Public Policy

  • September 03, 2025

    FCC Chief Aims To End Disputed School Wi-Fi Programs

    The head of the Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday he's looking to overturn two controversial Biden-era FCC programs to fund providing Wi-Fi on school buses and hot spots for students' and library patrons' off-campus use.

  • September 03, 2025

    Wash. Court Pressed To Immediately End EV Funding Freeze

    Clean energy advocates have urged a Washington federal judge to wipe out the Trump administration's decision to freeze funding for new electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, saying the government can't be allowed to drag its feet on a pledge to restore funding.

  • September 03, 2025

    Northwestern Mutual Seeks $23M Tax Refund For Free Meals

    Northwestern Mutual is seeking a refund of $23 million in taxes for on-campus lunches it provided to employees, telling a Wisconsin federal court that the IRS improperly denied the company an exclusion on taxable income for the meals.

  • September 03, 2025

    US Steel Wants Federal Court To Take Clairton Blast Suits

    U.S. Steel claims that litigation by workers injured in an explosion at its Clairton Coke Works facility last month should be handled by a federal court, because federal investigators are overseeing the evidence being demanded by the plaintiffs.

  • September 03, 2025

    Referee Blows Whistle On NBA's Partial Win In Vaccine Fight

    A fired referee suing the NBA for religious discrimination asked a New York federal court to reconsider its ruling that denied him front and back pay, arguing the judge overlooked controlling case law that makes the decision "inappropriate."

  • September 03, 2025

    ND Tribes Ask Supreme Court To Protect Voting Rights Act

    Two North Dakota tribes are asking the Supreme Court to undo an Eighth Circuit decision that prohibits lawsuits against states for violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, arguing that if not overturned, the ruling would kneecap the main federal protection against racial discrimination in voting.

  • September 03, 2025

    Tech, Small Biz Groups Push Against Value-Based Patent Fees

    An array of groups representing tech companies, small businesses and more wrote a letter to the leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, urging them to oppose the Trump administration's reported plan to charge patent owners a new fee based on the value of their patents.

  • September 03, 2025

    Pick For Del.'s 3rd Circ. Seat Questioned On Ties To The State

    Jennifer L. Mascott, nominee for a Delaware seat on the Third Circuit who is currently serving in the White House Counsel's Office, came under questioning from Democrats on Wednesday regarding her lack of connections to the state and her qualifications for the judgeship.

  • September 03, 2025

    Arkansas Insurance Rule Beats Union Plan's ERISA Challenge

    An Illinois federal judge has tossed a Teamsters healthcare plan's challenge to an Arkansas insurance regulation that aims to protect local pharmacies from under-reimbursement for prescription drugs, saying the regulation doesn't tread on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's territory.

  • September 03, 2025

    EPA Withdraws Slaughterhouse Water Pollution Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday withdrew a Biden-era proposal that would have imposed stricter water discharge regulations on meat and poultry slaughtering, processing and rendering facilities across the country.

  • September 03, 2025

    Manhattan DA To Target Wage-Fixing With Antitrust Laws

    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Wednesday that his office plans to be the first to use New York's criminal antitrust laws against companies that collude to keep workers' wages low.

  • September 03, 2025

    France To Tackle Tax Avoidance By Wealthy, Minister Says

    France is planning to tackle tax avoidance by wealthy individuals, an endeavor aimed at raising €2 billion ($2.3 billion), the country's budget minister said Wednesday.

  • September 03, 2025

    Calif. Senate Panel OKs Property Tax Break For Tribes

    Native American tribes in California would be eligible for open space exemptions to property taxes under legislation approved by a state Senate panel that's heading for a final vote.

  • September 03, 2025

    Rural Broadband Association GC Joins Womble Bond In DC

    The former general counsel of the National Telecommunication Cooperative Association's Rural Broadband Association, has joined Womble Bond Dickinson as a senior counsel, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • September 03, 2025

    UK Autumn Budget Set For November, Reeves Confirms

    The U.K. government will announce its autumn budget in November, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said Wednesday amid growing speculation that the government will raise taxes to cover the rising cost of borrowing.

  • September 03, 2025

    Texas Bill Would OK More Sales Tax For Property Tax Relief

    Texas would allow local governments to impose supplemental sales and use tax to raise additional revenue for property tax relief if the sales and use tax is approved by voters under a bill introduced in the state House of Representatives.

  • September 03, 2025

    5th Circ. Deems Trump's Use Of Wartime Removal Law Illegal

    A split Fifth Circuit panel ruled that President Donald Trump's March proclamation invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members likely ran afoul of the wartime law and blocked removals in the Northern District of Texas.

  • September 02, 2025

    Fed Gov. Cook Doubles Down On Removal TRO Bid

    Federal Reserve Board Gov. Lisa Cook on Tuesday doubled down in her bid to have a D.C. federal court block President Donald Trump's attempt to strip her of her position, saying the federal government was trying to expand the limits of a "for cause" removal.

  • September 02, 2025

    DC Circ. Refuses To Block Fired FTC Dem's Reinstatement

    A split D.C. Circuit panel Tuesday refused to stay a lower court's order reinstating a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, finding that the government has "no likelihood of success" fighting her reinstatement because President Donald Trump broke the law when he fired her without cause.

