Public Policy

  • November 05, 2026

    Controversial DOJ Civil Rights Division Leader Steps Down

    Harmeet K. Dhillon, a U.S. Department of Justice official who instituted dramatic changes as leader of the Civil Rights Division, has stepped down from her role.

  • November 05, 2026

    Federal Workers Seek To Halt Gender-Affirming Benefits Ban

    Two federal employees urged a D.C. federal court to block President Donald Trump's administration from eliminating coverage for gender-affirming care from their 2027 health benefits, arguing thousands of people will be harmed unless the court steps in before open enrollment ends.

  • November 05, 2026

    FCC To Consult With Tribes On NHPA Rules Covering Telecom

    The Federal Communications Commission will soon be talking with tribal government leaders about potential changes to the FCC's approach to rules under the National Historic Preservation Act.

  • November 05, 2026

    Pa. AG Held Immune In Row Over Ex-Agent's Separation Deal

    A former narcotics agent for the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General can't sue his ex-employer for breaking his separation agreement because breached employment contracts don't fall under the exceptions to the office's sovereign immunity, a state appellate panel regretfully concluded Thursday.

  • November 05, 2026

    Hawaii Seeks Toss Of Trump Admin's Immigrant Tuition Suit

    Hawaii is urging a Hawaii federal court to dismiss a Trump administration lawsuit targeting its provision of in-state college tuition and associated benefits to noncitizens that out-of-state citizens do not qualify for, arguing that the federal statutes the administration relies on are unconstitutional.

  • November 05, 2026

    Canada, China OK 2-Year Preferential Trade Extension

    Canadian exports of peas, canola, lobsters and crabs will continue to benefit from an extended preferential market access deal with China, Canada's international trade minister has announced.

  • November 05, 2026

    Colo. City's Voters Approve $4K Tax On Vacant Homes

    Vacant residential properties in Boulder, Colorado, will be subject to an excise tax starting at $4,000 annually under a ballot measure the city said was approved by voters.

  • November 05, 2026

    Full 5th Circ. Won't Hear Challenge To Machine Gun Ban

    The Fifth Circuit has denied a petition for an en banc hearing of a challenge by a Texas shooting club to the federal ban on machine guns, with nine of the judges voting against the hearing and eight voting for.

  • November 05, 2026

    US Finalizes Duty Evasion Findings For Cambodian Hangers

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday finalized its findings that steel wire clothes hangers completed in Cambodia using components from China or Vietnam are circumventing duties on those products from the two countries.

  • November 05, 2026

    Chinese Rubber Chemical Facing 285% US Antidumping Duty

    Imports of a chemical from China primarily used in rubber production are facing a possible major antidumping duty after the U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday preliminarily found the chemical is being sold at less than fair value.

  • November 04, 2026

    Fintechs Prepare For Blue Wave's Flood Of Investigations

    Democrats rode Tuesday night's blue wave to take control of both chambers of Congress, scuttling the legislative hopes of a crypto industry that's now battening down the hatches for a flood of investigations into its ties to the Trump administration, consumer protection and financial crime.

  • November 04, 2026

    1st Circ. Revives Temu Suit Against IP Atty, Citing Jurisdiction

    The First Circuit has revived Chinese e-commerce company Temu's lawsuit accusing an intellectual property attorney of lying to secure settlements with a pair of clients, finding that the lower court failed to consider jurisdictional questions.

  • November 04, 2026

    Attys Consider Corporate Implications Of Blue Texas

    Texas attorneys have already started weighing new strategies in the wake of Texas' historic blue shift, led by a new attorney general and a new governor who have pledged to bring more industry regulation and consumer protections to the Lone Star State.

  • November 04, 2026

    Woman Tells 11th Circ. Sexual Assault Gag Clause Is Invalid

    A woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by her former intimate partner asked the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to overturn a $2.7 million judgment against her for breaching a confidential agreement with the ex-partner, arguing the question of the contract's validity is one for a jury.

  • November 04, 2026

    OCC Maps Out How Its Examiners Will Review Banks' AI Use

    The use of artificial intelligence at banks to conduct payments, decide loan applications or perform other high-stakes activities autonomously could face closer examiner scrutiny under a new supervisory framework issued Wednesday by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

  • November 04, 2026

    Md. Judge Extends Asylum Deal Over 84 Wrongful Removals

    A Maryland federal judge is extending the deadline for a settlement that protects certain asylum-seekers from deportation until their applications are fully processed, after finding that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security wrongfully deported at least 84 people covered by the settlement. 

  • November 04, 2026

    Strand Bookstore To Pay $1.5 Million Over Improper PPP Loan

    New York's Strand Bookstore has agreed to pay nearly $1.5 million to resolve claims that it improperly applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program loan that it was not eligible for, while under the control of the wife of U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

  • November 04, 2026

    NY Judge Won't Block State Ban On Local ICE Agreements

    A New York federal court declined to block a new state law barring local law enforcement from reaching voluntary agreements with the federal government to assist in immigration enforcement, finding that a group of sheriffs likely lack the capacity to sue.

  • November 04, 2026

    NM Broadband Officials Say State Still Needs E-Rate

    As the Federal Communications Commission considers the future of the E-Rate program, which subsidizes the cost of internet for schools and libraries, including whether to sunset it entirely, New Mexico has told the agency that ending the program would be a mistake.

  • November 04, 2026

    Senate Permitting Bill May Sink Beneath Blue Wave

    The chances of Congress passing legislation aimed at speeding permits for infrastructure projects plummeted as Democrats seized control of Capitol Hill in Tuesday's elections, and any related bill introduced in 2027 could look a lot different than the current version.

