Appellate

  • October 08, 2025

    Conn. High Court OKs DNA Taken From Trash Sans Warrant

    In a decision setting standards for privacy, Connecticut's highest court upheld the conviction of a man sentenced to 72 years in prison for a series of 1984 home invasion sexual assaults, finding that police were allowed to take his trash to obtain DNA without a warrant.

  • October 08, 2025

    Black NC Voters Take Redistricting Case To 4th Circ. Again

    Two Black voters have urged the Fourth Circuit to hear as soon as possible their case alleging the North Carolina General Assembly unlawfully redrew state senate districts in a way that diluted the voting power of Black residents.

  • October 08, 2025

    Colo. Justices Rule Newspaper Is 'Citizen,' Can Get Atty Fees

    The Colorado Supreme Court weighed in on a local newspaper's battle against the city of Aurora, ruling for the first time that a corporation is a "citizen" under the state's open meetings law and can recover litigation costs.

  • October 08, 2025

    Biz Groups Back Ariz. Land Swap Amid 9th Circ. Appeal

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a slew of mining associations are backing the federal government's efforts to nix a Ninth Circuit appeal that looks to block the transfer of more than 2,500 acres within Arizona's Tonto National Forest to a copper mining company.

  • October 08, 2025

    7th Circ. Won't Rethink Reviving Christian Teacher's Bias Suit

    The Seventh Circuit declined a school district's invitation to revisit a panel opinion that reinstated a religious bias suit from a Christian teacher who said he was forced to quit because he wouldn't refer to transgender students by their preferred names.

  • October 07, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Talks Judge Denzel Washington, AI Susan Sarandon

    More than half of the Federal Circuit's judges were in Boston on Tuesday conducting out-of-town oral arguments, and afterward they discussed the most concerning and most promising elements of artificial intelligence, how to write a good brief, why en banc hearings are rare and which celebrities they'd love to see on a panel.

  • October 07, 2025

    Panel Said Congress Was 'Feckless,' 6th Circ. Told In FCC Row

    The Sixth Circuit should agree to a full court reconsideration of a panel's decision to back the Federal Communications Commission's expanded data breach notifications for telecom carriers, says a conservative legal organization that believes the panel assumed Congress was legislating "fecklessly."

  • October 07, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Focuses On Breadth Of UPenn IP In Eligibility Fight

    The University of Pennsylvania and Regenxbio Inc. on Tuesday tried to persuade a Federal Circuit panel that their gene therapy patent should be revived, but at least one judge repeatedly said it's too broad.

  • October 07, 2025

    11th Circ. Wary Of IRS Procedure In FBAR Penalty Appeal

    An Eleventh Circuit panel Tuesday appeared concerned about IRS procedures that could keep a man from recouping $419,000 he paid to resolve his failure to disclose funds held in foreign bank accounts as he appeals a district court determination that he actually owes $2.2 million.

  • October 07, 2025

    5th Circ. Queries If ChampionX Covered In $40M Oil Spill Suit

    A Fifth Circuit panel Tuesday pressed ChampionX Corp. to explain how it can pursue a lawsuit in Texas seeking to make multiple insurers pay for its defense in a $40 million oil spill lawsuit if the underlying policies don't name it.

  • October 07, 2025

    Urologist Provider Must Face Data Leak Claims, Panel Says

    The Georgia Court of Appeals has largely revived a proposed class action against a urology provider over a 2021 data breach that allegedly compromised the personal information of more than 79,000 patients, ruling Monday that the clinic could be liable for negligence and breach of contract.

  • October 07, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives Ex-Service Members' Antimalarial Drug Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Tuesday breathed new life into a lawsuit by four former U.S. military service members who claim drugmakers Hoffman-La Roche Inc. and Genentech Inc. failed to warn them about permanent psychiatric side effects allegedly caused by the antimalarial drug mefloquine.

  • October 07, 2025

    11th Circ. Rules Atty Privacy Invasion Suit Can't Be Arbitrated

    The Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday denied two Florida attorneys' request for the out-of-court resolution of a lawsuit brought by former clients alleging their private legal information was disclosed in public court dockets, ruling that the claims against the lawyers aren't covered by a retainer agreement's arbitration clause.

  • October 07, 2025

    Chamber Asks 9th Circ. For Clarity In Trade Secrets Cases

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce backed Boeing's bid for the Ninth Circuit to reconsider a panel's decision to reinstate a $72 million jury verdict against the company, saying the panel's "swift treatment" of such a complex issue threatens creating confusion.

  • October 07, 2025

    Goldstein's $968K Border Cash Claim To Be Admitted At Trial

    A Maryland federal jury will hear claims from prosecutors that SCOTUSblog publisher Tom Goldstein told Dulles International Airport border guards that the $968,000 in cash he brought into the country in 2018 had been gambling winnings, after a judge shot down his efforts to suppress his alleged statements Tuesday.

  • October 07, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says State Lawmakers Mostly Immune From TCPA

    State legislators in certain instances can make robocalls if they want, the Third Circuit has declared after finding that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act's ban on automated and prerecorded texts and calls without consent doesn't apply to them.

  • October 07, 2025

    NJ Surgeon On The Hook For Full $1.6M In Med Mal Case

    A New Jersey physician found by a jury to be 60% at fault for a man's death following gallbladder removal surgery must pay the entire $1.6 million verdict, a New Jersey appeals court has ruled, citing a state statute regarding comparative fault in injury cases.

  • October 07, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Ponders Document Sealing In EDTX's Patent Cases

    A Federal Circuit panel grappled Tuesday with document sealing practices in patent cases in the Eastern District of Texas, appearing at points skeptical about a digital rights nonprofit's efforts to unseal records in since-concluded litigation involving Charter Communications Inc.

