Public Policy

  • August 13, 2025

    Shah of Iran Intel Chief Must Face Torture Claims By 3 Men

    A former top security official in the regime of Iran's former ruler, Shah Reza Pahlavi, must face a human rights abuse lawsuit by three men alleging he aided and abetted the torture of perceived political dissidents during the 1970s, a Florida federal judge said Tuesday.

  • August 13, 2025

    Andreessen Horowitz Urges SEC To Craft DeFi Safe Harbor

    Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and crypto lobby the DeFi Education Fund penned a joint letter Wednesday, urging the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to shield certain decentralized crypto projects from broker-dealer requirements.

  • August 13, 2025

    What Attys Want To Know About Lutnick's Harvard IP Threat

    After the U.S. Department of Commerce threatened last week to take control of some patents owned by Harvard University, attorneys have been questioning the practicality and legality of doing so.

  • August 13, 2025

    Ga. Defends Polling Place Food And Water Ban At 11th Circ.

    The state of Georgia urged the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to restore a ban on handing out food and water to voters in line after it was partially blocked by a federal district judge, telling a panel that the First Amendment controversy over the restriction shouldn't outweigh the state's interest in maintaining order at polling places.

  • August 13, 2025

    NYC Pot Shops Can't Revive Suit Over Marijuana Crackdown

    A federal judge will not reconsider his decision to end a lawsuit filed by more than two dozen companies that claim their due process rights were violated when New York City closed some of their stores on claims they were unlicensed cannabis operations, saying they brought nothing new for the court to ponder.

  • August 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Greenlights Expansive Use Of Discovery Statute

    The Ninth Circuit ruled for the first time that documents produced under a foreign discovery statute may be used in proceedings other than those identified in a petition, affirming an Oregon federal court decision in an acrimonious dispute over control of a Luxembourg-based investment fund.

  • August 13, 2025

    FTC Closes Antitrust Probe Of Calif. Truck Emissions Pact

    The Federal Trade Commission has closed an antitrust investigation into Daimler, Volvo and other heavy-duty truck manufacturers after they swore off an agreement brokered with California regulators to abide by heightened emission standards.

  • August 13, 2025

    Visa Lottery Applicants Win Bid To Compel Travel Ban Record

    The Trump administration has until Thursday to disclose the administrative record behind the travel ban, which a D.C. federal judge said is necessary to weigh a bid by diversity visa lottery winners to halt what they deem an unlawful "no-visa policy."

  • August 13, 2025

    Pennsylvania Drops $2B Suit After Federal Funds Restored

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro voluntarily dismissed on Wednesday a lawsuit against the Trump administration seeking to restore $2 billion in federal funds designated for Pennsylvania in light of the government's release of the money.

  • August 13, 2025

    Business Groups Fail To Halt Calif. Climate Reporting Rules

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups lost a bid to block new California state regulation requiring large companies to publicly disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks that they said violated their First Amendment rights, when a federal judge Wednesday denied them preliminary injunction.

  • August 13, 2025

    Colo. Dispensary Says Weed Regulator Made Invalid Rule

    The owners of a cannabis company told a state judge on Tuesday that an industry bulletin posted about them by Colorado's marijuana regulator was "quasi-legislative" and created new enforcement rules in the industry without approval.

  • August 13, 2025

    High Court's Trans Ruling Doesn't Change Insurer's ACA Loss

    A Washington federal judge has reaffirmed his finding that Premera Blue Cross' coverage policy for gender-affirming chest surgery violates the Affordable Care Act, rejecting the insurer's bid for a redo following the Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti.

  • August 13, 2025

    Trump Taps Democratic Commissioner As Acting FERC Chair

    President Donald Trump on Wednesday named Democratic Commissioner David Rosner as acting chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, citing his support for expanding the electric grid to better serve data centers and artificial intelligence, which is an administration priority.

