Public Policy

  • October 15, 2026

    Texas Appeals Court Says Cities Can't Block ETJ Opt-Out Law

    A Texas appeals court on Thursday found that cities cannot block a state law that allows citizens living in areas surrounding municipalities to leave the cities' jurisdiction, saying the law does not violate the Texas Constitution.

  • October 15, 2026

    Market Surveillance Co. Taps Ex-CFTC Counsel To Lead Policy

    Fintech-focused market surveillance firm Solidus Labs announced Thursday that it's brought on a former U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission attorney who advised lawmakers on closely watched crypto legislation to lead its policy efforts.

  • October 15, 2026

    Fed's Bowman Says Regulators Must Focus On Material Risks

    Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman has urged international banking regulators to focus on addressing material risks to the financial system instead of pursuing what she described as "less valuable work," based on flawed assessments of Silicon Valley Bank's 2023 collapse.

  • October 15, 2026

    Wash. Justices Doubt Prosecutor Immunity In Judge DQ Case

    Washington Supreme Court justices pushed back Thursday on assertions by a county prosecutor's office that it's immune from claims that it improperly used disqualification affidavits to remove a former judge from its cases, with one justice noting that a line-level prosecutor acknowledged an officewide policy to seek disqualification of the judge.

  • October 15, 2026

    Louisiana Asks Justices To Undo Stay In Coastal Damage Suit

    Louisiana urged the U.S. Supreme Court to erase a Fifth Circuit stay of a remand order preventing one of its parishes from litigating coastal damage claims against an oil and gas company in state court, arguing the "comity essential to our federalism" was disrupted.

  • October 15, 2026

    Dems Want FTC To Investigate Online Homebuying Industry

    Democratic U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren have asked the Federal Trade Commission to conduct an antitrust investigation into the "anticompetitive and deceptive practices" of the country's online homebuying industry, saying that the FTC needs to employ "every enforcement tool available to restore competition to the entire online real estate marketplace."

  • October 15, 2026

    Colo. Panel Upholds Agency's Emissions Monitoring Rule

    The Colorado Court of Appeals upheld a state agency's rule on emissions monitoring Thursday, wholly rejecting a challenge by environmental groups that contended the rule allows most polluters to escape certain monitoring requirements by paying a fee.

  • October 15, 2026

    Matt Gaetz Accused Of Sex Trafficking In Florida Suit

    Two women on Thursday filed a Florida federal trafficking lawsuit against former Congressman Matt Gaetz, alleging that he used his power and influence to recruit them into a commercial "venture" in which they were paid to have sex with men in various cities throughout the U.S.

  • October 15, 2026

    Google Will Seek To Pause Ad Tech Case For DOJ Appeal

    Google will ask a New York federal court to pause a scheduled April trial in the private antitrust litigation over its advertising placement technology while it appeals a loss in a similar case from the U.S. Department of Justice in Virginia.

  • October 15, 2026

    Trump Admin Urges High Court To Curb APA Rule Vacatur

    The Trump administration is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether the Administrative Procedure Act allows federal judges to universally vacate agency rules in what could be a major test of the judiciary's authority to check executive agency power.

  • October 15, 2026

    FERC Makes Further Moves To Speed Up Gas Project Reviews

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday issued a pair of proposals aimed at speeding up its approval of gas infrastructure projects by narrowing the scope of the agency's environmental reviews.

  • October 15, 2026

    Calif. Asks DC Judge To Void EPA's 'Unlawful' Waiver Moves

    California has asked a D.C. federal judge to void the Trump administration and congressional Republicans' "manifestly unlawful" use of the Congressional Review Act to make Clean Air Act waivers for the Golden State subject to rescission by lawmakers.

  • October 15, 2026

    Feds Seek To Undo Colo. Payment To Defunct Health Insurer

    The federal government Wednesday asked a Colorado federal judge to reverse the approved distribution of nearly $2 million in assets from a defunct insurer to its creditors, claiming that a nearly $24 million claim from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services supersedes the general creditors' claims.