  • November 04, 2026

    DOJ Says Epshteyn Will Answer ABA Service Motion

    Trump advisor Boris Epshteyn will answer for himself why he has allegedly been evading subpoenas in the American Bar Association's legal challenge to the administration's law firm targeting campaign, the U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday.

  • November 04, 2026

    DOD Says It Has Resumed Wind Project Reviews

    The U.S. Department of Defense urged an Oregon federal judge to reject renewable energy backers' claim that the Pentagon has continued its unlawful freeze on reviewing proposed wind energy projects, saying reviews have resumed at every stage.

  • November 04, 2026

    Anti-Pot Group Eyes New Repeal Pushes After Mass. Loss

    After Election Day, anti-cannabis activists are pledging to bring repeal efforts to other states despite a decisive defeat in Massachusetts, while pro-cannabis industry and consumer-focused groups say they hope to work with a Democrat-controlled Congress to secure federal reform.

  • November 04, 2026

    Wash. Voters Reject Repeal Of Tax On Millionaires

    Washington will allow taxation of individual income and, in turn, keep a recently approved high-earner tax, the state's governor said Wednesday.

  • November 04, 2026

    NY Panel Tosses Challenge To Rollout Of NYC 2nd-Home Tax

    A New York state appeals court threw out a challenge lodged by homeowners to the rollout of New York City's tax on high-value second homes, saying they lacked standing to bring the suit.

Expert Analysis

  • NY Severance Rules Persist Despite McLaren Macomb Threat

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    Despite recent calls to overturn the National Labor Relations Board's decision in McLaren Macomb, New York's robust regulation will remain intact, limiting practitioners' ability to offer nonsupervisory employees severance agreements with confidentiality and nondisclosure provisions, says Matthew Berman at Valli Kane.

  • What To Know As State 'Neural Data' Privacy Laws Emerge

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    Attorneys at Goodwin discuss new state laws aimed at regulating consumer data generated from nervous system activity, explain why neurotechnology is attracting state and federal legislators’ attention, and highlight the compliance obligations that industry players should address now.

  • Bank Regulators' New Risk Guidance Offers More Flexibility

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    Newly proposed interagency guidance on banks’ third-party risk management would shift rigid compliance frameworks to a principles-based, risk-proportionate approach, potentially creating new opportunities for bank-fintech partnerships and giving smaller institutions a clearer path to innovation, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Mo. Official's Indictment Tests Limits Of Federal Bribery Laws

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    The recent bribery charges filed against a Missouri county executive raise questions about whether field-clearing conversations and job offers between rival candidates can rise to the level of illegal quid pro quos, potentially muddying the line between politics as usual and the federal bribery statutes, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Conn. Insurers Should Prepare To Explain Premium Hikes

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    As of Jan. 1, Connecticut insurers must provide a reasonable explanation for personal risk insurance premium increases upon policyholder request, and thus should familiarize themselves with a recent bulletin that prescribes the details, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Where The 3 Prediction Market Appellate Rulings Diverge

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    Although the recent Third, Sixth and Ninth Circuit opinions concerning prediction markets overlap on some issues, they differ on key statutory questions, deepening a circuit split over both the classification of sports event contracts and the scope of federal preemption, says Levi Giovanetto at Sheppard.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

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    California's financial regulators spent the third quarter of 2026 focusing on consumer protection enforcement at home while resisting federal efforts to displace state oversight — reinforcing the state's intention to shape the compliance landscape for institutions operating within its borders despite federal deregulatory trends, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • DOJ's Unusual Warning Puts Protests In FARA Crosshairs

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s recent atypical press release about Foreign Agents Registration Act liability may signal greater scrutiny of public demonstrations and foreign-directed advocacy — but it does not change the statutory requirements for companies and individuals, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Changing Strategies To Protect Your Autonomous AI's IP

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    After Insilico recently named only human inventors on a patent application for an autonomous artificial intelligence's drug discovery, companies should take concrete steps to preserve the strongest possible intellectual property protection for AI-assisted work, including documenting human contributions and strengthening trade secret controls, says Stephen Ball at Husch Blackwell.

  • How States May Enter The Shareholder Proposal Landscape

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    Rescission of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's shareholder proposal rule doesn't herald the end of shareholder activism, but it allows state legislatures to play a central role in determining the future of shareholder proposals, with that uncertainty creating new opportunities for both issuers and activists, say attorneys at Thompson Coburn.

  • Series

    Mentalism Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Convincing strangers I can read their minds may seem like an unusual second career for a legal practitioner, but both disciplines share several important requirements, including trust and preparation, says Warren Biro at Manatt.

  • Why And How To Build A Neurodiversity-Informed Practice

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    By better understanding neurodiversity and implementing simple accommodations for clients with autism, ADHD or learning differences, attorneys can build stronger relationships with those who may otherwise struggle to obtain and benefit from legal services, while developing good habits that will benefit everyone they represent, says Ting Cheung at Sanford Heisler.

  • Series

    Illinois Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q3

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    Recent banking developments in Illinois include significant new consumer protection legislation, three meaningful Seventh Circuit decisions, and a high-profile constitutional challenge to the state's new digital asset tax, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • How FTC Win Charts A Court-1st Merger Litigation Playbook

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    A New York federal court's recent decision blocking Henkel's acquisition of Liquid Nails marked a decisive trial win for the Federal Trade Commission, and tips for merging parties in similar transactions now include preparing for full-blown federal litigation, including a complete evidentiary trial, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • How SEC Is Changing The Shareholder Proposal Landscape

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission continues to place its shareholder proposal rule at the center of its agenda, now with a newly proposed rule that would rescind it entirely, showcasing an agency seeking to narrow its overall focus, say attorneys at Thompson Coburn.

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