  • August 13, 2025

    Trump Admin Bid To Kill SSA Data Suit Ruled Premature

    The Trump administration can't fight an injunction in Maryland federal court and the Fourth Circuit simultaneously, a Maryland federal judge said Wednesday, tabling the administration's dismissal bid while the Fourth Circuit considers whether to lift a ban on the Department of Government Efficiency accessing unredacted Social Security data.

  • August 13, 2025

    8th Circ. Revives Ark. Ban On Youth Gender-Affirming Care

    A split Eighth Circuit en banc panel revived an Arkansas state law banning gender-affirming care for minors, finding that a district court erred in blocking the law because it does not discriminate based on sex but instead classifies based only on age and medical procedure.

  • August 13, 2025

    Trump's Troop Deployment In Calif. Troubles Judge

    A California federal judge overseeing a bench trial over the state's claims that President Donald Trump unlawfully deployed troops there told a U.S. Justice Department lawyer Wednesday that he was troubled by the seeming lack of limits on the use of the soldiers once they're in place.

  • August 13, 2025

    Trump's 'Debanking' Push May Run Up Against Biden-Era Wall

    President Donald Trump wants federal regulators to punish banks that they find have unfairly closed accounts belonging to conservatives, but those plans could collide with a court decision that his administration chose to stop fighting earlier this year.

  • August 13, 2025

    DC Circ. Greenlights Trump's Freeze On Foreign Aid

    A divided D.C. Circuit on Wednesday lifted an injunction requiring the Trump administration to release funding for foreign aid work done before Feb. 13, with a dissenting judge saying the decision lets the administration sidestep judicial review of unconstitutional actions.

  • August 13, 2025

    Gun Rights Orgs. Drop NJ Gov. From Suit Over Age Limits

    Two firearm-ownership advocacy groups and a New Jersey teen seeking to invalidate prohibitions on teens buying and carrying handguns have dropped New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy from their lawsuit, choosing to focus on other state officials and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

  • August 13, 2025

    Cannabis' Social Equity Efforts In Doubt After 2nd Circ. Ruling

    A Second Circuit decision Tuesday, finding that the Constitution's dormant commerce clause applies to the federally illegal marijuana industry, further constricts states' ability to implement programs intended to award so-called social equity licenses favoring those harmed by past cannabis prohibition, experts told Law360.

  • August 27, 2025

    Water Law & Real Estate: A Special Report

    What's more summery than a trip to the shore? That's where Law360 Real Estate Authority has headed — not for a break, but for a special section looking at waterfront real estate, from coastal development challenges to big projects and the lawyers keeping them on course.

  • August 13, 2025

    FCC Waives Local Radio Ownership Cap In East Texas

    The Federal Communications Commission will allow an acquisition of several commercial FM radio stations in east Texas to go through by waiving the agency's local ownership cap, the agency said Wednesday.

  • August 13, 2025

    Wash. Agencies Must Give Up Docs In Medicaid Fraud Case

    A Washington federal judge has ordered the state attorney general's office to hand over certain records to a hospital system accused of overbilling Medicaid in connection to a neurosurgeon's fraud scheme, rejecting the argument that the documents at issue belong to other state agencies that must be subpoenaed.

  • August 13, 2025

    5th Circ. Again Reverses Class Cert. In Kids' Medicaid Suit

    The Fifth Circuit again on Tuesday instructed a Louisiana court to narrow the definition of a class of patients who allege that the state's health department has failed to provide mental health services for Medicaid-eligible children.

  • August 13, 2025

    2nd Circ. Upholds Ban On Certain SALT Cap Workarounds

    An Internal Revenue Service rule prohibiting charitable donation workarounds to the federal cap on state and local tax deductions will remain in place, a Second Circuit panel said Wednesday, affirming a district court determination that upheld the agency's ban on the programs.

