Public Policy

  • November 03, 2026

    Calif. AG Rob Bonta Wins 2nd Term Over Michael Gates

    California voters on Tuesday handed state Attorney General Rob Bonta a decisive reelection win over an Orange County city administrator who briefly served as a U.S. Department of Justice deputy assistant attorney general during the current Trump administration.

  • November 03, 2026

    Va., Mo. Voters Deliver Wins For Abortion Rights

    Supporters of abortion access won key victories Tuesday in Virginia and Missouri as voters across the country took up healthcare measures that will shape state laws on reproductive and gender-affirming care, according to partial, unofficial returns.

  • November 03, 2026

    Sports And Betting On The Ballot: A Midterms Roundup

    Tuesday's midterm elections saw voters weigh in on a bevy of closely watched sports initiatives, with four states on track to approve new restrictions on transgender athletes and Nebraska voters rejecting two proposals to expand sports betting there.

  • November 03, 2026

    Mich. Voters Approve Limits On Utility Campaign Donations

    Michigan voters approved a statewide ballot proposal Tuesday restricting campaign contributions from certain regulated utilities and government contractors,while Ann Arbor voters opposed a separate measure establishing a municipal electric utility that could eventually replace DTE Energy as the city's electricity provider.

  • November 03, 2026

    Mass., Idaho Voters Defeat Anti-Cannabis Ballot Measures

    Voters in Massachusetts and Idaho on Tuesday rejected efforts to repeal or restrict marijuana legalization, dealing a blow to anti-cannabis activists and lawmakers who sought to turn Election Day into a referendum on voter-led efforts to reform drug laws.

  • November 03, 2026

    Mich. Voters Reject Constitutional Convention

    Michigan voters rejected a ballot proposal Tuesday to convene the state's first constitutional convention in more than six decades, closing the door to a sweeping review of the state's governing document that could have reshaped laws on taxation, elections, education and reproductive rights. 

  • November 03, 2026

    Ga. Adopts Farming Tax Break, Mich. Limits Utility Donations

    Voters in seven states were set to decide closely watched environmental ballot measures, including whether California should speed up environmental reviews, if Colorado should codify a "right to natural gas," and if Michigan should tighten campaign finance restrictions on the utility industry.

  • November 03, 2026

    3 Wash. Supreme Court Justices Poised To Keep Seats

    Three incumbent Washington State Supreme Court justices held off challengers in Tuesday's election, and King County Superior Court judges emerged as front-runners for two other open spots on the state high court, according to preliminary results.

  • November 03, 2026

    Democrat Nathan Johnson Wins Race For Texas AG

    Democratic candidate Nathan Johnson beat his Republican opponent in the race for Texas attorney general on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. 

  • November 03, 2026

    New Calif. Governor Promises Litigation-Heavy Agenda

    Former state attorney general and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra's projected win in the California governor's race Tuesday night tees up fresh legal battles with the Trump administration and puts immigration, insurance and artificial intelligence policy at the top of lawyers' watch lists.

  • November 03, 2026

    Raoul Remains Illinois' Attorney General

    Illinois voters allowed Attorney General Kwame Raoul to remain the state's top legal officer on Tuesday, reelecting the Democrat to serve his third term in the post.

  • November 03, 2026

    Democratic Senate Flip Reshapes Trump's Judicial Outlook

    Democrats winning control of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday leaves the Trump administration a narrow window to fill dozens of judicial vacancies under a Republican majority, with key GOP lawmakers saying they will use the lame-duck session to confirm as many conservative judges as possible.

  • November 03, 2026

    NY AG Letitia James Defeats Holtzman Vogel Partner

    New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday won a third term by defeating Holtzman Vogel partner Saritha Komatireddy.

  • November 03, 2026

    Justice Earls Keeps NC Supreme Court Seat In Win For Dems

    Incumbent Justice Anita Earls preserved her seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court on Tuesday, delivering Democrats a key victory in their effort to reclaim a majority on the state's highest court.

  • November 03, 2026

    Ohio Voters Lead Data Center Pushback In Ballot Questions

    Voters on ballot questions across the country Tuesday broadly opposed building new data center projects, with Ohio voters enacting roadblocks to projects pitched by Amazon, Meta and others, in an electoral test for the buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure.

