Public Policy

  • July 15, 2026

    X.AI Says Man Misused Grok To Create Child Abuse Material

    Elon Musk's xAI is suing a man who faces criminal charges of sexually exploiting children, saying in a Texas federal lawsuit that he abused and circumvented the safeguards of the company's generative artificial intelligence chatbot Grok to create child sexual abuse material in violation of the terms of service.

  • July 15, 2026

    'Bind Our Agency': Vought Urges House To Curb CFPB Powers

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's acting Director Russell Vought told a U.S. House of Representatives panel Wednesday that the agency shouldn't "exist in its current form," urging lawmakers to further rein in its funding and authority as he prepares to exit as interim chief.

  • July 15, 2026

    White Farmers Win Cert. In Suit Against USDA

    The Texas Farm Bureau won certification of a class of white farmers after the federal government said it had no position on the motion in the suit accusing the government of giving minority farmers preferential treatment under a Biden administration program.

  • July 15, 2026

    Wireless Carriers Want FCC Changes To Space Reg Update

    Wireless trade group CTIA told the Federal Communications Commission it supports the agency's plans to slash satellite licensing regulations, but wants to ensure the rules protecting earth stations in shared bands are not cut in the process.

  • July 15, 2026

    US Backs ICE Agent's Removal Bid In Minnesota Assault Case

    The U.S. Department of Justice defended a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent facing assault charges for brandishing a gun at another motorist, telling a Minnesota federal judge this week that he should be able to fight the case in federal court — where he can seek immunity — because he "performed the job he is paid to do."

  • July 15, 2026

    DOJ Asks DC Circ. To Stay USDA Grant Revival Order

    The Trump administration is asking the D.C. Circuit to pause a district judge's injunction ordering the U.S. Department of Agriculture to reinstate more than $100 million in land access program grants aimed at assisting "underserved" farmers, arguing that the case belongs in the Court of Federal Claims.

  • July 15, 2026

    Judge Finds No Harm In Restarting Immigration Processing

    A Rhode Island federal judge on Wednesday refused to pause his June 5 ruling that vacated the government's indefinite hold on immigration processing for individuals subject to President Donald Trump's travel ban, finding the government would not be harmed.

  • July 15, 2026

    10th Circ. Judge Urges Inmate Sex Consent Precedent Review

    A federal appeals court judge in the Tenth Circuit said that underlying case law in the circuit surrounding sexual relationships between incarcerated people and their jailers should be revisited, and that the circuit should stop assuming these relationships can be consensual.

  • July 15, 2026

    Ex-Utah Land Exec Says Ute Tribe's Bias Suit Fails Again

    The former director of Utah's School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration has asked a federal judge to dismiss a Native American tribe's most recent complaint in a race-based suit claiming state officials conspired to freeze the tribe out of a land sale, saying he didn't discriminate against the tribe.

  • July 15, 2026

    Ex-Ill. Police Chief Gets 3 Years For Taking, Covering Up Bribe

    A former Chicago suburban police chief was sentenced to three years in federal prison Wednesday for accepting a $10,000 cash bribe and splitting the money with a former municipal employee before trying to cover the payment up as a loan years later.

  • July 15, 2026

    Local Gov'ts Seek To Bar HHS Teen Health Program Changes

    A group of local governments and health nonprofits urged a D.C. federal court Wednesday to block recent federal mandates requiring Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grant recipients to incorporate abstinence education and other changes to their reproductive health programming, arguing the changes are arbitrary and capricious.

  • July 15, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives PPP Fraud Suit Against Calif. Mortgage Co.

    The Ninth Circuit Wednesday revived whistleblower entity Relator LLC's lawsuit accusing a California mortgage lender and its founder of making false statements in a federal loan application, saying in a published opinion that information backing Relator's allegations was not already publicly available so as to bar its claims.

  • July 15, 2026

    Trump Swiftly Fires Court-Appointed Seattle US Atty

    Almost immediately after being sworn in as Seattle's new U.S. attorney Wednesday morning, former King County Superior Court judge and federal prosecutor Roger Rogoff was fired by President Donald Trump.