Expert Analysis

  • Breaking Down Part 3 Of The Copyright Office's AI Report

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    On May 9, the U.S. Copyright Office published a prepublication version of the third and final part of its three-part report on artificial intelligence, offering key insights on the unauthorized use of copyrighted material by AI systems, says Courtney Sarnow at CM Law.

  • 8 Insurer Takeaways From Sweeping Georgia Tort Reform

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    Insurers should take note of several critical components of Georgia's tort litigation overhaul — including limitations on damages anchoring, procedural rules governing dismissals, and liability standards in negligent security cases — and adapt claims-handling strategies to reduce litigation risk, says Lucy Aquino at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Bill Leaves Renewable Cos. In Dark On Farmland Reporting

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    A U.S. Senate bill to update disclosure requirements for foreign control of U.S. farmland does not provide much-needed guidance on how to report renewable energy development on agricultural property, leaving significant compliance risks for project developers, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

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    My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.

  • Opinion

    FCPA Shift Is A Good Start, But There's More DOJ Should Do

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    The U.S. Department of Justice’s new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act guidelines bring a needed course correction amid overexpansive enforcement, but there’s more the DOJ can do to provide additional clarity and predictability for global companies, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Opinion

    IRS Should Work With Industry On Microcaptive Regs

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    The IRS should engage with microcaptive insurance owners to develop better regulations on these arrangements or risk the emergence of common law guidance as taxpayers with legitimate programs seek relief in the federal courts, says Dustin Carlson at SRA 831(b) Admin.

  • How Providers Can Brace For Drug Pricing Policy Changes

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    Though it's uncertain which provisions of the Trump administration's executive order aimed at addressing prescription drug costs will eventually be implemented, stakeholders can reduce potential negative outcomes by understanding pathways that could be used to effectuate the order's directives, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Comparing New Neural Data Privacy Laws In 4 States

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    Although no federal law yet addresses neural privacy comprehensively, the combined effect of recent state laws in Colorado, California, Montana and Connecticut is already shaping the regulatory future, but a multistate compliance strategy has quickly become a gating item for those experimenting with neuro-enabled workplace tools, says Kristen Mathews at Cooley.

  • 2025's First Half Brings Regulatory Detours For Fintechs

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    The first half of the year has resulted in a bifurcated regulatory environment for fintechs, featuring narrowed enforcement in some areas, heightened scrutiny in others and a policy window that, with proper compliance, offers meaningful opportunities for innovation, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Debunking 4 Misconceptions Around Texas' IV Therapy Law

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    Despite industry confusion, an IV therapy law enacted in Texas last week may actually be the most business-friendly regulatory development the medical spa industry has seen in recent years, says Keith Lefkowitz at Hendershot Cowart.

  • A Pattern Emerges In Justices' Evaluation Of Veteran Statute

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    The recent Soto v. U.S. decision that the statute of limitations for certain military-related claims does not apply to combat-related special compensation exemplifies the U.S. Supreme Court's view, emerging in two other recent opinions, that it is a reviewing court's obligation to determine the best interpretation of the language used by Congress, says attorney Kenneth Carpenter.

  • Opinion

    Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

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    The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.

  • Psychedelic Treatment Regs May Be At A Tipping Point

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    Recent scientific and public attention suggest that development of psychedelics as treatment for some conditions may be at a tipping point, which could bring on more rapid change and opportunities for stakeholders who may in the future benefit from greater access to safe and effective psychedelic medicines, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • In NRC Ruling, Justices Affirm Hearing Process Still Matters

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas safeguards the fairness, clarity and predictability of the regulatory system by affirming that to challenge an agency's decision in court, litigants must first meaningfully participate in the hearing process that Congress and the agency have established, says Jonathan Rund at the Nuclear Energy Institute.

  • Comparing Stablecoin Bills From UK, EU, US And Hong Kong

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    For multinational stablecoin issuers, navigating the differences and similarities among regimes in the U.K., EU, Hong Kong and U.S., which are currently unfolding in several key ways, is critical to achieving scalable, compliant operations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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