper Settlement Will Help US Compete

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice settlement with Hewlett Packard Enterprise clears the purchase of Juniper Networks in a deal that positions the U.S. as a leader in secure, scalable networking and critical digital infrastructure by requiring the divestiture of a WiFi network business geared toward small firms, says John Shu at Taipei Medical University.

  • How Property Insurers Serve As Climate Change Harbingers

    Author Photo

    Thomas Dawson at McDermott discusses the role that U.S. property insurers may play in identifying and assessing climate risk, as well as in financing climate change adaptation projects, in light of global warming and shifting geopolitical realities.

  • Series

    Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.

  • Assessing Impact Of USPTO's New Patent Policies

    Author Photo

    Recent data shows how the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's new patent policies are affecting America Invents Act trial institution rates, including spurring an uptick in discretionary denials, say attorneys at Armond Wilson.

  • What US Medicine Onshoring Means For Indian Life Sciences

    Author Photo

    Despite the Trump administration's latest moves to onshore essential medicine manufacturing, India will likely remain an indispensable component of the U.S. drug supply chain, but Indian manufacturers should prepare for stricter compliance checks, says Jashaswi Ghosh at Holon Law Partners.

  • APA Relief May Blunt Justices' Universal Injunction Ruling

    Author Photo

    The Administrative Procedure Act’s avenue for universal preliminary relief seems to hold the most promise for neutralizing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA to limit federal district courts' nationally applicable orders, say attorneys at Crowell.

  • Wells Fargo Suit Shows Consumer Protection Limits In Mass.

    Author Photo

    The Massachusetts Appeals Court's May decision in Wells Fargo Bank v. Coulsey underscores that consumer rights are balanced against the need for closure, and even the broad protections of state consumer protection law will not open the door to relitigating the same claims, say attorneys at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Series

    Ohio Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

    Author Photo

    Ohio's financial services sector saw several significant developments in the second quarter of 2025, including a case that confirmed credit unions' setoff rights, another that established contract rights between banks and cardholders, and the House passage of a digital asset bill, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.