  • July 15, 2026

    CIT Judge Says Order Incoming For Next Tariff Refund Phase

    The U.S. Court of International Trade judge overseeing U.S. Customs and Border Protection's development of a duty refund system for tariffs struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court forecast new directions for the government as it prepares another phase of its tariff refund system, according to an order published Wednesday.

  • July 15, 2026

    Pa. Panel Backs Benefits For Giant Eagle Worker Hit By Car

    A Pittsburgh pharmacy technician can get workers' compensation after she was hit by a car during her 15-minute lunch break, since the break was limited enough to fall under the "personal comfort doctrine" in state law, a divided appellate court ruled Wednesday.

  • July 15, 2026

    NJ Justices Rule Fraud Law Applies To Insurance Brokers 

    Insurance brokers, producers and agents are not exempt from the Consumer Fraud Act under an exception for semiprofessionals, the New Jersey Supreme Court held Wednesday, reviving a neurosurgeon's allegation his insurance broker negligently failed to obtain sufficient disability insurance for him after he developed a vision condition.

  • July 15, 2026

    Ga. Court Says State Rep. Must Face Wrongful Death Suit

    Georgia State Rep. Trey Kelley, R-Cedartown, will have to face a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the father of a man who was struck and killed in a bicycle accident, the Georgia Court of Appeals said Wednesday, reversing a lower court's dismissal of the case.

  • July 15, 2026

    USPTO Officials Stress That Patent Interviews Are Still Vital

    Officials from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday emphasized that interviews with examiners are still an essential part of the patent prosecution process, disclaiming what one leader called "this misnomer that interviews are now disfavored" in the wake of a policy change. 

  • July 15, 2026

    DC Circ. Says District Court Can't Decide USPS Policy Claim

    The D.C. Circuit reversed a 2020 summary judgment win for Democratic-led states and cities that required the Postal Service to increase services at its election mail processing centers in more than 20 districts across the country, so millions of ballots could be delivered before that year's general election.

  • July 15, 2026

    Inventors, USPTO Agree On Scope Of Patent Program Suit

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and a pair of inventors have agreed that a review program referenced by Trump administration official Edward Martin was outside the scope of a proposed class action over the office's now-defunct program for flagging "sensitive" patent applications for extra review.

  • July 15, 2026

    Wash. Panel Says Prosecutor-Victim Doesn't DQ Colleagues

    A Washington appellate panel has held that a trial court judge erred in disqualifying a county prosecutor's office from handling charges against a driver who crashed into one of its attorneys during a police pursuit.

  • July 15, 2026

    DOJ Clears Tech Brokerage Real's $880M Re/Max Deal

    The U.S. Department of Justice has terminated its review of the Real Brokerage's planned $880 million purchase of Re/Max Holdings, allowing the technology-focused real estate brokerage to move ahead with the deal.

  • July 15, 2026

    What To Watch In Massachusetts In The 2nd Half Of 2026

    As midsummer approaches, Massachusetts attorneys are focused on much more than just the Red Sox winning streak and the fallout from the Jaylen Brown trade; from a headline-grabbing federal prosecution to the midterm elections to cases that could shape the state's noncompete laws, practitioners have plenty on their radar in the latter half of the year.

  • July 15, 2026

    Squires Grants 10 PTAB Petitions, Denies 14 In Newest Order

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires turned away 14 Patent Trial and Appeal Board petitions on Tuesday, while instituting another 10.

  • July 15, 2026

    FCC Eyes Revamp Of Telecom Subsidies' Governing Body

    After months of agency staff looking into possible changes to high-speed connectivity programs, the Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on a plan next month that would alter the structure of the outside company that manages the funds.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Cow Horse Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Moving an unwilling 800-pound cow while riding a horse at high speed is exhilarating, a little unhinged and, at least for me, a surprisingly effective training ground for litigation — both demand focus, preparation over rigid planning and the willingness to act despite fear, says Ashley Zitrin at Glenn Agre.

  • Unpacking The Take It Down Act's Compliance Ambiguities

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    The Federal Trade Commission’s recent guidance concerning the Take It Down Act suggests that covered platforms should build removal systems immediately and prioritize compliance, but until courts or regulators provide additional clarity, companies will be navigating a statutory framework that is urgent and uncertain, says Laura-Kate Bernstein at ZwillGen.

