Washington

  • September 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Rejects Rethink, Unpauses Google Play Store Order

    The countdown for Google to open up the Play Store is ticking down again after the Ninth Circuit again affirmed district court monopolization findings.

  • September 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Orders Feds To Restore Refugee Agency Agreements

    The Ninth Circuit ordered the federal government to reinstate cooperative agreements with refugee resettlement agencies on Friday, saying President Donald Trump likely acted lawfully when suspending U.S. refugee admissions in January, but his administration must still provide legally mandated services to those who have already arrived.

  • September 12, 2025

    Amazon Says FTC Can't Subpoena Corporation For Prime Trial

    Amazon has told a Seattle federal judge that the Federal Trade Commission can't subpoena the company itself for a testimony at an upcoming trial over allegations that it tricked customers into Prime subscriptions and prevented them from undoing their membership, arguing subpoenas that do not name individuals "skirt the rules."

  • September 12, 2025

    Higher Ed Real Estate: A Back To School Special

    As colleges and universities face mounting financial pressures and enrollment challenges, their real estate strategies are evolving. From legal battles over property disputes to creative approaches for monetizing underutilized assets, Law360 Real Estate Authority offers a window into real estate concerns in the higher education sector.

  • September 12, 2025

    Split 9th Circ. Backs Cert. Denial In Progressive Car Value Suit

    A split Ninth Circuit panel on Friday upheld a lower court's refusal to certify a class of Progressive policyholders in a suit over adjustments the insurer makes when calculating the actual cash value of a totaled vehicle, finding that individual questions predominate over common ones.

  • September 12, 2025

    Real Estate Recap: CMBS Distress, Nuclear AI, Campus Golf

    Catch up on this past week's key developments by state from Law360 Real Estate Authority — including attorney perspectives on commercial mortgage-backed securities distress, the dawn of nuclear-powered data centers, and the albatross of golf courses on colleges and universities.

  • September 12, 2025

    States, Tribes Say New Policy Warrants Ore. Dam Case Restart

    An Oregon federal judge granted a joint motion by two states, environmental groups and tribes to lift a five-year stay in a lawsuit over Columbia River Basin dams' hydropower practices and attempts to restore fisheries, following a Trump administration memo revoking a basin agreement.

  • September 12, 2025

    Wash. Condo Association, Insurer Settle Water Damage Suit

    A Washington condominium association has settled a lawsuit with Country Casualty Insurance Co. over $2.4 million in unpaid claims for water damage that an architect and the association discovered in a probe to find hidden problems in buildings.

  • September 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Rethink Rejection Of Vegas Newspaper Pact

    The Ninth Circuit refused to reconsider a panel's decision finding that a long-standing arrangement between the Las Vegas Sun and the Las Vegas Review-Journal is unlawful because the rival newspapers needed approval from the U.S. attorney general.

  • September 12, 2025

    Wash. Panel Skeptical Of AG Doc Bid In Church Abuse Case

    A Washington appellate panel expressed doubt on Friday that the state attorney general could issue a sweeping subpoena to the Catholic Church in search of charitable trust funds potentially spent concealing child abuse, with one judge quipping the church's books will not have a "line item" for such expenditures.

  • September 12, 2025

    When The Supreme Court Says Using Race Is OK

    The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing government agencies to expressly use race in furthering their immigration enforcement goals, while prohibiting the use of race as even one of the factors to consider in college admissions. Some legal scholars see a double standard.

  • September 12, 2025

    Appeals Courts Rethink Harsh Youth Sentences, Search Rules

    State appellate courts across the country have issued major criminal law opinions this year, softening some of the harshest sentences for young defendants while shifting rules for searches and evidence collection.

  • September 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Says News Article Doesn't Doom Biotronik FCA Suit

    The Ninth Circuit revived a False Claims Act suit alleging that Biotronik orchestrated an illicit compensation scheme to boost the implantation of its cardiac devices in patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, saying the whistleblower's complaint presents new information that is not barred by fraud allegations disclosed in an earlier news article.

  • September 11, 2025

    Wash. Judge Halts Feds' Head Start Citizenship Check Policy

    A Washington federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on Thursday blocking a Trump administration policy requiring Head Start participants to prove citizenship, finding the federal directive jeopardizes stable learning environments depended on by children and families across the country.

  • September 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives 'Beauty' FX Copyright Verdict Against Disney

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday revived a verdict that Walt Disney Pictures vicariously infringed a digital effects company's facial-motion capture software by using it for the 2017 "Beauty and the Beast" film, saying the tech company presented sufficient evidence for jurors to find Disney could have stopped its effects contractor's infringement.

  • September 11, 2025

    Audible Credit Suit Raises Question On Wash. Gift Card Law

    A federal judge in Seattle has floated asking Washington's high court to clarify the scope of the Evergreen State's gift card law, suggesting on Thursday that a consumer suit over expiring Audible credits hinges on whether the statute only covers instruments with monetary value.  

  • September 11, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Lets Ruling On Canada's Cherry Patent Stand

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday declined a request by a group of cherry growers to reinstate a court order that a patent covering the Staccato cherry variety owned by the Canadian government was invalid, saying a district judge had not acted improperly by reversing the order.

  • September 11, 2025

    US Attorneys, Judicial Noms Advance Amid Senate Tensions

    Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, faulted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Thursday, for getting in the way of efforts by him and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the committee's ranking Democrat, to expedite the confirmation of U.S. attorney nominees. 

  • September 11, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Keeps Google, Amazon Patent Fights In Calif.

