Public Policy

  • August 26, 2025

    Judge Won't Pause Order To Reinstate Foreign Aid

    A D.C. federal judge denied Monday night the Trump administration's request to stay his preliminary injunction requiring the government to commit certain foreign aid funds by Sept. 30, writing that the administration had said months ago that it could begin obligating money earlier this month if it had to.

  • August 26, 2025

    OpenAI, ChatGPT Blamed In Suit Over Calif. Teen's Suicide

    The parents of a California teenager who died by suicide earlier this year filed a wrongful death suit in Golden State court Tuesday, claiming that OpenAI's artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT encouraged self-harm and suicidal ideation and then helped the 16-year-old plan his death.

  • August 26, 2025

    Gun Group Argues For Members' Ability To Buy Nationwide

    A gun rights group challenging a federal law that bars handgun purchases by buyers outside their state of residence has asked a Texas federal judge to find that an injunction, if granted, should apply to all of the advocacy group's members and not just named plaintiffs.

  • August 26, 2025

    Uber Eats To Pay Couriers $15M To End Seattle's Wage Claims

    Uber Eats has inked a $15 million settlement to end allegations that it flouted the city of Seattle's worker protection laws by failing to pay drivers what they were promised, including bonus earnings and minimum payments for canceled fares. 

  • August 26, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Upholds Oregon Pharmaceutical Reporting Law

    A split Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday vacated a lower court's order blocking an Oregon law requiring drug manufacturers to report information related to certain prescription drugs to the state, ruling that the law is indeed constitutional under both the First and Fifth amendments.

  • August 26, 2025

    Scholars, Others Back Students Facing Foreign Policy Removal

    A group of habeas corpus scholars threw their support Tuesday behind Turkish college student Rümeysa Öztürk, whom the Trump administration wants to deport on foreign policy grounds, warning the Second Circuit that the government's tactics threaten to effectively suspend the great writ.

  • August 26, 2025

    Ex-Judge Says He Was Told to Rubber-Stamp DHS Dismissals

    A former immigration judge said in a new court filing that his assistant chief immigration judge directed him to grant the government's motions to dismiss removal cases, clearing the way for immigration agents to immediately apprehend and detain those leaving court.

  • August 26, 2025

    Ill. Defends Extended Mail-In Ballot Deadline At High Court

    Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up an Illinois congressman's last shot at reviving a suit challenging the state's policy of counting ballots for two weeks after Election Day, the state is hoping the justices will come down on the side of the extended ballot counting policy.

  • August 26, 2025

    DC Seeks Toss Of Challenge To Cannabinoid Rule

    There is nothing unconstitutional about the District of Columbia's laws which lump delta-9 THC into same category as marijuana and mandates all sellers to obtain a medical cannabis license, the city told a federal court, urging it to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to upend the city statutes filed by a hemp retailer whose shop was shut down.

  • August 26, 2025

    Standard General's Racial Bias Claims Against FCC Fall Flat

    Hedge fund manager Soo Kim has failed to convince a D.C. federal judge that the Federal Communications Commission and a cadre of media players were part of a racist conspiracy to kill his $8.6 billion merger with broadcaster Tegna.

  • August 26, 2025

    Fed Pushes To Dismiss Trump Ally's Suit Over Meeting Access

    Federal Reserve officials and members of the Federal Open Market Committee have urged a D.C. federal judge to toss a suit brought by an investment firm led by a supporter of President Donald Trump that seeks public access to monetary policy meetings, arguing they are not covered by the federal Sunshine Act as the investment firm claims.

  • August 26, 2025

    Denver Says Sanctuary Policies Not Undone By Federal Law

    Denver and Colorado told a federal judge in two motions to dismiss on Monday that local laws prohibiting using city or state resources for the purpose of federal immigration enforcement are not preempted by federal law.

  • August 26, 2025

    USDOT Threatens States With Funding Cuts Over Truck Safety

    The U.S. Department of Transportation on Tuesday threatened to withhold funds from California, Washington and New Mexico over their apparent failures to enforce federal mandates that all commercial truck drivers be proficient in the English language.

  • August 26, 2025

    AI Copyright Licensing Is Helping To Fuel Tech's Evolution

    While courts wrestle with fair use questions around artificial intelligence training, legal experts say the growing number of licensing deals between tech companies and copyright owners is setting market norms for accessing the troves of content needed across rapidly evolving AI applications.

  • August 26, 2025

    DOJ Can't Throw Out Kidnapping Charges, DC Circ. Says

    The D.C. Circuit has ruled federal prosecutors used an improper mechanism when trying to toss portions of a kidnapping conviction for a man as part of a bid to retrofit his plea deal.

  • August 26, 2025

    Farmers Defend Climate Superfund Law Against Challenges

    Farmers and environmentalists are asking a Vermont federal judge to toss the U.S. government's, industry groups' and red states' lawsuits challenging the state's climate change Superfund law, saying it's a lawful method to pay for damages caused by the phenomenon.

  • August 26, 2025

    FOIA Results Wanted Before Ruling In DOGE Disclosure Suit

    A D.C. federal judge said he wants to see how the Trump administration responds to Freedom of Information Act requests submitted in February before deciding on the government's motion to dismiss an environmental group's suit claiming that DOGE teams working in federal agencies have violated transparency laws.

  • August 26, 2025

    Hemp Interests Say Conn. Policy Inconsistent With Federal Law

    A group of Connecticut hemp farmers and product manufacturers alleged in a federal lawsuit Tuesday that the state's crackdown on hemp products is incompatible with the federal law that legalized it.

