Public Policy

June 20, 2025
Science Research Funding Cuts Blocked By Mass. Judge

A Massachusetts federal judge Friday prohibited the Trump administration from cutting certain National Science Foundation research funding associated with facilities and administrative costs, ruling that the policy runs afoul of multiple laws and the government hasn't adequately explained its reasoning.
June 20, 2025
Unsettling Expectations: Stewart Broadens Denials Again

The acting U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director has again held that patent owners eventually have the right to assume their patents won't be challenged in inter partes reviews, which many attorneys say is upsetting their understanding of how to navigate the Patent Trial and Appeal Board.
June 20, 2025
High Court Urged To Rein In FDA Oversight Of Stem Cells

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons asked the U.S. Supreme Court Friday to review a Ninth Circuit decision the organization argued would wrongly give the government control over a patient's own stem cells.
June 20, 2025
Many Foreign Firms Could Face Stricter Access To US Markets

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's reevaluation of the definition of a foreign private issuer could have far-reaching consequences, potentially tightening access to U.S. markets for companies based in China and beyond, lawyers say.
June 20, 2025
Trump Inks Rollback Of Biden-Era OCC Bank Merger Rule

President Donald Trump on Friday signed legislation nullifying the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's Biden-era bank merger rule, clinching a Republican campaign to overturn what industry groups criticized as an overly restrictive and unclear framework for reviewing proposed transactions.
June 20, 2025
San Antonio Pushes To Repair Park Amid Tribal Dispute

The city of San Antonio has asked the Fifth Circuit to lift a stay on a tribal appeal after the Texas Supreme Court answered a question about a state law addressing religious practices, arguing that the high court's opinion rules out two Native Americans' claims.
June 20, 2025
Democrats Probe Credit Union Board's Authority After Firings

Top Democrats on Friday questioned the National Credit Union Administration's chairman about his authority to run the agency solo since President Donald Trump fired the agency's other two board members, raising concerns about the legality of recent agency actions.
June 20, 2025
8th Circ. Sends SEC's $12M Dealer Suit Back To District Court

The Eighth Circuit on Friday granted a request from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to remand a $12 million unregistered dealer judgment the agency won against financial firm Carebourn Capital LP back to the district court, despite Carebourn's bid to keep the matter in the federal appeals court.
June 20, 2025
Senate's CFPB, PCAOB Cuts Hit Parliamentarian Roadblock

The U.S. Senate parliamentarian has thrown cold water on the Senate Banking Committee's bids to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and eliminate the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board as part of the "One Big Beautiful" budget megabill, but the panel's top Republican is vowing to keep seeking further spending cuts.
June 20, 2025
Feds, Dems Debate Impact Of Resignation On FTC Firing Case

The Trump administration told a D.C. federal court the recent resignation of a fired Federal Trade Commission member strips the court of jurisdiction over his claims seeking to be reinstated, while the two Democrats argued the resignation has no impact.
June 20, 2025
9th Circ. Says NY Claims Against Hyundai Raise 'Novel' Issue

A split panel of the Ninth Circuit Friday refused to toss negligence claims from cities in Ohio and Wisconsin in consolidated litigation alleging Hyundai and Kia, of which Hyundai is a major shareholder, sold vehicles with design flaws that enabled car thefts nationwide, but said negligence claims under New York law "raise a novel issue" of state law.
June 20, 2025
EPA Told To Explain Its Crop-Based Fuel Standards

The D.C. Circuit on Friday returned a mixed opinion on challenges from green groups to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2023-2025 renewable fuel standards, upholding the agency's volume-setting process but ruling that its climate change analysis was arbitrary and capricious under the Clean Air Act.
June 20, 2025
Kansas Sheriff Loses Bid To Dismiss Tribal Jurisdiction Suit

A Kansas federal judge has denied a county sheriff's bid to dismiss the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation's suit over tribal jurisdiction, saying the tribe has standing to sue and has plausibly shown that it will suffer irreparable harm unless the court issues injunctive relief.
June 20, 2025
Wash. AG Says Hops Farm Favored H-2A Workers Over Locals

Washington state's attorney general launched a lawsuit on Friday accusing a hops grower of illegally firing local employees, often women, and replacing them with foreign farmworkers, abusing the federal H-2A temporary visa program for seasonal agricultural labor.
June 20, 2025
Fla. Bill Aims To Boost Employer Noncompete Power

The Florida Legislature continued in its efforts to make the Sunshine State attractive to businesses with a bill this past session that would create one of the most employer-friendly noncompete statutory frameworks in the country.
June 20, 2025
Mich. Judge Denies Ethics Charges, Says He Was Spied On

A Michigan state judge accused of disparaging the district court's chief judge during official proceedings as well as secretly recording a conversation with her has responded to formal charges against him, refuting the allegations and additionally claiming the court has spied on him.
June 20, 2025
Board Says Cuban Parole Bid Can't End Removal Case

The Board of Immigration Appeals held Friday that an immigration judge should not have terminated a noncitizen's removal proceedings so he could seek to adjust status under the Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act, saying the individual's eligibility was too speculative to warrant termination.
June 20, 2025
Texas Jury To Decide Google Ad Tech Liability, Not Damages

A Texas federal judge is giving Google only partial reprieve from facing a jury on state attorneys general claims targeting its advertising placement technology business, leaving liability under federal antitrust law and any damages up to the court, while letting most state law claims go to the jury.
June 20, 2025
737 Max Families Push For Special Prosecutor In Boeing Case

