Public Policy

  • July 17, 2026

    Conn. Says Reach Of Law Can't Stop $7.7M Ghost Gun Penalty

    Connecticut is again asking a state court to issue a $7.7 million civil penalty against an out-of-state seller of "ghost guns," arguing that the court needn't consider the geographical scope of Connecticut's unfair trade practices law, but that even if it does, the state can reach the seller, and the penalty is appropriate.

  • July 17, 2026

    Eye On ERISA: Jerry Schlichter Talks 401(k) Litigation, Theory

    Plaintiff-side litigation veteran Jerry Schlichter, founding and co-managing partner of Schlichter Bogard LLP, told Law360 that highlights among the firm's recent legal victories include a reported settlement to end 401(k) investment litigation against ADP, as well as a $150 million settlement in a toxic lead emissions case.

  • July 17, 2026

    6th Circ. Won't Rehear Mark Cuban-Backed FINRA Challenge

    A Sixth Circuit panel has declined to grant a full rehearing of a constitutional challenge of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's in-house disciplinary proceedings brought by the owner of a financial consulting company that had support from billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

  • July 17, 2026

    Conn. Justices Bar Town From Killing Errant Forest Tax Break

    A Connecticut municipal assessor did not have the authority to terminate a property tax break for forest use that was erroneously granted, the state Supreme Court said Friday, suggesting that state lawmakers could clarify the law on the matter.

  • July 17, 2026

    Ex-FDIC, CFPB Chiefs Back Colo. In 10th Circ. Rate Law Case

    Two former members of the FDIC's board of directors, one of whom also led the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, filed an amicus brief urging the Tenth Circuit to uphold a panel's ruling reinstating a Colorado law intended to curb high-cost lending in the state that a lower court initially shot down.

  • July 17, 2026

    States Ask To Join Fight Against DOD Wind Project Blockage

    Nearly 20 states have told an Oregon federal judge they want in on a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's decision to block land-based wind projects in the U.S. from moving forward.

  • July 17, 2026

    FCC's Subsidy Reform Plan Could Cut USAC Board By Third

    Change is on the way for the Universal Service Administrative Co., which manages the Federal Communications Commission's multibillion-dollar subsidy fund, with the agency signaling its plans to consider slashing the company's board by more than a third.

  • July 17, 2026

    Calif. Judge Orders Feds To Improve ICE Facility Conditions

    A California federal judge has said the Trump administration must take steps to improve conditions at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center East and West, finding a class of immigrant detainees likely to prevail in litigation claiming people have been subjected to inhumane and intolerable treatment.

  • July 17, 2026

    Upon Review: The 2026 World Cup's Biggest Legal Stories

    The grandest iteration of the World Cup to date unsurprisingly raised new legal and regulatory disputes, including immigration issues and the White House's intervention in a player disciplinary proceeding. Here, Law360 digs into the legal questions arising from the tournament.

  • July 17, 2026

    NetChoice Ordered To Produce Harm Studies In Va. Case

    A Virginia federal judge ordered tech industry group NetChoice to turn over any studies or reports it has examining social media's potential addictiveness or harm to young people Friday, partially granting a motion to compel from the state as it fights a suit challenging its law limiting children's access.

  • July 17, 2026

    BIA Says Girl's Foster Care Risk Can't Block Dad's Removal

    The Board of Immigration Appeals disagreed that a 6-year-old girl could face "exceptional hardship" in foster care after her Guatemalan father was deported, when he could just take her along instead, overturning a cancellation of removal an immigration judge granted.

  • July 17, 2026

    Conn. Justices Uphold Nonprofit Center's Renovation Plan

    The Connecticut Supreme Court on Friday said a nonprofit cultural center was legally clear to have renovated a building on its nearly 80-acre New Canaan property, finding a town zoning appeals board in 2019 correctly denied neighbors' challenges to a permit obtained from a zoning enforcement officer.

