Public Policy

  • May 20, 2024

    U-Visa Decisions Take Minutes, Not Years, Immigrants Say

    Immigrants alleging delayed processing of their U-visa applications have rebuffed the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's efforts to dismiss their proposed class action, urging a Michigan federal court to order the agency to issue decisions they say take only a few minutes, not years.

  • May 20, 2024

    Oil & Gas Groups Press DC Circ. To Block EPA Methane Rule

    Oil and gas industry groups have urged the D.C. Circuit to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's expanded methane emissions control requirements while they're being challenged in court, saying the agency failed to reckon with the requirements' outsized impacts on owners of low-producing oil and gas wells.

  • May 20, 2024

    T-Mobile Deals Threaten Mobile Network Operators, FCC Told

    A mobile virtual network operator is telling the Federal Communications Commission to better protect competition in the MVNO market, claiming in a new filing with the agency that T-Mobile has been using its newfound market power to bully its brands' competitors.

  • May 20, 2024

    Patients Urge 9th Circ. To Deny UBH Petition In Claim Fight

    Patients alleging United Behavioral Health mismanaged their mental health and substance use disorder treatment claims urged the Ninth Circuit not to grant the insurance company's petition for appellate court intervention in the consolidated action, arguing the effort was inappropriate and unjustified.

  • May 20, 2024

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Delaware was full of drama last week, as proposed changes to the state's corporate law statutes raised eyebrows and a professor's friend-of-the-court brief sparked a very unfriendly public exchange. Delaware's court of equity banged the gavel on pipeline and social media disputes, and shareholders filed new suits alleging insider trading, vote bungling, unfair stock buybacks and merger shenanigans. In case you missed any of it, here's the recap of all the top news last week from Delaware's Chancery Court.

  • May 20, 2024

    Lethal Injection 'Not Rocket Science,' Ga. Says As Trial Begins

    As Georgia began a bench trial Monday against a death row inmate who is suing to be executed by firing squad, counsel for the state told a federal judge that she expected the inmate to have "a hard road to hoe" in disproving that the state's use of lethal injection is safe, effective and can be carried out with relative ease.

  • May 20, 2024

    CORRECTED: DeSantis Signs Bill Adding 9 New Judgeships

    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill that will add nine new judgeships in the state, including two circuit court judges in Pensacola and southwest Florida and seven additional county court judges.

  • May 20, 2024

    Landlords Bring Another NY Rent Law Challenge To Top Court

    A coalition of landlords and advocacy groups brought yet another U.S. Supreme Court petition challenging 2019 changes to New York's rent stabilization laws, arguing that a Second Circuit's March decision in the state's favor misapplied several key high court decisions.

  • May 20, 2024

    Pa. Rehab Center Worker's Firing Suit Filed Too Late

    A Pennsylvania appeals panel won't reinstate a wrongful termination suit by a former rehabilitation center worker who says she was wrongly fired for using medical cannabis, rejecting her argument that her claims should be subject to a six-year statute of limitations instead of two years.

  • May 20, 2024

    Wyo. Tribe Secures $9.2M For Wastewater Infrastructure

    The Northern Arapaho Business Council has been awarded a nearly $9.2 million federal grant aimed at improving a wastewater system known as the Beaver Creek Lagoon that serves the Beaver Creek housing development and Wind River Hotel & Casino.

  • May 20, 2024

    Menendez Texts With Wife A Legislative Promise, Judge Says

    Emoji-laden texts between Sen. Robert Menendez and his wife about an arms sale constitute a legislative promise, a Manhattan federal judge reiterated Monday, as the government seeks to prove the power couple had a corrupt agreement with a New Jersey businessman.

  • May 20, 2024

    FDIC's Gruenberg To Resign In Workplace Report Aftermath

    Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg committed Monday to resigning from his post amid continuing fallout from his agency's toxic workplace scandal, bending to mounting pressure for his exit.

  • May 20, 2024

    Pa. Federal District Judge Gene Pratter Dead At 75

    U.S. District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter, who joined the bench in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in 2004 and presided over several landmark cases, died Friday at the age of 75, according to a statement from the court.

  • May 17, 2024

    TikTok, Feds Ask DC Circ. To Fast-Track Potential Ban Row

    TikTok, a group of its creators and the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday all asked the D.C. Circuit to fast-track challenges to a new federal law that would exclude the popular app from the U.S. market unless it cuts ties with its Chinese parent company.

  • May 17, 2024

    Meet The Attys Fighting Efforts To Ban TikTok

    Facing a potential federal ban, TikTok and creators on the platform have tapped a bevy of BigLaw heavyweights, including attorneys who have successfully led challenges to prior moves to shut down the popular social media platform and limit children's online activities, as well as a pair of litigators who've argued dozens of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. 

  • May 17, 2024

    Calif. OKs Rule For Judges To Work Remotely In Civil Cases

    California's Judicial Council on Friday approved a new rule of court to allow judges to preside remotely under limited circumstances over civil proceedings from a location other than a courtroom.

  • May 17, 2024

    Apple OK'd New App Fees Despite Antitrust Ruling

    An Apple Inc. executive conceded during a high-stakes antitrust hearing Friday over Apple's compliance with a court-ordered ban on App Store anti-steering rules that executives decided to implement a new 27% fee on out-of-app transactions despite knowing a jury had recently found that similar Google fees violated antitrust laws.

  • May 17, 2024

    Utah, Farm Groups Ask To Reopen Bears Ears Monument Suit

    The state of Utah and two farming associations have asked a D.C. federal court to lift a more than three-year stay in a tribal case over the Bears Ears National Monument, saying the case is now moot and another monument case is pending before the Tenth Circuit.