  • September 02, 2025

    Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

    For appellate attorneys feeling sad summer's over, September's circuit calendars are here to help with argument topics — including the former Meghan Markle, an ex-Jones Day lawyer's religious liberty suit and $17 million in fees after "a vigorous litigation battle" between BigLaw firms — offering enough intrigue to vanquish any autumn ennui.

  • September 02, 2025

    5th Circ. Judge Says Reimbursement Drop 'Not Chicken Feed'

    A U.S. Circuit judge pushed the government to explain the policy rationale behind lowering how much hospitals can recoup in Medicare reimbursements for treating low-income patients who use state-specific programs, saying Tuesday the rule was seemingly aimed at "screwing these hospitals out of reimbursements."

  • September 02, 2025

    DC Circ. Says EPA Can Freeze Climate Grant Funds

    A D.C. Circuit panel vacated an injunction on Tuesday ordering Citibank to relinquish grant funding frozen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, finding green groups are not likely to succeed on the merits of their "essentially contractual" claims.

  • September 02, 2025

    GAO Report Says FEMA Funding Should Go Directly To Tribes

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office on Tuesday urged Congress to provide direct Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to Native American tribes hit by tornadoes, reporting that 17 states in a recent 10-year period did not distribute any FEMA awards to tribes.

  • September 02, 2025

    Speculation Can't Halt Medical Coatings Merger, GTCR Says

    GTCR BC Holdings LLC should be allowed to merge the nation's leading medical coatings supplier with the second leading provider because federal regulators spent two weeks simply relying on speculation and theory to prove its losing antitrust case, the private equity subsidiary argued.

  • September 02, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Told PTAB Ineligibility Rule Flouts Due Process

    Marketing software company HighLevel Inc. has urged the Federal Circuit to prohibit the Patent Trial and Appeal Board from retroactively applying a decision barring patent reviews after a district court has found the patent invalid on eligibility grounds, saying the practice violates due process.

Expert Analysis

  • How Justices' Ruling Limits Options To Challenge DHS Orders

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    In Riley v. Bondi, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that a 30-day deadline for challenging deportation orders begins when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issues a final administrative review order, opening the door for the government to effectively bar circuit court review in future similar cases, says Kevin Gregg at Kurzban Kurzban.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Employer Tips As Deepfakes Reshape Workplace Harassment

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    As the workplace harassment landscape faces the rising threat of fabricated media that hyperrealistically depict employees in sexual or malicious contexts, employers can stay ahead of the curve by tracking new legal obligations, and proactively updating policies, training and response protocols, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    In the second quarter of the year, New York utilized every available tool to fill gaps left by federal retrenchment from consumer finance issues, including sweeping updates to its consumer protection framework and notable amendments to cybersecurity rules, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • SEC Proposal Could Hurt Foreign Issuers' US Market Access

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s June call for feedback on potentially narrowing how it designates foreign private issuers of securities could ultimately result in significant new barriers for traders that rely on FPI accommodations to participate in U.S. markets, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • State, Fed Junk Fee Enforcement Shows No Signs Of Slowing

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    The Federal Trade Commission’s potent new rule targeting drip pricing, in addition to the growing patchwork of state consumer protection laws, suggest that enforcement and litigation targeting junk fees will likely continue to expand, says Etia Rottman Frand at Darrow AI.

  • Federal Regs Order May Spell Harsher FDCA Enforcement

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    A recent executive order aimed at reducing criminal prosecutions of those who unknowingly violate complex federal regulations may actually lead to more aggressive felony indictments under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, but companies and executives can mitigate risks by following several key principals, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

  • DOJ's 1st M&A Declination Shows Value Of Self-Disclosures

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent decision not to charge private equity firm White Deer Management — the first such declination under an M&A safe harbor policy announced last year — signals that even in high-priority national security matters, the DOJ looks highly upon voluntary self-disclosures, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • New Laws Show How States Are Checking AI Developers

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    Recent state consumer protection legislation shows Utah, Colorado and Texas are primed to impose controls on artificial intelligence, and exemplifies the states' unwillingness to accord strong deference to developers and deployers of AI tools, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • Nev. Steps Up Efforts To Attract Incorporations With New Law

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    Recent amendments to Nevada corporate law, which will narrow controlling stockholders’ liability, streamline mergers and allow companies to opt out of jury trials, show the interstate competition to attract new and reincorporating companies is still heating up, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Birthright Opinions Reveal Views On Rule 23(b)(2) Relief

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    The justices' multiple opinions in the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 27 decision in the birthright citizenship case, Trump v. CASA, shed light on whether Rule 23(b)(2) could fill the void created by the court's decision to restrict nationwide injunctions, says Benjamin Johns at Shub Johns.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • Plan For Increased HSR Info Sharing With Wash. Antitrust Law

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    Washington's merger notification requirements, effective later this month, combined with the Federal Trade Commission's new Hart-Scott-Rodino Act rules, will result in greater information sharing among state and federal agencies, making it important for merging parties to consider their transaction's potential state antitrust implications early on, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Federal Construction Considerations Amid Policy Overhaul

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    The rapid overhaul of federal procurement, heightened domestic sourcing rules and aggressive immigration enforcement are reshaping U.S. construction, but several pragmatic considerations can help federal contractors engaged in infrastructure and public construction avoid the legal, financial and operational fallout, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

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