Public Policy

  • November 18, 2025

    Judge Questions If Trump's Say-So Makes Wind Edict Legal

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday lamented a lack of clear guidance from higher courts as she considered whether wind farm permits can be put on hold indefinitely based solely on a directive from the president.

  • November 18, 2025

    Republican Senators Seek Judge Boasberg's Suspension

    Six Republican senators, three of whom sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, are asking that Chief U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg of the District of Columbia be administratively suspended while Congress considers his impeachment.

  • November 18, 2025

    New York Disputes Magistrate's Report In Tribal Thruway Row

    New York is opposing a recommendation that would give a win to the Seneca Nation and force negotiations over a portion of a thruway that runs through the tribe's reservation, arguing that the report relies on a narrow interpretation of Sherrill laches in contrast to Second Circuit characterization.

  • November 18, 2025

    San Francisco Nurses Can't Challenge FLSA OT Exemption

    Nurses who claim that the city of San Francisco failed to pay them the proper overtime rates fall under a Fair Labor Standards Act exemption, a California federal judge ruled, finding summary judgment necessary following a sanctions order limiting the nurses' evidence.

  • November 18, 2025

    Missouri Federal Judge To Take Senior Status

    U.S. District Judge Douglas Harpool of the Western District of Missouri has given notice he will take senior status upon the confirmation of state Judge Megan Benton, whose nomination to the federal bench President Donald Trump announced Friday.

  • November 18, 2025

    NJ Township Seeks To Revise $2.5B DuPont PFAS Settlement

    Carneys Point Township, New Jersey, is aiming to intervene in the state's federal suit against E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. and others over PFAS contamination, saying a settlement of more than $2.5 billion interferes with its own claims against the company.

  • November 18, 2025

    Insurer Needn't Cover LA Zoo Org. In City Contract Dispute

    An insurer doesn't owe coverage to the Los Angeles Zoo's nonprofit arm in a contractual dispute brought by the city, a California federal court has ruled, finding that all claims are excluded under the association's nonprofit asset protection policy.

  • November 18, 2025

    Ind. Tax Court Nixes 'Less Egregious' Assessment For Kohl's

    An Indiana tax board erred when it relied on flawed appraisals of a Kohl's department store prepared by experts and chose the "somewhat less egregious" arguments of the company in lowering the valuations by nearly half, the state tax court said.

  • November 18, 2025

    Judge Punts FTC Suit Over Meta's Instagram, WhatsApp Buys

    A federal antitrust campaign against major technology platforms suffered a significant blow Tuesday with a D.C. federal judge's rejection of a Federal Trade Commission suit accusing Meta Platforms of illegally monopolizing social media through its purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram.

  • November 18, 2025

    Judge Upholds NY Law Blocking ICE Courthouse Arrests

    New York beat back a federal lawsuit challenging the state's policy barring immigration officials from arresting people near its courthouses, after a federal judge rejected the U.S. Department of Justice's preemption claims.

  • November 17, 2025

    DHS Says Proposed Public Charge Rule To Undo 'Straitjacket'

    The Trump administration on Monday unveiled a proposed rule to broaden U.S. Department of Homeland Security officers' discretion in deeming visa or green card seekers inadmissible if they're likely to depend on government benefits, saying current regulations are overly restrictive.

  • November 17, 2025

    Fed's Cook Slams 'Pretextual' Mortgage Fraud Accusations

    Federal Reserve Board Gov. Lisa Cook on Monday hit back at federal officials' allegations she committed mortgage fraud, criticizing the "baseless" accusations as "pretextual justifications" for President Donald Trump and his allies "to investigate anyone whom they view as an obstacle to the administration's political and economic agenda."

  • November 17, 2025

    X Asks 9th Circ. To Let It Litigate Media Matters Suit In Ireland

    X Corp. urged the Ninth Circuit on Monday to scrap an injunction blocking it from continuing to litigate its Irish-law defamation case against Media Matters in Ireland, arguing that the left-leaning watchdog waited too long to invoke a California forum-selection clause in X Corp.'s terms of service.