  • July 17, 2026

    Medical Groups Urge 1st Circ. To Back Vaccine Panel Freeze

    The American Academy of Pediatrics and other public health organizations on Friday defended before the First Circuit a Massachusetts judge's decision to block Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine policy committee appointments, countering claims that the judge overreached.

  • July 17, 2026

    Top Transportation Rulings: Midyear 2026 Report

    U.S. Supreme Court rulings determining that freight brokers can face state-based negligence lawsuits and that last-mile drivers can also be exempt from arbitration are among the biggest court decisions of the first half of 2026 affecting the transportation industry. Here, Law360 highlights a few of the biggest transportation-related rulings of 2026 so far.

  • July 17, 2026

    Mo. Hemp Cos. Say New Law Bars Their Businesses

    A Missouri hemp coalition is suing the state's governor, attorney general and head of its Department of Health and Senior Services in federal court, saying a newly signed law regulating hemp effectively eliminates the state's hemp product industry and contradicts both federal law and itself.

  • July 17, 2026

    Dentons Adds Ga. Senate Majority Leader's Ex-Chief Of Staff

    Dentons has added Ben Jarrard, former chief of staff for Georgia state Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte, to the firm's regulatory, public policy and government affairs practice.

  • July 17, 2026

    AGs Have 'Significant Concerns' With DOJ's Live Nation Deal

    A bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general asked a New York federal judge Thursday for a peek into the negotiations behind the Justice Department's controversial midtrial settlement with Live Nation, voicing concerns the deal isn't in the public interest and saying they need details as they seek a breakup.

  • July 17, 2026

    Senate Bill Would Ease SEC Reporting For Rural Telecoms

    A bipartisan Senate bill would make it easier for small, rural communications providers to prepare reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission when obligated to submit paperwork for certain financial events.

  • July 17, 2026

    Top 4 Enviro Policies To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2026

    The second half of 2026 may see the outcome of federal efforts to speed up construction timelines via federal rulemaking and in Congress, and the resolution of open questions around how the repeal of a foundational climate regulation will impact energy policy. Here are four key policy areas that are on environmental attorneys' radar.

  • July 17, 2026

    Judge Denies Bid To Fast-Track Alaska Refuge Road Ruling

    An Alaskan district judge is asking the federal government, the state of Alaska and an Indigenous corporation to provide an anticipated construction timeline for a road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

  • July 17, 2026

    Bipartisan Bill Targets Google's Search Dominance

    U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at preventing dominant search engines such as Google from engaging in anticompetitive tactics to monopolize the online search market.

  • July 17, 2026

    Commerce Opens Duty Probes Into Chinese Supplements

    The U.S. Department of Commerce is investigating whether certain dietary supplements imported from China are being sold at unfair prices and should be subject to antidumping and countervailing duties, it said Friday.

  • July 17, 2026

    Wash. Gov.'s High Court Pick Aims To Hold Off 3 Challengers

    In one of the most hotly contested races in this year's Washington Supreme Court, Justice Theo Angelis — who took the high court bench in April after being appointed by Gov. Bob Ferguson — will attempt to defend his Position 5 seat from three challengers, each with a different pitch to voters.

  • July 17, 2026

    Skill Games, Grinch Bots: A Midyear Pa. Legislation Review

    Two major rulings from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court have left it up to the Legislature to address "skill games" and second-degree murder sentences, while other pending bills would tackle a long-standing challenge in administering elections, and make it harder for scalpers to snatch up high-demand tickets or products online.

  • July 17, 2026

    States Stepping Up Merger Work In First Half Of 2026

    Federal enforcers reached a number of merger settlements in the first half of 2026, while state attorneys general stepped up their independent enforcement efforts, taking on Nexstar's planned purchase of rival broadcaster Tegna and Paramount's deal for Warner Bros. Discovery.

Expert Analysis

  • How Justices' TPS Ruling Affects Workforce Planning

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent holding in Mullin v. Doe that courts lack jurisdiction to review temporary protected status determinations greenlights the end of TPS for thousands of Syrian and Haitian nationals, and means employers must reevaluate TPS-designees' employability while avoiding discriminatory document practices, says attorney Richard Herman.