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday refused to send back to Texas federal court a pair of suits from a software company accusing Google and Amazon of patent infringement, refusing to undo findings that California was the better venue.

  • September 11, 2025

    Vet's Wells Fargo Credit Ding Didn't Break Law, Jury Finds

    Wells Fargo didn't violate the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act by failing to recognize fraud affecting the account of a customer who described himself as a veteran of the U.S. military's special forces, a federal jury in Washington state has concluded.

  • September 10, 2025

    Feds Barred From Axing 30-Year Noncitizen Services, For Now

    A Rhode Island federal judge Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from enacting a policy change requiring immigration status checks for a number of federally funded community services, saying a coalition of Democratic-led states is likely to succeed in its assertion that the move is unconstitutional, as well as arbitrary and capricious.

  • September 10, 2025

    En Banc 11th Circ. Ruling Hints At Broad Reach For Skrmetti

    The Eleventh Circuit invoking a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that backed a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors to rule against a transgender Georgia sheriff's deputy who challenged her health plan's coverage exclusions invites lower courts to import the justices' rationale into workplace discrimination cases, experts say.  

  • September 10, 2025

    T-Mobile Trial Kicks Off As Cell Tower Co. Ups Damages Claim

    A Washington state judge chided a cell tower builder Wednesday for introducing new testimony in a breach-of-contract case against T-Mobile USA Inc. just before opening arguments in the trial, asking why the plaintiff firm hadn't shown its math on a fresh $30 million damages estimate.  

  • September 10, 2025

    State AGs Back Trans Worker In Liberty U.'s 4th Circ. Appeal

    A group of 19 states and Washington, D.C., urged the Fourth Circuit to back a trial court's decision to keep a former Liberty University employee's transgender bias case in court, arguing the religious university's interpretation of the First Amendment would decimate anti-discrimination efforts.

  • September 10, 2025

    Hydroxycut Maker Iovate Gets Ch. 15 Relief As Case Kicks Off

    A New York bankruptcy judge agreed Wednesday to temporarily stay creditor actions against Canadian dietary supplement business Iovate Health Sciences one day after the Hydroxycut maker sought Chapter 15 protection.

Expert Analysis

  • How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

    Author Photo

    As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

  • Series

    Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist

    Author Photo

    Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.

  • Opinion

    We Must Allow Judges To Use Their Independent Judgment

    Author Photo

    As two recent cases show, the ability of judges to access their independent judgment crucially enables courts to exercise the discretion needed to reach the right outcome based on the unique facts within the law, says John Siffert at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: March Lessons

    Author Photo

    In this month's review of class actions appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses three federal appellate court decisions and identifies practice tips from cases involving antitrust allegations against coupon processing services, consumer fraud and class action settlements.

  • Series

    Performing Stand-Up Comedy Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Whether I’m delivering a punchline on stage or a closing argument in court, balancing stand-up comedy performances and my legal career has demonstrated that the keys to success in both endeavors include reading the room, landing the right timing and making an impact, says attorney Rebecca Palmer.

  • Bias Suit Shows WNBA Growing Pains On Court And In Court

    Author Photo

    A newly filed disability discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against the Los Angeles Sparks is the latest in a series of employment discrimination disputes filed by WNBA professionals, highlighting teams' obligation to meet elevated workplace expectations and the league's role in facilitating an inclusive work environment, say attorneys at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Unpacking The Illicit E-Cigarette Crackdown By State AGs

    Author Photo

    A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general for nine states and the District of Columbia announced a coordinated effort to curb illicit electronic cigarette sales, illustrating the rising prominence of state attorneys general using consumer protection laws to address issues of national scope, especially when federal efforts prove ineffective, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From SEC To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    As I adjusted to the multifaceted workflow of a BigLaw firm after leaving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, working side by side with new colleagues on complex matters proved the fastest way to build a deep rapport and demonstrate my value, says Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block.

  • Making The Case For Rest In The Legal Profession

    Author Photo

    For too long, a culture of overwork has plagued the legal profession, but research shows that attorneys need rest to perform optimally and sustainably, so legal organizations and individuals must implement strategies that allow for restoration, says Marissa Alert at MDA Wellness, Carol Ross-Burnett at CRB Global, and Denise Robinson at The Still Center.

  • 4 Ways Women Attorneys Can Build A Legal Legacy

    Author Photo

    This Women’s History Month, women attorneys should consider what small, day-to-day actions they can take to help leave a lasting impact for future generations, even if it means mentoring one person or taking 10 minutes to make a plan, says Jackie Prester, a former shareholder at Baker Donelson.

  • Bid Protest Spotlight: Prejudice, Injunctions, New Regulations

    Author Photo

    In this month's bid protest roundup, Markus Speidel at MoFo looks at three recent decisions that consider whether a past performance evaluation needs to show prejudice to be successfully challenged, the prerequisites for injunctive relief and the application of new regulatory requirements to indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts.

  • Unpacking First Consumer Claim Under Wash. Health Data Act

    Author Photo

    The first consumer class action claim filed under Washington's My Health My Data Act, Maxwell v. Amazon.com, may answer questions counsel have been contending with since the law was introduced almost a year ago, if the court takes the opportunity to interpret some of more opaque language, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • A Judge's Pointers For Adding Spice To Dry Legal Writing

    Author Photo

    U.S. District Judge Fred Biery shares a few key lessons about how to go against the grain of the legal writing tradition by adding color to bland judicial opinions, such as by telling a human story and injecting literary devices where possible.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Washington archive.