  • August 26, 2025

    FCC Ordered To Turn Over More DOGE Docs

    A D.C. federal judge ruled Tuesday the Federal Communications Commission must produce more documents related to its communications with Elon Musk's government-slashing Department of Government Efficiency.

  • August 26, 2025

    Artist Seeking Copyright Of AI Image Equates Use To Cameras

    A Colorado man who used artificial intelligence to create an image that won an art award at a state fair told a federal judge that he should be allowed to copyright the image just as those who used technology such as cameras and cellphones had been allowed to copyright their works.

  • August 26, 2025

    Atty In Voting Machine Case Tries To Delay Discipline Hearing

    Michigan lawyer Matthew DePerno, who is facing felony charges accusing him of illegally accessing voting machines after the 2020 election, urged an attorney disciplinary panel on Monday to push back his September misconduct hearing, claiming he is having trouble finding counsel to represent him.

  • August 26, 2025

    Christian Clinic Says Mich. Stance On Bias Law Still Unclear

    The state of Michigan should be forced to clarify if it believes a Christian medical clinic's opposition to gender-affirming care and its pronoun policy is discriminatory under state civil rights law, the clinic told a Michigan federal judge. 

  • August 26, 2025

    Puerto Rico Utility Bondholders Say They'll End Reorg Deal

    A group of Puerto Rican electric utility bondholders have told a New York federal judge they will pull out of a three-year-old deal to support the utility's proposed restructuring plan if it is not confirmed by October.

  • August 26, 2025

    Commerce Announces Final Steel Duty Rates For 10 Countries

    Brazilian and Vietnamese corrosion-resistant steel products entering the U.S. could face triple digit antidumping duties, according to final rates the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Tuesday for 10 trading partners.

  • August 26, 2025

    Feds Look To Dismiss Calif. Tribe's $700M Casino Dispute

    The U.S. Department of the Interior, with the backing of two tribes and the California Gaming Association, is looking to dismiss a lawsuit over its decision to temporarily nix eligibility for a proposed $700 million casino and hotel project, arguing it doesn't constitute a final agency action under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Expert Analysis

  • How Trump Admin Treasury Policies Are Reaching Banks

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    The Treasury Department has emerged as an important facilitator of the Trump administration's financial policies affecting banks, which are now facing deregulation domestically and the use of international economic authorities in cross-border trade and investment, say attorneys at Davis Polk.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • FTC Focus: Enforcers Study AI Innovation And Entrenchment

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    The Federal Trade Commission and other regulators setting their sights on the burgeoning artificial intelligence ecosystem are considering how the government should approach innovation in tech markets that tend, almost inevitably, toward concentration, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • High Court ACA Ruling May Harm Preventative Care

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood last week, ruling that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary has authority over an Affordable Care Act preventive care task force, risks harming the credibility of the task force and could open the door to politicians dictating clinical recommendations, says Michael Kolber at Manatt.

  • Policy Shifts Bring New Anti-Money Laundering Challenges

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    In the second half of 2025, the U.S. anti-money laundering regulatory landscape is poised for decisive shifts in enforcement priorities, compliance expectations and legislative developments — so investment advisers and other financial institutions should take steps to prepare for potential new obligations and areas of risk, say attorneys at Linklaters.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Kousisis Concurrence Maps FCA Defense To Anti-DEI Suits

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    Justice Clarence Thomas' recent concurrence in Kousisis v. U.S. lays out how federal funding recipients could use the high standard for materiality in government fraud cases to fight the U.S. Justice Department’s threatened False Claims Act suits against payees deviating from the administration’s anti-DEI policies, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Despite Dark Clouds, Outlook For US Solar Has Bright Spots

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    While tariff, tax policy and bankruptcy news seemingly portends unending challenges for the U.S. solar energy industry, signs of continued growth in solar generating capacity and domestic solar manufacturing suggest that there is a path forward, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Assessing New Changes To Texas Officer Exculpation Law

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    Consistent with Texas' recent modernization of its corporate law, the recently passed S.B. 2411 allows officer exculpation, streamlines certificate of formation amendments, authorizes representatives to act on shareholders' behalf in mergers and makes other changes aimed toward companies seeking a more codified, statutory model of corporate governance, say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

  • Rising Enforcement Stakes For Pharma Telehealth Platforms

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    Two pieces of legislation recently introduced in Congress could transform the structure and promotion of telehealth arrangements as legislators increasingly scrutinize direct-to-consumer advertising platforms, potentially paving the way for a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration policy with bipartisan support, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

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    Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.

  • One Year On, Davidson Holds Lessons On 'Health Halo' Claims

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    A year after the Ninth Circuit's Davidson v. Sprout Foods decision — which raised the bar for so-called health halo claims — food and beverage companies can draw insights from its finding, subsequently expanded on by other courts, that plaintiffs must be specific when alleging fraud in healthfulness marketing, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Justices' NRC Ruling Raises New Regulatory Questions

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    In Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court avoided ruling on the NRC's authority to license private, temporary nuclear waste storage facilities — and this failure to reach the merits question creates new regulatory uncertainty where none had existed for decades, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • 3 Judicial Approaches To Applying Loper Bright, 1 Year Later

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    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, a few patterns have emerged in lower courts’ application of the precedent to determine whether agency actions are lawful, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

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