Public Policy

  • October 19, 2026

    Justices Want SG's Input On Block Of Iowa Immigration Law

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday called for the solicitor general's view on whether Iowa can implement a law allowing state officials to arrest previously deported noncitizens and requiring state judges to order that those individuals must leave the U.S.

  • October 19, 2026

    High Court Won't Hear Google's 'Settled Expectations' Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up a case in which Google argued that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has exceeded its authority by using the age of patents as a reason to refuse to review them.

  • October 19, 2026

    Justices Won't Hear Challenge To Chicago Towing Practices

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Monday to take up the constitutionality of Chicago's vehicle booting, towing, impounding and disposal practices, with two justices expressing "serious concerns" over the idea of leaving the Seventh Circuit's blessing in place.

  • October 19, 2026

    High Court Skips Blackbeard Shipwreck Copyright Clash

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a videographer's long-running copyright case over photos and videos they took of the famous pirate Blackbeard's shipwreck off the coast of North Carolina.

  • October 18, 2026

    Trump Waives Russia Sanctions, Tariff Law After Fuel Deal

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order to suspend Russian sanctions and tariff provisions contained in a law passed earlier this year by Congress in response to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

  • October 16, 2026

    NY, Conn. Secure $2.7M Deal Over Health Network Data Breach

    A pediatric health network and its information technology manager have agreed to pay $2.7 million to resolve the New York and Connecticut attorneys general's claims that they failed to institute "common" security measures to protect the personal data of patients impacted by a 2024 data breach, the states announced Friday. 

  • October 16, 2026

    Texas Court Tosses $60M Security Guard Scuffle Verdict

    A Texas appeals court Friday tossed a roughly $60 million verdict and castigated the trial court for creating a record "rife with error" after the lower court wrongly included several corporate entities in a judgment relating to a scuffle between a security guard and a patron.

  • October 16, 2026

    Wash. AG Office, WSU Rigged $15M Data Contract, Suit Says

    A former prosecutor and the police-use-of-force analytics company he now helms sued Washington's attorney general's office and Washington State University over an allegedly rigged $15 million public safety data contract, claiming the defendants privately coordinated and shared nonpublic procurement information ahead of a competitive bidding process.

  • October 16, 2026

    Wash. Justices Void Vague Release Term For Sex Offender

    The Washington Supreme Court has reversed a convicted child molester's community custody condition that he not possess or access "sexually exploitive materials" because the term is not clearly defined in state law, and could potentially mean many things.

  • October 16, 2026

    NORML Urges 6th Circ. To Reconsider Pot Illegality Ruling

    The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a leading cannabis consumer advocate, is urging the Sixth Circuit to rehear its decision throwing out a $31.8 million jury verdict for a Michigan marijuana grower, arguing federal illegality should not categorically bar contract damages against a cannabis purchaser that breached a supply deal.

  • October 16, 2026

    Suing The Trump Admin Can Have Massive Impact, Attys Say

    Lawyers representing clients against the federal government spoke Friday about the challenges and rewards of such litigation in the Trump era, with plaintiff-side powerhouse Elizabeth Cabraser pointing to the potential for massive impact, including one case in which she successfully got more than a billion dollars in grant funding reinstated.

  • October 16, 2026

    State Telecom Roundup: Clearing The Way For BEAD Funds

    Nearly five years after the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden, states have finally started disbursing funds to subgrantees who will carry out the projects that are supposed to end the digital divide.

  • October 16, 2026

    DC Circ. Questions Trump Records Ownership Claim

    Judges on the D.C. Circuit hounded a Trump administration attorney over the White House's attempt to do away with the Presidential Records Act on Friday, as they searched to find the limit on the president's authority over his own work documents.

  • October 16, 2026

    Permitting Bill Gives FERC A Bigger Enforcement Hammer

    Recently introduced U.S. Senate permitting legislation proposes an unprecedented extension of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's enforcement reach into areas of electricity grid planning policy that have been traditionally overseen by states, experts say.