  • October 07, 2025

    4th Circ. Urged To Reverse $10M Medicare Fraud Conviction

    A former physician's assistant on Tuesday requested that the Fourth Circuit reverse a six-year prison sentence for his involvement in a $10 million Medicaid fraud scheme, claiming evidence that could exonerate him was suppressed by a federal district court.

  • October 07, 2025

    No Coverage For Smoke Shop Over Fatal Crash, Insurer Says

    A smoke shop's insurer told a North Carolina state appeals court the shop shouldn't receive coverage for a lawsuit alleging it's liable for a fatal auto collision because it sold nitrous oxide products to the at-fault driver, arguing its policy covered bodily injury only on the shop's premises.

  • October 07, 2025

    Cuban Cigar Co. Not Entitled To 'Cohiba' TMs, 4th Circ. Told

    General Cigar Co. has asked the Fourth Circuit to overturn a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board decision to grant a Cuban state-owned cigar producer's request to cancel two trademark registrations for the term "Cohiba," contending that the decision conflicts with U.S. law governing the embargo against Cuba.

  • October 07, 2025

    1st Circ. Left In Limbo Over FCC's Prison Phone Rate Caps

    First Circuit judges Tuesday questioned the Federal Communications Commission's turnabout in defense of its Biden-era prison phone rate caps and were unsure how to construct a legal ruling with the FCC poised to vote on a policy makeover within weeks.

  • October 07, 2025

    4 Oral Argument Sessions Benefits Attys Should Watch In Oct.

    The Second Circuit will hear from Teamsters looking to revive a proposed class action alleging mismanagement of a multiemployer pension plan, while Alcoa will ask the Seventh Circuit to overturn a ruling requiring the aluminum maker to cover union retirees' healthcare for life. Here, Law360 looks at four arguments that benefits attorneys should have on their radar this month.

  • October 07, 2025

    6th Circ. OKs Contested Deal In Foreclosure Class Action

    The Sixth Circuit on Monday affirmed the approval of a contested settlement to resolve claims that 43 Michigan counties illegally kept the proceeds from the sales of tax-foreclosed properties, although one judge's concurrence said he did so "with the greatest reluctance."

  • October 07, 2025

    DC, 18 States Back Campaign Spending Caps At High Court

    The District of Columbia and 18 states urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday not to lift caps on the amount political parties may spend in coordination with candidates for federal office, saying state-level campaign finance regulations could be destabilized.

Expert Analysis

  • Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss

    Author Photo

    Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.

  • Justices' Resentencing Ruling Fortifies First Step Act Tools

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Hewitt v. U.S. ruling clarifies that resentencing after vacatur must reflect the law in effect at the time of the new sentencing, ultimately strengthening the strategic tools available to defense attorneys under the First Step Act, says Benson Varghese at Varghese Summersett.

  • The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine

    Author Photo

    The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • Protecting Workers Amid High Court-EEOC Trans Rights Rift

    Author Photo

    In Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services and U.S. v. Skrmetti, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified that Title VII protects employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, so employers should still protect against such discrimination despite the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's unclear position, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.

  • What 9th Circ. Ruling Shows About Rebutting SEC Comments

    Author Photo

    The Ninth Circuit's June opinion in Pino v. Cardone Capital suggests that a company's lack of pushback to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission comment may be evidence of its state of mind for evaluating potential liability, meaning companies should consider including additional disclosure in SEC response letters, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • 9th Circ. Decisions Help Clarify Scope Of Legal Lab Marketing

    Author Photo

    Two Ninth Circuit decisions last week provide a welcome development in clarifying the line between laboratories' legal marketing efforts and undue influence that violates the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act, and offer useful guidance for labs seeking to mitigate enforcement risk, says Joshua Robbins at Buchalter.

  • A Word On Ensuring Precision In Patent Claim Construction

    Author Photo

    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Express Mobile v. Meta Platforms, overruling the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's interpretation of the term "style," highlights the importance of articulating claim constructions that are as clear as possible, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.

  • What 9th Circ. Cracker Barrel Ruling Means For FLSA Cert.

    Author Photo

    The Ninth Circuit's decision in Harrington v. Cracker Barrel suggests a settling of two procedural trends in Fair Labor Standards Act jurisprudence — when to issue notice and where nationwide collectives can be filed — rather than deepening circuit splits, says Rebecca Ojserkis at Cohen Milstein.

  • Series

    Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator

    Author Photo

    Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.

  • How Latest High Court Rulings Refine Employment Law

    Author Photo

    The 2024-2025 U.S. Supreme Court term did not radically rewrite employment law, but sharpened focus on textual fidelity, procedural rigor and the boundaries of statutory relief, say attorneys at Krevolin & Horst.

  • Calif. Air Waivers Fight Fuels Automakers', States' Uncertainty

    Author Photo

    The unprecedented attempt by Congress and the Trump administration to kill the Clean Air Act waivers supporting California's vehicle emissions standards will eventually end up in the U.S. Supreme Court — but meanwhile, vehicle manufacturers, and states following California's standards, are left in limbo, says John Watson at Spencer Fane.

  • Diversity, Equity, Indictment? Contractor Risks After Kousisis

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Kousisis v. U.S. decision, holding that economic loss is not required to sustain wire fraud charges related to fraudulent inducement, may extend criminal liability to government contractors that make false diversity, equity and inclusion certifications, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma

    Author Photo

    Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.

  • 9th Circ. Customs Ruling A Limited Win For FCA Plaintiffs

    Author Photo

    While the decision last month in Island Industries v. Sigma may be welcome news for False Claims Act relators, under binding precedent courts within the Ninth Circuit still do not have jurisdiction to adjudicate customs-based FCA claims pursued by the government, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding

    Author Photo

    As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

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 Appellate archive.