  • How State, Local Rules Are Expanding Debt Collection Reach

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    Consumer protection rules recently enacted by several states signal that the rules of debt collection are being rewritten at a pace that should command the attention of every creditor, servicer, debt buyer, collection agency and collection law firm operating across state lines, says Weldianne Scales at Reed Smith.

  • How Nixing Trade-Through Rule Would Alter Equity Markets

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent proposal to rescind the trade-through rule and the locked-and-crossed-markets prohibition represents one of the most significant potential changes to U.S. equity market structure in two decades, affecting exchanges, broker-dealers, and institutional and retail investors alike, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Reviving Prize Law Would Reshape Maritime Seizure Risks

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    Recent U.S. maritime interdictions of sanctioned tankers and shadow fleet vessels raise urgent questions about whether civil forfeiture or prize law — a framework that has not been meaningfully tested since the Spanish-American War — governs and the potential impacts on vessel owners, charterers and insurers, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • The Nuance Between The Atkins, Gensler SEC Strategic Plans

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    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins' recent draft strategic plan is a marked departure from that of former Chair Gary Gensler, portraying an intention to leave decisions to the market rather than steering corporate behavior through expansive disclosure mandates and regulatory enforcement, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Future Of Fed Independence Shaky After Justices' Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Trump v. Cook preserved the Federal Reserve's formal independence but could invite the president to remove board members with just modest protections, leaving the central bank's autonomy uncertain and potentially setting up fresh clashes over other agencies, says Steven Schwinn at the University of Chicago.

  • Series

    Mich. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The second quarter brought several notable financial services law developments to Michigan, including a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on state tax foreclosures, progress on a money transmission modernization bill package, and continued legislative momentum on cryptocurrency and mortgage lending, say attorneys at Dykema.

  • How New FERC Orders Are Prepping Grid For Large Loads

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    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent show-cause orders to grid operators to justify how their rates and regulations account for the interconnection of large and colocated loads like data centers may be just the first step in FERC's efforts to address anticipated reliability and affordability challenges in the coming years, say attorneys at Baker Donelson.

  • FDA Moves Leave Peptides In A Legal Gray Zone

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    While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has taken a concrete step forward on reclassifying certain peptides, the practical consequence of their interim status cannot be overstated — these substances are no longer designated as posing a significant safety risk, but they have not been affirmatively authorized for compounding, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • Series

    Bass Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Landing a trophy striped bass and closing a big deal both require cultivating the patience to finesse — not force — your way to desired outcomes, changing course when your old approach isn’t working and learning from the ones that got away, says Jon Ruiss at Alston & Bird.

  • What Consent Decree Trends Mean For Deal Clearances

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    With merger remedies back on the table under the current administration, an analysis of recent Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice consent decrees reveals that prior approval and prior notice provisions are no longer a foregone conclusion, and companies may be able to negotiate narrowly tailored obligations, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Series

    NY Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The year's second quarter brought several notable banking law developments to New York, including a proposal to align state stablecoin rules with the federal Genius Act, fresh fair lending and cybersecurity guidance from state regulators, and a significant Second Circuit holding on preemption, say attorneys at Ashurst Perkins Coie.

  • How Reincorporating In Texas May Alter Earnout Disputes

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    While the DExit debate has focused on shareholder suits, far less attention has been paid to what reincorporating in Texas means for M&A disputes, making it particularly important to understand the nuances between Delaware and Texas earnout jurisprudence, say attorneys at Selendy Gay.

  • What To Know If DOL Raises Overtime Salary Floor

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    With the U.S. Department of Labor recently rescinding a 2024 rule that increased the minimum salary for the Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime exemptions, employers should assess how a future increase would affect their workforce, paying particular attention to job duties requirements and state laws, says James Coleman at Constangy.

  • Roundup

    The Most Talked-About Supreme Court Decisions Of 2026

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    This term, 11 U.S. Supreme Court decisions quickly became hot topics among Law360's guest writers.

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