  • October 15, 2026

    Mo. Hemp Interests Seek To Block Restrictions

    Missouri officials have asked a federal court to halt discovery in a lawsuit by hemp companies challenging new regulations on intoxicating cannabinoid products, arguing the case turns on pure legal questions that can be resolved within the state's motion to dismiss.

  • October 15, 2026

    IRS Says Donor Disclosure Rule Is Key To Tax Compliance

    The Internal Revenue Service's nonprofit donor disclosure rule doesn't violate the First Amendment, the agency told a D.C. federal court, arguing the rule promotes voluntary compliance from nonprofits through information reporting requirements.

  • October 15, 2026

    White House Crypto Aide Exits Role

    White House crypto aide Patrick Witt announced Thursday that he's left his post, a departure that comes after key crypto legislation stalled in the U.S. Senate last month.

  • October 15, 2026

    NYC Comptroller Urges Anthropic To Ease Risks Before IPO

    New York City Comptroller Mark Levine is urging Anthropic PBC to pause plans for an initial public offering it says could value the company at $2 trillion, calling on the business to first resolve concerns over the technology's governance, safety and development pace.

  • October 15, 2026

    Pa. E-Cigarette Law Survives Vape Companies' Challenge

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has upheld a state law limiting electronic cigarette sales to products that have received or are pending approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, finding the state law fell into an exception to the federal tobacco law's preemptions.

  • October 15, 2026

    PhRMA Again Seeks To Join 340B Rebate Pilot Fight

    The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America on Thursday asked a Maine federal court to let it join a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's proposed rebate system in the 340B drug discount program, arguing the litigation could directly affect its members' approved plans and financial interests.

  • October 15, 2026

    Innocent Spouse Tax Relief Bid Timely Filed, 5th Circ. Told

    The U.S. Tax Court improperly concluded that a Texas woman narrowly missed a statutory filing deadline in seeking innocent spouse relief on federal income taxes and shouldn't have dismissed her case, she told the Fifth Circuit, arguing the deadline isn't jurisdictional.

  • October 15, 2026

    Missouri AG Alumni Make Their Mark In Trump 2.0

    Missouri is hundreds of miles from Washington, D.C., but the legal community of the Show-Me State has taken a significant hold in the second Trump administration.

  • October 15, 2026

    Justices Stay 4th Circ. Mandamus In FCC Political Ad Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court has stayed an order from a Fourth Circuit panel that would have required the full Federal Communications Commission to review agency staff guidance requiring broadcasters to offer discount ad rates to political committees tied to candidates.

  • October 15, 2026

    Muscogee Chief Says Court Can't Grant Freedmen Citizenship

    Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief David Hill is asking an Oklahoma federal court to dismiss a challenge that looks to block the tribe from denying citizenship to descendants of people once enslaved by the Indigenous nation, arguing that it can be achieved only through a constitutional amendment and legislative process.

  • October 15, 2026

    Colo. Chamber Can't Join Tax Plan Challenge, Court Says

    A court Thursday denied the request of the Colorado Chamber of Commerce to intervene in suit alleging that a proposal to replace the state's flat income tax rate with a graduated system failed to gather the signatures needed to reach the November ballot.

  • October 15, 2026

    DOJ Defends Government-Funded Trump Ad Campaign

    A D.C. federal judge declined to immediately join a New York federal court in blocking the Trump administration's government-funded campaign-style ads from airing after a Justice Department attorney said the campaign was over, but appeared to agree with a Democratic National Committee attorney who called the ads propaganda and not public service announcements as the government has claimed.

Expert Analysis

  • IRS Notice Helps Bridge Carbon Capture Reporting Gap

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    Recent guidance that extends a safe harbor for taxpayers claiming Section 45Q carbon capture credits provides a temporary reporting method that may keep viable projects moving while the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Environmental Protection Agency address future reporting standards, says Peter Lowy at Nelson Mullins.