Families of victims of the 737 Max 8 crashes have asked a Texas federal judge to appoint a special prosecutor in Boeing's criminal conspiracy case, saying the U.S. Department of Justice's latest nonprosecution agreement with the American aerospace giant sets a dangerous precedent for corporate defendants to evade accountability.
June 20, 2025
Mich. Says Feds Can't Block AG's Climate Tort Suit

The Trump administration's lawsuit to block Michigan from suing fossil fuel companies for climate harms is based on guesswork about a hypothetical lawsuit and should be dismissed, Michigan argued Friday.
June 20, 2025
Invest In More Broadband Use, Not Overbuilds, Report Says

The federal government should be spending its money on making sure areas with no internet at all are getting connected, not "overbuilding" in areas that already have it, a new report says on the best way to close the digital divide.
June 20, 2025
9th Circ. Finds Calif. One-Gun-A-Month Law Unconstitutional

The Ninth Circuit on Friday struck down California's so-called one-gun-a-month law, finding that it violates the Second Amendment by categorically preventing state residents from buying more than one firearm every 30 days.
June 20, 2025
Okla. Gov., Freedmen Object To Tulsa Tribal Settlement Stay

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging an Oklahoma federal court to deny a request by the city of Tulsa and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to extend a stay in a jurisdictional dispute as settlement talks continue, arguing that the state's involvement in the negotiations is the required.
June 20, 2025
Wash. Municipal Judge Fights State Board's Removal Petition

A suspended Washington municipal court judge has urged the state Supreme Court to reject a judicial board's recommendation that she be removed from the bench for allegedly mistreating staff and attorneys, saying she has been unfairly punished for her former attorney's actions "in a racially charged environment."
June 20, 2025
DC Circ. Revives Challenge To Noncitizen Voting Law

A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday reopened a lawsuit challenging a Washington, D.C., law that permits noncitizen Washingtonians to vote in local elections, saying the suit's claims of vote dilution were enough to establish standing.

Editor's Picks

Trump's Legal Battles

States, federal employee unions, various advocacy groups and several individuals have filed over 220 lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's implementation of executive orders and other initiatives. Law360 has created a database of those lawsuits, separated into categories based on their subject matter.

Expert Analysis

Future Of Enviro Crimes Under Trump's Federal Regs Order

President Donald Trump's recent executive order about fighting overcriminalization in federal regulations creates new advocacy opportunities for defense counsel to argue that particular environmental crime investigations and matters ought to be limited or declined based on the policy priorities reflected in the order, say attorneys at Sidley.
Trump Antitrust Shift Eases Pressure On Private Equity Deals

Enforcement actions and statements by Trump administration antitrust officials forecast a shift away from specifically targeting private equity activity, which should be welcome news to dealmakers, but firms shouldn't expect to escape traditional antitrust scrutiny, says Nathaniel Bronstein at Fried Frank.
How Cos. Can Prep For Calif. Cybersecurity Audit Regulations

As the California Privacy Protection Agency Board finalizes cybersecurity audit requirements, companies should take six steps to prepare for the audit itself and to build a compliant cybersecurity program that can pass the audit, say attorneys at Covington.
Series

Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.
Shifting DEI Expectations Put Banks In Legal Crosshairs

The Trump administration's rollbacks on DEI-friendly policies create something of a regulatory catch-22 for banks, wherein strict compliance would contradict established statutory and administrative mandates regarding access to credit for disadvantaged communities, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.
Compliance Tips After Court Axes EEOC's Trans Rights Take

A Texas federal court's recent decision struck portions of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's 2024 guidance pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity under Title VII, barring their use nationwide and leaving employers unsure about how to proceed in their compliance efforts, say attorneys at Dorsey & Whitney.
Atkins' Crypto Remarks Show SEC Is Headed For A 'New Day'

A look at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins' recent speeches provides significant clues as to where the SEC is going next and how its regulatory approach to crypto will differ from that of the previous administration, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.
State Farm Rate Hike Portends Intensifying Insurance Crisis

The California Department of Insurance's unprecedented emergency approval of a 17% rate increase for State Farm General Insurance, the first interim rate relief granted before completing full actuarial justification, represents a regulatory watershed and establishes precedent that could fundamentally reshape insurers' response to climate-driven market instability, says Daniel Veroff at Merlin Law Group.
Steps For Universities To Pass Tax-Exempt Test Amid Scrutiny

After decades of a quiet governmental acceptance of tax-exempt status, universities are facing unprecedented and public pressure to defend themselves, and must consider how to protect this valuable status, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
In 2nd Term, Trump Has New Iran Sanctions Enforcement Tool

As tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalate, the Trump administration may use a whistleblower program enacted in 2022 to target violations that were previously more difficult to detect, thus expanding enforcement of economic sanctions, say attorneys at MoloLamken and Zuckerman Law.
Texas Targets Del. Primacy With Trio Of New Corporate Laws

Delaware has long positioned itself as the leader in attracting business formation, but a flurry of new legislation in Texas aimed at attracting businesses to the Lone Star State is aggressively trying to change that, says Andrew Oringer at the Wagner Law Group.
Explicit Pic Takedown Law Casts A Wide Net

With a surprisingly broad range of online platforms potentially subject to the new Take It Down Act’s process for removing revenge porn or explicit deepfakes, all services that allow user interaction or content hosting should proactively evaluate their legal obligations and demonstrate compliance, say attorneys at Goodwin, say attorneys at Goodwin.
How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.
What Money Transmitters Need To Know About New Colo. Law

Colorado's new Money Transmission Modernization Act updates standards for the licensing, supervision and regulation of money transmitters while codifying an agent-to-payee exemption, and represents another step toward standardizing these rules across state governments, say Sarah Auchterlonie and Joel Herberman at Brownstein Hyatt.