  • November 03, 2026

    Georgia AG's Office Goes Blue As Miller Beats Strickland

    Democratic state Rep. Tanya Miller won Georgia's attorney general race Tuesday, defeating Republican state Sen. Brian Strickland in the contest for an office the GOP had held since 2011.

  • November 03, 2026

    Okla. Voters Reject Property Tax Assessment Limit

    Oklahoma voters rejected a ballot measure that would have reduced the maximum percentage by which political jurisdictions are allowed to increase tax assessments on real property from one year to the next.

  • November 03, 2026

    Feds Dropping Charges Against Harvard Researcher

    The government is dropping charges against a Harvard researcher and Russian national who was found with preserved clawed frog embryo samples at Boston's Logan International Airport last year, according to a filing Tuesday evening.

  • November 03, 2026

    Dems Win Control Of Georgia Public Service Commission

    Voters in Georgia flipped Republican control of the state's Public Service Commission, which regulates investor-owned utilities, in a pair of races that attracted unusually high political spending amid rising electricity prices and a massive data center buildout.

  • November 03, 2026

    Tribe Says Pipeline Harm Statement Shouldn't Be Dismissed

    A Native American tribe has asked a D.C. federal judge not to strike its natural resources director's statement about potential harm the Army Corps of Engineers will cause by allowing Enbridge Energy to reroute 41 miles of a pipeline around the tribe's lands.

  • November 03, 2026

    Kathy Jennings Wins 3rd Term As Delaware Attorney General

    Delaware voters gave Democratic Attorney General Kathy Jennings a third consecutive four-year term Tuesday, deciding who will lead an office responsible for prosecuting criminals, protecting consumers and policing corporate misconduct in the nation's leading state for business incorporation.

  • November 03, 2026

    NC Voters OK Limiting Property Tax Increases

    North Carolina will amend its constitution to allow the state to impose restrictions on the ability of local governments to raise property tax rates, according to the preliminary results of a Tuesday vote.

  • November 03, 2026

    Fla. Panel Told Stormwater Plan Disregards Clean Water Law

    West Palm Beach asked a Florida state appeals court on Tuesday to rescind a permit for a stormwater management project along a forest preserve, saying a regional agency failed to consider state legislation strengthening water quality standards. 

  • November 03, 2026

    4th Circ. Keeps CIA Officers' Appeal Rights In DEI Firing Suit

    All but one of the Fourth Circuit's judges voted to deny the federal government's request for an en banc rehearing of a panel's split decision that allowed CIA officers to appeal terminations that were allegedly due to their involvement with assignments related to DEI and accessibility, according to a Tuesday order.

  • November 03, 2026

    Lockheed To Pay $29.5M Over Alleged DEI Bias Practices

    Lockheed Martin Corp. agreed to pay $29.5 million under two settlements announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that the defense contractor considered race or sex in some pay, hiring and promotion decisions while certifying compliance with federal antidiscrimination requirements

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • NLRB Memo Signals Narrower View Of Protected Activism

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    A recent National Labor Relations Board memo concluding that Microsoft lawfully discharged two employees who conducted a pro-Palestinian protest on company property indicates that the current NLRB general counsel may take a more restrictive view of when political or social advocacy qualifies as protected activity, say attorneys at Franczek.

  • What Insurers Need To Know About 2 New California Laws

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    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two measures last week that while addressing distinct issues — catastrophe claims handling and insurers' corrective actions, respectively — reflect similar themes, including insurers' preparation before problems arise, transparency while they are being addressed, and meaningful remediation afterward, says Lucy Wang at Hinshaw.

  • Opinion

    PTAB Panels Should Revamp Their IPR Merits Decisions

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    In light of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires' recent announcement about returning merits institution determinations to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, the implementing framework should strengthen PTAB panels' responsibility for the benefit of both petitioners and patent owners, says Brandon Theiss at AddyHart.

  • FCC Covered List Is Pushing Limits Of Supply Chain Scrutiny

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    Companies outside the traditional telecommunications sector may now need to factor the Federal Communications Commission's equipment authorization requirements into supply chain compliance as the FCC covered list continues to expand as a national security tool, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

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