Public Policy

  • April 13, 2026

    Bay Area Trains To Get Upgrade After FCC Rule Waiver

    The Federal Communications Commission has approved a rule waiver for Hitachi Rail that will let Bay Area Regional Transportation upgrade a half-century-old train control system.

  • April 13, 2026

    Inventors Face Bayh-Dole Act Reporting Issues, GAO Says

    Universities and businesses that hold onto patent rights after receiving federal funds for developing the inventions have pointed to problems with the reporting requirements, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

  • April 13, 2026

    Scholars Say Punitive Third-Country Removals Unlawful

    A group of five immigration and constitutional law scholars have told the Maryland federal judge overseeing Kilmar Ábrego García's habeas case that removing noncitizens to third countries they have no ties to is unconstitutional when done as clear punishment.

  • April 13, 2026

    11th Circ. Backs FDA's Ban Over Drug Tester's Conviction

    The Eleventh Circuit on Monday backed a U.S. Food and Drug Administration order barring a former pharmaceutical worker from future interaction with the agency after she was convicted of lying during an investigation of her company, rejecting her bid for judicial review of the decision.

  • April 13, 2026

    Judge Quizzes Feds On Outsourcing College Data Survey

    A Boston federal judge on Monday questioned the Trump administration's plan to lean on a contractor to handle college admissions data as the U.S. Department of Education shrinks itself, asking a government lawyer if it was "lawful" to outsource the work.

  • April 13, 2026

    Former Pardon Atty Says Trump's Clemency Grants Hurt DOJ

    Former U.S. Department of Justice pardon attorney Liz Oyer spoke recently with Law360 about how the pardon process has changed, the impact the shift might have on the DOJ and how the system could be reformed.

  • April 13, 2026

    Group Fighting DC Sports Gambling Laws Appeals Suit Toss

    A group hoping to use a 1700s law to stop sportsbooks from operating in Washington, D.C., filed an appeal on Monday of a federal judge's decision to throw out its suit against the city and the sportsbooks.

  • April 13, 2026

    BREAKING: Trump Picks DOL Wage Official For NLRB Seat

    President Donald Trump on Monday tapped a U.S. Department of Labor wage official to serve on the National Labor Relations Board in a move that could avert another quorum lapse and facilitate a shift away from the labor-friendly policy of the last administration.

  • April 13, 2026

    5th Circ. Finds Ban On Home Distilling Unconstitutional

    A federal ban on home distilleries that dates to the early temperance movement violates the U.S. Constitution's limits on congressional taxing power, the Fifth Circuit said in siding with hobbyists, including one who said he wants to experiment with apple-pie vodka recipes in his garage.

  • April 13, 2026

    DOJ Seeks OK On Blackstone's LivCor Rent Price-Fixing Deal

    The Justice Department has asked a North Carolina federal court to grant final approval to its settlement with LivCor LLC, a subsidiary of Blackstone, which would resolve allegations that the landlord used RealPage's revenue management software to fix rent prices.

  • April 13, 2026

    University Stiffed Energy Firm On Audit Work, Suit Says

    An energy firm says the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs refused to pay for years of completed audit work, raising objections only after the final report was delivered and invoices came due, according to a suit filed in Colorado state court.

  • April 13, 2026

    USCIS Narrows Pathway For Certain Immigrant Juveniles

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services again rescinded a Biden-era policy requiring it to automatically consider whether to defer removal or other action for at-risk immigrant youth when a visa is unavailable, opting for an even more discretionary case-by-case determination.

  • April 13, 2026

    Mich. Appeals Court Backs School Aid Waiver Requirement

    A Michigan state appeals court has upheld a school safety funding provision requiring schools to waive certain privileges after a mass casualty event, rejecting constitutional challenges brought by a coalition of nearly 40 school districts and officials. 

  • April 13, 2026

    Fed Action Sought Against European Plan To 'Target' Iridium

    Iridium wants the Federal Communications Commission to push back against a European proposal that it says would "unfairly target" the satellite phone provider with new restrictions.