  • October 16, 2026

    Frontier Settles Connecticut's Data Breach Probe For $625K

    Frontier is going to pay $625,000 to end a Connecticut state investigation into a data breach that compromised the Social Security numbers of nearly 60,000 people in the state two and a half years ago.

  • October 16, 2026

    Fla. Localities Seek To End Sex Offender Registry Challenge

    The state of Florida and dozens of cities and counties are urging a Florida federal court to toss an advocacy group's lawsuit that claims state and local laws governing registered sex offenders violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

  • October 16, 2026

    Denver Pot Shop Says City Can't Revoke Approved License

    A would-be marijuana shop is looking to force Denver to honor the final approval of a retail store license, claiming the city licensing director unlawfully withdrew authorization and ordered a redundant hearing, which will risk tens of thousands of dollars it has already spent.

  • October 16, 2026

    GAO Wants Better Federal Office Occupancy Data Collection

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office told the General Services Administration that the GSA needs to do a better job of collecting occupancy data for federal office space, saying that improved data collection would allow the federal government to cut waste.

  • October 16, 2026

    Conn. Agency Prevails Against Estate's $20M Infant Death Suit

    The estate of a slain infant did not prove Connecticut Department of Children and Families workers caused the 7-month-old boy's death by failing to take him away from his father, who threw him into the Connecticut River from a 90-foot-high bridge, a state judge has ruled after a bench trial.

  • October 16, 2026

    GAO Finds Workforce Slump In Nuclear Weapons Agency

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a new report Friday finding that the agency responsible for managing the country's nuclear weapons stockpile has seen its number of mission-critical employees continue to drop amid the highest workload since the Cold War.

  • October 16, 2026

    CFPB Looks To Collect $144M In CashCall Bank Row

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has asked a California federal judge to order Merchants Bank of Indiana to hand over $144 million in collateral it has held for lender CashCall, arguing the bank acted in bad faith by delaying enforcement of the judgment against CashCall by retaining the funds.

  • October 16, 2026

    10th Circ. OKs EPA's Okla. Indian Country Programs Approval

    The Tenth Circuit rejected a Native American tribe's challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to approve Oklahoma's request to extend the state's administration of federal environmental regulatory programs to Indian Country, ruling Friday that a provision of a 2005 transportation bill controls the outcome.

  • October 16, 2026

    FCC Eyes 'All Options' As 5th Circ. Orders Subsidy Fee Redo

    The Federal Communications Commission said Friday it was exploring all options for managing the $9 billion Universal Service Fund after a Fifth Circuit panel ruled the FCC lacked authority to create the funds' private oversight company.

  • October 16, 2026

    Michigan State Must Face Claims In Public Records Fee Fight

    Michigan State University must face claims that it improperly charged nearly $3,900 to fulfill a public records request and deliberately delayed releasing documents concerning alleged financial irregularities and university oversight, a Michigan Court of Claims judge has ruled, allowing two claims to proceed while dismissing five others.

  • October 16, 2026

    Target Says It Warned Investors About Pride Merch Backlash

    Target Corp. told a Minnesota federal court it should be released from a class action alleging it "betrayed" investors with Pride-themed merchandise that they claim was "exceptionally offensive," saying the company sufficiently warned investors about the potential backlash to the campaign.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Practice Tips After DOJ's Healthcare Fraud Declination

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    In light of the U.S. Department of Justice's decision to not prosecute Campus Eye Management under the agency's new corporate enforcement and voluntary self-disclosure policy, healthcare companies should keep several considerations in mind when weighing their risk and self-disclosure strategy, including the distinctions between reporting to the DOJ versus other government agencies, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • What Bulk-Power Gear Import EO Means For US Energy Cos.