  • Protecting AI-Driven Innovation In Life Sciences IP

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    Recent developments, including the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's evolving inventorship standards, and the impact of artificial intelligence on the "person of ordinary skill in the art" standard demand that life sciences companies elevate AI patent strategy to a top priority, says Sandra Haberny at Quinn Emanuel.

  • NY's UCC Updates Spell Change In Digital Asset Lending

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    Given the state’s role as a preferred jurisdiction for financing transactions, New York’s recent enactment of Uniform Commercial Code amendments, which establish control as a central concept for determining who has rights to a digital asset, will encourage nationwide growth toward a more technology-neutral approach to secured transactions, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • How Trump's Nuclear EO Has Transformed The NRC

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    In the year since President Donald Trump issued Executive Order No. 14300, directing sweeping reforms of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the agency has revised key oversight programs and proposed major rulemakings and new licensing frameworks — but the NRC must continue to center transparency and trust as key values, says Brooke Clark at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Agentic AI And Securities Law: Steps Congress Should Take

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    Agentic artificial intelligence technology doesn't fit comfortably into the existing securities regulatory landscape, so Congress should avoid repeating the mistakes that led to the legal uncertainty crypto companies and investors have faced over the past decade-plus by providing a legislative framework before AI fully matures, says Joseph A. Hall at Davis Polk.

  • Weighing Trade-Offs Of SEC's Semiannual Reporting Proposal

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    Though public companies could benefit from a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposal that would allow them to file earnings reports just twice a year, widespread adoption could also increase market volatility, complicate capital raising and fragment disclosure standards to the detriment of issuers and investors, say attorneys at Seward & Kissel.

  • High Court's Hikma Decision Reshapes 'Skinny Label' Suits

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Hikma v. Amarin marks a significant victory for generic drug manufacturers, but rather than putting an end to so-called skinny label inducement claims, it narrows and refocuses them, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • Virginia's Cannabis Retail Veto Leaves Industry In Legal Limbo

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    Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger's recent veto of legislation that would have established a regulated retail cannabis framework halts momentum built by the General Assembly, but it also sends important signals about what a future regulatory framework must address to survive, says Charles Slemp at Cozen.

  • Opinion

    At High Court, Oil Cos.' Suncor Preemption Claims Fall Short

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    In Suncor Energy v. Boulder County, pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, oil and gas companies argue that municipalities' climate deception claims are equivalent to emissions standards for their industry — but the suit is ultimately incapable of imposing such standards, say Thomas McGarity at the University of Texas School of Law and James Goodwin at the Center for Progressive Reform.

  • What Colorado AI Law's Major Rewrite Means For Employers

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    Colorado's landmark law regulating employers' use of artificial intelligence tools was recently replaced with a narrower regime that eliminates many burdensome obligations, but still imposes a host of requirements focused on transparency and accountability, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Operational AI Washing: The Next Frontier Of Fiduciary Risk

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    While there are still no final Delaware decisions applying Caremark specifically to artificial intelligence governance failures, previous case law provides a blueprint, so the question for boards is whether their governance architectures will satisfy Caremark when the first cases are decided, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • A Look At The Court's Next Steps In Live Nation Antitrust Case

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    Following a recent jury verdict that Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as a monopoly to fix ticket prices, a New York federal court stands to weigh Live Nation's bid for a new trial, approve the U.S. Department of Justice's March settlement with the defendants, and impose remedies that include full structural separation, say attorneys at Crowell.

  • How Crypto Firms Can Prep As Clarity Act Inches Toward Law

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    Though the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act’s road to enactment remains uncertain, the statutory framework for regulating digital commodities recently advanced by the Senate Banking Committee is now sufficiently developed that market participants can begin preparing in several areas where the complicated legislation would affect them, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • Checking For AI Errors Is Now A Two-Way Street

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    A handful of recent federal and state cases demonstrate the importance of checking for errors generated by artificial intelligence not only in your own court submissions, but also your opponent's, as well as when catching opposing counsel's AI mistakes could result in an award for attorney fees, says Tamara Barago at Hollingsworth.

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