  • April 13, 2026

    HUD Unveils $1.1B To Back Housing In Tribal Communities

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Native American Programs says it will allocate more than $1.1 billion in Indian Block Grant funding for almost 600 tribal nations to support affordable housing projects.

  • April 13, 2026

    DOJ Urges DC Circuit To Revive Trump EOs Targeting Firms

    The D.C. Circuit should individually review each section of President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting four law firms, allowing certain portions to stand if others are blocked, the U.S. Department of Justice argued in a new filing urging the court to revive the measures.

  • April 13, 2026

    Lawyer Says Feds Cost Him At Least $9M In Calif. Tribal Fees

    An attorney who previously represented a faction of the California Valley Miwok Tribe says the federal government caused him to lose more than $9 million by approving the tribe's constitution, which contains a provision retroactively nullifying any previous agreements for the funds.

  • April 13, 2026

    The Justices Had Their Say On Immunity. Is A DC Jury Next?

    The limits of presidential immunity are once again set to be tested after a D.C. federal judge ruled President Donald Trump must face civil claims over the Jan. 6, 2021, riots, clearing the way for trial and potentially another high-stakes appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

  • April 13, 2026

    NC High Court Snapshot: State Retirees Fight To Retain Class

    The North Carolina Supreme Court in April will tackle a long-simmering fight over the state's obligations to provide health insurance to retired public employees, who are battling to keep their class status.

  • April 13, 2026

    Ireland To Cut Energy Taxes Amid Blockades By Protesters

    Ireland will spend €505 million ($592 million) on further cuts to fuel taxes, deferring a carbon tax increase and offering financial aid to fuel-intensive industries after protesters blockaded infrastructure over rising costs linked to the U.S. and Israel's war in Iran, according to the government.

  • April 10, 2026

    Sens. Urge CFTC To Probe 'Unusual' Oil Trading Patterns

    U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., called on the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to investigate "unusual trading patterns" in oil futures that took place right before President Donald Trump announced talks with Iran, including the recently announced ceasefire.

  • April 10, 2026

    Ariz. Prediction Markets Regulation, Kalshi Charges Halted

    A Phoenix federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked Arizona from enforcing its gambling laws against federally regulated prediction markets, saying the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission are likely to succeed on their claims that Arizona's laws are preempted by federal law.

  • April 10, 2026

    ​​​​​​​Apple Asks To Keep Stay In Epic Case During High Court Bid

    Apple has asked the Ninth Circuit not to undo its order staying a decision in Epic Games Inc.'s favor while Apple petitions the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling that largely affirmed an injunction barring Apple from charging developers "prohibitive" commissions on iPhone app purchases.

  • April 10, 2026

    Texas Justices Say Telecom Contracts Must Follow The Law

    When the Texas Legislature changes the laws that govern how much public utilities can charge telecommunications companies to attach things to their poles, contracts that are already in effect have to fall in line, the state supreme court declared Friday in resolving a decades' long dispute involving San Antonio.

  • April 10, 2026

    Big Banks Say They Were Victims Of Tricolor Fraud Scheme

    JPMorgan, Barclays and Fifth Third have urged a New York federal judge to toss an investor suit claiming the banks ignored flaring red flags and helped conceal a sprawling subprime auto loan fraud by Tricolor Holdings, arguing that they were also victims of the fraud and not aware of the scheme despite being sophisticated financial institutions.

Expert Analysis

  • Prepping For White House's Proposed AI Framework

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    The artificial intelligence legislative framework issued by the White House last month reframes the policy landscape, creating a number of near-term developments for companies to track as congressional committees attempt to convert the framework into legislative text, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Defense Contractor Tips For Commercial Solutions Openings

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    Defense contractors interested in participating in the Army’s recently announced commercial solutions opening should familiarize themselves with the process, which promotes flexibility but requires prudence in preparing proposals, negotiating award terms, and crafting supporting documents such as teaming agreements and subcontracts, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Opinion

    Apple Discovery Fight Could Revive DOJ's Antitrust Appetite

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    Winning discovery disputes in the ongoing federal antitrust litigation over Apple’s app store practices is a huge opportunity for the Justice Department to return to its once-vigorous pursuit of product tying by tech monopolies, catch up with foreign competition regulators and establish clear standards for digital markets, says Ediberto Roman at Florida International University.