  • November 17, 2025

    Advocacy Groups Push 9th Circ. To Uphold Fluoride Ruling

    Advocacy groups that convinced a California federal judge to rule that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "optimal" level for fluoride in drinking water is not protective enough for children, told the Ninth Circuit Monday that there's no reason to disturb the decision.

  • November 17, 2025

    Ill. ICE Detainees Win Class Cert. Over Facility Conditions

    An Illinois federal judge said Monday that he will give class treatment to two civil immigration detainees' claims that they experienced "inhumane" conditions at a holding facility officials have allegedly used as a detention center during ramped-up enforcement operations.

  • November 17, 2025

    AGs Seek To Freeze EPA Solar Grant Funds During Challenge

    A coalition of states asked a Washington federal judge to maintain federal money for Solar for All grants during the pendency of their lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to kill the program, arguing that they're likely to prevail on their claims that the agency can't legally claw back funds Congress already obligated.

  • November 17, 2025

    Pot Co. To Pay Gov't $632K Over PPP Loan Case

    A Washington-based marijuana producer agreed to pay more than $632,000 to the U.S. government over claims it obtained a forgivable loan, worth nearly $315,000, meant to aid businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the person who reported the company set to get 10% of the settlement.

  • November 17, 2025

    DOJ Defends HPE Merger Deal As 'Prudent Compromise'

    The Justice Department told a California federal judge to pay no heed to the "politicians and advocacy groups" opposing the controversial settlement clearing Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion purchase of Juniper Networks, arguing their concerns about improper lobbying influence are outside the scope of the court's review.

  • November 17, 2025

    Judge Tests DOJ Claim That TPS Decisions Can't Be Reviewed

    A New York federal judge Monday grilled a government attorney over the Trump administration's termination of temporary protected status for Syrians, pressing him on the outer limits of judicial review of such decisions.

  • November 17, 2025

    Vets May Regain GI Bill Benefits After Vax-Related Discharges

    Soldiers discharged under the Biden administration for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine may once again have access to GI Bill education benefits, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs announced on Monday.

  • November 17, 2025

    Decade-Old Mont. Bison Dispute Spurs Call For Legal Clarity

    A neighborhood group is asking a Montana federal district court to declare a 2019 Yellowstone bison management operation plan illegal, arguing that federal agencies are allowing the state to diminish treaty hunting opportunities for Indigenous nations that provide more food for their members.

  • November 17, 2025

    DOJ Sues Calif. Over Laws To Unmask, ID Federal Agents

    The U.S. Department of Justice launched a lawsuit Monday challenging two California state laws that aim to unmask federal law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, and require them to visibly display their name and agency, saying the laws are unconstitutional and endanger agents.

  • November 17, 2025

    Jailing People For Unpaid Garbage Fees Illegal, 11th Circ. Told

    A group of Alabama residents urged the Eleventh Circuit on Monday to revive their proposed class action alleging a city wrongfully jailed people for unpaid garbage collection fees, saying the complaint was improperly tossed. 

  • November 17, 2025

    Holyoak Leaves FTC For Interim US Atty In Utah

    Melissa Holyoak left the Federal Trade Commission on Monday to become Utah's interim U.S. attorney, leaving the FTC down to two commissioners, both Republicans, in the Trump administration's latest use of interim U.S. attorney appointments.

  • November 17, 2025

    Trump Hit With Suit Over Plan To Paint Historic Building

    A preservationist law firm filed a lawsuit Friday to stop President Donald Trump from painting over a historic granite office building near the White House, a move it says would permanently alter the structure in violation of government rules.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Ending Quarterly Reporting Would Erode Investor Protection

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    President Donald Trump recently called for an end to the long-standing practice of corporate quarterly reporting, but doing so would reduce transparency, create information asymmetries, provide more opportunities for corporate fraud and risk increased stock price volatility, while not meaningfully increasing long-term investments, say attorneys at Bleichmar Fonti.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 3 Tips On Finding The Right Job

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    After 23 years as a state and federal prosecutor, when I contemplated moving to a law firm, practicing solo or going in-house, I found there's a critical first step — deep self-reflection on what you truly want to do and where your strengths lie, says Rachael Jones at McKool Smith.