  • May 17, 2024

    FCC Asked To Clarify PEG Capital Costs Aren't Franchise Fees

    Cities want the Federal Communications Commission to make clear in a new rule requiring "all-in" cable pricing disclosures that capital costs involved in public and educational channels don't fall under the definition of franchise fees.

  • May 17, 2024

    SD Gov. Says Cartels Operating On Tribal Lands Across US

    South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem told reporters Friday that drug cartels are operating on tribal lands, not only in her state, but in Indigenous communities throughout the country, calling for seven of the state's nine tribes that have banned her to banish the illegal operations she described instead.

  • May 17, 2024

    Colo. Precedent Barred Insurer's Crash Liability Challenge

    A Colorado state appeals court affirmed a lower court's finding that a Progressive unit couldn't contest liability in its policyholder's car crash case involving an uninsured driver, saying the lower court correctly applied binding Colorado Supreme Court precedent.

  • May 17, 2024

    Crypto Cos. Take SEC Cases To The Court Of Public Sentiment

    Mounting tension between the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the cryptocurrency industry has led companies dealing in digital assets to toss the long-held practice of keeping notices of potential enforcement quiet and wear them as a badge of honor in the hopes of currying public favor.

  • May 17, 2024

    Judge Rails At Attys' Failure To Prep For Evasion Case Queries

    A U.S. Court of International Trade judge lambasted the government's counsel during oral arguments Friday in a Cambodian pipe company's suit over a tariff evasion probe for failing to answer her questions, even with time to prepare.

  • May 17, 2024

    DC Circ. Probes Carbon Capture In LNG Approval Challenge

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday questioned the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's decision to reapprove a Texas liquefied natural gas terminal without considering the terminal developer's proposal to add environmentally friendly modifications, amid renewed challenges to the agency's authorization of LNG facilities in the Lone Star State.

  • May 17, 2024

    How A $3K Pro Se Claim Led To A 9-0 High Court Decision

    A milestone victory at the U.S. Supreme Court for $3,000 in wages started with a Pentagon worker’s principled commitment to his employer — a dedication that ironically led to a decadelong fight against his own bosses. Stuart R. Harrow and his attorneys speak to Law360 about how a seemingly low-stakes conflict turned into a high-profile case with reverberations for hundreds of federal employees.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Why Supreme Court Should Allow Repatriation Tax To Stand

    If the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't reject the taxpayers' misguided claims in Moore v. U.S. that the mandatory repatriation tax is unconstitutional, it could wreak havoc on our system of taxation and result in a catastrophic loss of revenue for the government, say Christina Mason and Theresa Balducci at Herrick Feinstein.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • High Court's Jan. 6 Rioter Case May Have Wide Ripple Effects

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    The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in Fischer v. United States, a case that will determine whether a law enacted after the Enron scandal can be used to prosecute Jan. 6 rioters, and could affect the government’s ability to charge those who impede a range of official proceedings, say Brook Dooley and Sara Fitzpatrick at Keker Van Nest.

  • How Export Controls Are Evolving To Address Tech Security

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    Recently proposed export control regulations from the U.S. Department of Commerce are an opportunity for stakeholders to help pioneer compliance for the increasing reliance on the use of outsourced technology service providers, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • HHS Opioid Rule Generally Benefits Providers And Patients

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' newly effective rule, the first substantial change to opioid treatment programs and delivery standards in over 20 years, significantly expands access and reduces stigma around certain medications, though the rule is narrow in scope and does have some limitations, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • 5th Circ. Clarifies What Is And Isn't A 'New Use' Of PFAS

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    The Fifth Circuit's March 21 decision in Inhance Technologies v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, preventing the EPA from regulating existing uses of PFAS under "significant new use" provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act, provides industry with much-needed clarity, say Joseph Schaeffer and Sloane Wildman at Babst Calland.

  • Handling Customer Complaints In Bank-Fintech Partnerships

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    As regulators mine consumer complaint databases for their next investigative targets, it is critical that fintech and bank partners adopt a well-defined and monitored process for ensuring proper complaint handling, including by demonstrating proficiency and following interagency guidance, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    New Mexico Fire Victims Deserve Justice From Federal Gov't

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    Two years after the largest fire in New Mexico's history — a disaster caused by the U.S. government's mismanagement of prescribed burns — the Federal Emergency Management Agency must remedy its grossly inadequate relief efforts and flawed legal interpretations that have left victims of the fire still waiting for justice, says former New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas.

  • Opinion

    $175M Bond Refiled By Trump Is Still Substantively Flawed

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    The corrected $175 million bond posted by former President Donald Trump on Thursday to stave off enforcement of the New York attorney general's fraud judgment against him remains substantively and procedurally flawed, as well as inadequately secured, says Adam Pollock of Pollock Cohen.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • Opinion

    Streamlined Mine Regulation Is Key For The Energy Transition

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    Mining is essential for obtaining the critical minerals required for a transition to greener energy and transportation technologies, but inefficient permitting processes are making it harder to mine these essential materials that will enable a more environmentally sound future, says Scot Anderson at Womble Bond.

  • 2 Recent Suits Show Resiliency Of Medicare Drug Price Law

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    Though pharmaceutical companies continue to file lawsuits challenging the Inflation Reduction Act, which enables the federal government to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, recent decisions suggest that the reduced drug prices are likely here to stay, says Jose Vela Jr. at Clark Hill.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

  • A Look At Recent Challenges To SEC's Settlement 'Gag Rule'

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    Though they have been unsuccessful so far, opponents of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's so-called gag rule, which prevents defendants from denying allegations when settling with the SEC, are becoming increasingly vocal and filing more challenges in recent years, say Mike Blankenship and Regina Maze at Winston & Strawn.

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