  • 5 Takeaways From Capital Proposals For Community Banks

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    While much commentary has centered on how federal regulators' proposed capital overhaul would affect the biggest banks, there are several aspects that regional and community institutions should note too, including the potential benefits of the expanded risk-based approach and reduced capital requirements for mortgage origination, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Opinion

    State Bars Need To Get Specific About AI Confidentiality

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    Lawyers need to put actual client information into artificial intelligence tools to get their full value, but they cannot confidently do so until state bars offer clear, formal authority on which plan tiers of the three most popular generative AI tools are safe to use when sharing specific client details, says attorney Nick Berk.

  • EPA's Retreat On GHGs Reshapes Preemption Debate

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    In the wake of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rescission of its finding that it can regulate climate-threatening greenhouse gases, states are poised to step up their own GHG regulation — but the EPA's new framework creates substantial uncertainty over the extent of federal preemption, say attorneys at Holland & Hart.

  • The Federal Circuit's Evolving View Of Trade Secrets

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    In recent years, the Federal Circuit's approach to defining "readily ascertainable" information and determining sufficiency of trade secret identification has shifted, trending away from other circuits and potentially presenting a higher bar for trade secrets plaintiffs, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Trump Order Signals Tougher Benefits Fraud Probes

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    A recent order from President Donald Trump establishing a federal taskforce for addressing fraud in federally funded benefit programs emphasizes interagency information sharing, potentially affecting a broad range of areas including government contracts, administrative law considerations and False Claims Act cases, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Justices' Review Of Guam Case Will Mean For Permitting

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    In U.S. Department of the Air Force v. Prutehi Guahan, the U.S. Supreme Court will address whether a federal agency's permit application is a final decision that courts can review — a question whose answer could reshape the timing and strategy of environmental litigation across the federal permitting landscape, say attorneys at Foley Hoag.

  • Calculating Damages In IEEPA Tariff Refund Litigation

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    To calculate damages in the spate of refund litigation triggered by the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision invalidating tariffs collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the central question will be how to determine where in the supply chain their economic burden ultimately came to rest, say analysts at Charles River Associates.

  • Mortgage EO Casts Wide Net In Push To Ease Lending Rules

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    A recent executive order targeting mortgage credit access states an intent to promote competition among all types of lenders and is notable for its breadth, resetting regulatory expectations in a number of areas including origination, digitization and licensing, says Kara Ward at Baker Donelson.

  • Opinion

    Futures Market Anonymity Now Presents A Structural Problem

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    Following anomalous trading on prediction markets just before major recent policy announcements from the Trump administration, many have called on Congress to act, but the problem is not primarily a statutory gap — it is a structural one, built into the self-regulatory model that governs futures exchanges, says Tamara de Silva at De Silva Law Offices.

  • How Calif. Safety Worker Pension Bill Could Cost Employers

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    Public employers should carefully consider how pension costs and bargaining concerns could change under a California Legislature bill that would increase retirement benefits for safety employees like police and firefighters, which could erode previous efforts to fully fund the public retirement system without necessarily improving worker retention, says Michael Youril at Liebert Cassidy.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Restraint Anchors Constitutional Order

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    Contrasting opinions in two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings — Trump v. CASA and Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections — demonstrate how the judiciary’s constitutionally entrusted role can easily be preserved or disrupted, and invite renewed attention to the enduring importance of judicial restraint, says Ninth Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace.

  • 'Made In America' Rules Raise Stakes For Gov't Contractors

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    The convergence of widely varying "buy American" requirements, increased enforcement efforts and continuing regulatory attempts to limit foreign sourcing suggests that government contractors should carefully review their supply chain and country-of-origin compliance to remain competitive, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

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