  • Strategies For Defending Banks In Elder Abuse Cases

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    Several recent cases demonstrate that banks have plenty of tools to defend against claims they were complicit in financial abuse of older adults, but financial institutions should also continue to educate customers about third-party scams before they happen, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • AG Watch: Va. Race Spotlights Consumer Protection Priorities

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    Ahead of the state's attorney general election, Virginia companies should assess how either candidate's approach could affect their compliance posture, with incumbent Jason Miyares promising a business-friendly atmosphere that prioritizes public safety and challenger Jay Jones pledging to focus on economic justice and corporate accountability, says Chuck Slemp at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Preparing For What DOD Cybersecurity Audits May Uncover

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    Defense contractors seeking certification under the U.S. Department of Defense's Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program that begins implementation on Nov. 10 may discover previously unknown violations, but there are steps they can take to address any issues before they come to the attention of enforcement authorities, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • A Look At Project Crypto's Plans For Digital Asset Regulation

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins' recent announcement of Project Crypto, an agencywide initiative to modernize federal securities regulations, signals a significant shift toward a more flexible regulatory framework that would shape the future of the U.S. digital asset market, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Breaking Down The Intersection Of Right-Of-Publicity Law, AI

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    Jillian Taylor at Blank Rome examines how existing right-of-publicity law governs artificial intelligence-generated voice-overs, deepfakes and deadbots; highlights a recent New York federal court ruling involving AI-generated voice clones; and offers practical guardrails for using AI without violating the right of publicity.

  • Civil Maritime Nuclear Sector Poised For Growth, Challenges

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    The maritime industry now stands on the verge of a nuclear-powered renaissance, with the need for clean energy, resilient power generation and decarbonized logistics driving demand for commercial maritime nuclear technology — but these developments will raise significant new legal, regulatory and technical questions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Painting trains me to see both the fine detail and the whole composition at once, enabling me to identify friction points while keeping sight of a client's bigger vision, but the most significant lesson I've brought to my legal work has been the value of originality, says Jana Gouchev at Gouchev Law.

  • H-2A Rule Rollback Sheds Light On 2 Policy Litigation Issues

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    The Trump administration’s recent refusal to defend an immigration regulation implemented by the Biden administration highlights a questionable process that both parties have used to bypass the Administrative Procedure Act’s rulemaking process, and points toward the next step in the fight over universal injunctions, says Mark Stevens at Clark Hill.

  • NY AML Rules Get Crypto Rebrand: What It Means For Banks

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    A recent letter from the New York State Department of Financial Services outlining how banks can use blockchain analytics in anti-money laundering efforts is a reminder that crypto activity is not exempted from banks' role in keeping the financial system safe, says Katherine Lemire at Lankler Siffert.

  • What's At Stake At High Court For Presidential Removal Power

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    Two pending U.S. Supreme Court cases —Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook — raise fundamental questions about the constitutional separation of powers, threaten the 90-year-old precedent of Humphrey's Executor v. U.S. and will determine the president's authority to control independent federal agencies, says Kolya Glick at Arnold & Porter.

  • Using The GHG Protocol For California Climate Reporting

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    With the California Air Resources Board's recent announcement that entities subject to the state's climate disclosure laws can use the Greenhouse Gas Protocol as a standard for structured, auditable reporting, a review of methods, data sources and disclosures under the protocol is timely for compliance planning, says Thierry Montoya at Frost Brown.

  • Employer Considerations As Ill. Ends Mandatory Fact-Finding

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    Illinois recently eliminated mandatory fact-finding conferences, and while such meetings tend to benefit complainants, respondent employers should not dismiss them out of hand without conducting a thorough analysis of the risks and benefits, which will vary from case to case, says Kimberly Ross at FordHarrison.

  • Courts Are Still Grappling With McDonnell, 9 Years Later

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    The Seventh and D.C. Circuits’ recent decisions in U.S. v. Weiss and U.S. v. Paitsel, respectively, demonstrate that courts are still struggling to apply the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2016 ruling in McDonnell v. U.S., which narrowed the scope of “official acts” in federal bribery cases, say attorneys at Quinn Emanuel.

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