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    Though President Donald Trump's recent executive order restricting imports of foreign-produced bulk-power system electrical equipment imposes no immediate obligations on private parties, stakeholders can take near-term steps to mitigate supply chain and contractual risks, as much of the order's ultimate impact will depend on implementing regulations, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Assessing The Early Days Of Woodcock's SEC Tenure

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    Since David Woodcock took over the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement four months ago, the division has pursued a scaled-back caseload centered on fraud and manipulative conduct, largely following the enforcement outlook that emerged under SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • AI And AML: Rulemakings Lean Into Responsible Innovation

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    Recent federal rulemaking increasingly supports deployment of artificial intelligence tools for anti-money laundering compliance purposes, and institutions that build clear use and governance frameworks will be best positioned to defend programs when AI systems err, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Juggling And Unicycling Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Because I juggle (sometimes with fire) and ride the unicycle, friends and family used to joke that I should join the circus, but I pursued the practice of law instead and learned that my hobbies benefit my profession in several important ways, says Morgan Eddy at Smith Currie.

  • Unpacking Texas' New Grid Reliability Rules For Data Centers

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    The Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ recently effective technical and compliance obligations, designed to prevent data centers and other large energy customers from causing cascading outages when they go offline, will challenge facilities to develop equipment and protocols to help protect the grid, says Casey Bell at Balch & Bingham.

  • Opinion

    Md. Court Got Ad Tax Similarity Analysis Wrong

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    Decisions striking Maryland’s digital advertising tax are fundamentally flawed because the Maryland Tax Court found similarity between digital ads and other ads without considering deep market distinctions, says Darien Shanske at UC Davis School of Law.

  • Opinion

    NC Litigation Funding Ban Sets Model For Other States

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    States worried about rising liability costs and the commercialization of their courts should treat North Carolina's recently enacted litigation funding ban as a model because a prohibition adequately addresses the distortion that disclosure only documents, say attorneys at McAngus Goudelock.

  • The Future Of DOL Judge Removal Challenges After Slaughter

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Trump v. Slaughter calls into question whether U.S. Department of Labor administrative law judges exercising significant governmental authority remain insulated from presidential removal, but the answer depends on the governing statute, its severability provisions and other factors, says Mark Ishu at Conn Maciel.

  • DOJ Executive Privilege Opinion Portends 3rd-Party Dilemmas

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    The recent opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel concluding that executive privilege can shield the president's communications with private advisers may lead to interbranch disputes, and companies must come up with a response plan now before they’re caught in the middle, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Planning For The Impact Of FinCEN's CTA Rollback

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    The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent rollback of Corporate Transparency Act reporting obligations should reduce compliance costs, but its plans to revisit customer due diligence rules should prompt companies and financial institutions to reassess state beneficial ownership programs, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How 'Swap' Fight Underpins Prediction Market Enforcement

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    As courts around the country grapple with whether, and under what circumstances, event contracts qualify as swaps, federal enforcement authority hangs in the balance, with implications for companies that need to manage compliance risks during this period of legal uncertainty, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • EPA Guidance May Simplify On-Site Power For Data Centers

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    At a moment when wait times to connect large loads to the electric grid can stretch into years, two recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidance documents seek to make it easier for data center developers to set up on-site power generation — but much will depend on how quickly states and localities update their own rules, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Fed's Capital Rule Proposal Could Help Banks Stay Mutual

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    The Federal Reserve Board's recent proposal to comprehensively rewrite its capital rule and reduce procedural requirements for mutual holding companies would support community banking by allowing mutual institutions new ways to fund growth without converting to stock form, say attorneys at Nutter.

  • 8(a) Firms Face New Risks From Pass-Through Arrangements

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    ​Prime contractors and subcontractors with pass-through arrangements involving the Small Business Administration's 8(a) business development program should ensure they are prepared for heightened litigation risks created by the administration’s use of False Claims Act whistleblowers to target fraud in diversity, equity and inclusion programs, say attorneys at RJO.

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