  • How GCs Can Assess The Risks Of Emerging AI Laws

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    Amid a swirl of momentous legislative activity aimed at regulating artificial intelligence, general counsel must return to first principles when determining whether new laws will apply and whether the company’s use could cause regulators to subject it to additional regulation, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Illinois Domestic Violence Law Expands Employer Obligations

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    With a new Illinois law expanding domestic violence protections by redefining harassment for the digital age and making protective orders more accessible, employers should review their policies and training programs as they will likely encounter more orders and a wider range of workplace restrictions, say attorneys at Nixon Peabody.

  • What State AI Election Laws Mean For The 2026 Midterms

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    In the absence of federal rules governing artificial intelligence in elections and no consensus emerging across state laws, campaigns, their vendors and AI developers must address the risks associated with outdated rules written for other problems, says Matthew Shapanka at Covington.

  • Why Pa. Push For Brownfield Renewables May Not Be Enough

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    A recent executive order from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro directed state regulators to expedite siting of clean energy development on former industrial sites — but additional reforms may be needed to effectively eliminate barriers to these types of projects, says Louis Dodge at Langsam Stevens.

  • Draft Biosolids Guidance Illuminates EPA's Approach To PFAS

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    Recent draft guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on mitigating risks from two "forever chemicals" in sewage sludge is not legally binding, but its recommendations may help wastewater treatment plants operators, landowners, farmers, water agencies and the public understand the agency's current thinking, says Ayodeji Ayolola at Gordon Rees.

  • 4 Words In A 1980 Law Could Redraw Bank Lending

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    The Tenth Circuit's interpretation of a single phrase in the Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act could reshape interstate bank lending, requiring banks and fintechs to document loan-making functions, monitor repayment triggers, and reassess true lender and contractual risks, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Cultivating Good Judgment

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    Law schools generally overlook the role that solid judgment skills play in real-world practice, but attorneys can bridge the gap by strengthening their abilities to assess a case’s strengths and weaknesses, develop and execute effective strategies, and provide clear recommendations to clients, says Manny Caixeiro at Venable.

  • Responding To State Packaging Law Uncertainty

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    As states roll out new packaging and recycling mandates, companies face expanding compliance duties and a growing wave of constitutional challenges that offer key lessons for managing regulatory risk, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • CMS Rule, DOJ Probes Deepen Gender Care Compliance Risk

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    The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' final rule restricting Medicaid funding for hospitals that provide gender-affirming care is likely to face immediate litigation, but the CMS rulemaking is already working alongside U.S. Department of Justice's enforcement campaign to create operational risk for providers, say attorneys at Arnall Golden.

  • New Del. Corp. Law's Technical Tweaks Bring Broad Changes

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    While the new amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law, which took effect on Aug. 1, appear technical, they have broad implications for wound-down corporations and carry personal exposure for whoever signed the certificate of dissolution, hinting at where entity law is heading next, says Ashwin Ram at Buchalter.

  • How Trucking Cos. Can Tackle Risk From New DOJ Task Force

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    Trucking companies should audit their drivers’ credentials and address risk areas lest they attract the attention of the new Justice Department-led task force against the fraudulent licensing of immigrants as commercial truckers, which is turning former questions of administrative or regulatory noncompliance into matters for federal prosecution, say attorneys at RJO.

  • What To Expect From Colorado's New Artist Co. Structure

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    Colorado's newly established class of artist companies, or A-Corps, provides a useful structure for small-scale ventures, but challenges could arise for more complex business plans, and limitations on investor participation may limit widespread adoption, say attorneys at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • 2 Cases Shed Light On Invoking The 5th Before Congress

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    Given the anticipated increase in congressional investigations following the midterm elections, those who anticipate being in Congress' spotlight can draw valuable Fifth Amendment lessons from the ongoing case involving Dr. Anthony Fauci's testimony and the D.C. Circuit’s recent ruling in de la Torre v. Cassidy, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • AG Watch: Oregon Targets Consumer Costs

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    Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield's challenges to bank interest rate and escrow preemption signal heightened scrutiny of consumer costs for lending services, requiring financial institutions serving Oregon and other states with opt-out laws to reassess compliance risk, says Keturah Taylor at Cozen O'Connor.

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