Appellate

  • October 06, 2026

    Tacoma Must Put Workers' Initiative To Voters, Panel Rules

    City leaders in Tacoma, Washington, have a duty to put a so-called Workers' Bill of Rights initiative to voters, a state appellate panel said Tuesday, holding in a published opinion that the city council failed to follow a charter provision requiring the council to "submit the proposal to the people."

  • October 06, 2026

    DOJ Says 12-Juror Rule Would Cause Unwarranted 'Upheaval'

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to uphold precedent allowing states to use juries of fewer than 12 people in serious criminal cases, saying overruling it could unsettle thousands of convictions and force many states to change their criminal procedure laws.

  • October 06, 2026

    Calif. Panel OKs Wells Fargo's Win In Sex Harassment Case

    A California appeals court has upheld the dismissal of a suit accusing a Wells Fargo supervisor of sexually harassing a coworker on a business trip, saying employers are not strictly liable under the Fair Employment and Housing Act for sexual harassment by a supervisor who lacks supervisory authority over the plaintiff.

  • October 06, 2026

    EPA's Climate Retreat Sidelined As Justices Weigh State Torts

    The Trump administration's recent moves renouncing its authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions appear unlikely to sway the U.S. Supreme Court in deciding whether state and local governments can pursue climate change lawsuits against fossil fuel companies, attorneys say.

  • October 06, 2026

    1st Circ. Questions Need To Rule On Expired Harvard Visa Ban

    The First Circuit grappled Tuesday with what to do with an injunction blocking the Trump administration's long-suspended ban on foreign students from attending Harvard University, more than 10 months after the president's proclamation expired.

  • October 06, 2026

    Afghan UN Rep Tells Justices To Not Review Central Bank Suit

    Afghanistan's representative at the United Nations has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reject requests by terrorist attack victims to review their cases seeking to secure funds held by Afghanistan's central bank, saying they cannot be compensated by the Afghan people. 

  • October 06, 2026

    Wrestler Asks Justices To Shield Her From Trans Opponents

    A high school wrestler asked the U.S. Supreme Court for emergency relief protecting her from competing against female-identifying students who are biologically male, after she said one such opponent sexually assaulted her during a match.

  • October 06, 2026

    DC Circ. Wary Of Hikvision Appeal Over FCC Device Denials

    Chinese device-maker Hikvision hoped to convince the D.C. Circuit Tuesday that the Federal Communications Commission doesn't have the authority to strip a company's existing authorizations for national security reasons, but the judges did not seem persuaded.

  • October 06, 2026

    1st Circ. Sees Gaps In Order Halting RFK's Vaccine Advisers

    A First Circuit panel on Tuesday puzzled over aspects of a lower court's order staying Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s appointments to a vaccine policy committee, with one judge saying he can't tell what authority the order was based on.

  • October 06, 2026

    Cato, NRA Back Review Of Gun Ban For Nonviolent Felons

    Some four months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a gun ownership ban for drug users is unconstitutional as applied to a marijuana user, gun rights advocates are urging the high court to expand the finding to those convicted of nonviolent marijuana crimes.

  • October 06, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Weighs Future Of Intel, Micron Memory Patent Suits

    The Federal Circuit heard cases Tuesday that will decide if BeSang Inc. can pursue computer memory patent suits against Micron Technology Inc. and Intel Corp., as the judges reviewed a tribunal's decisions upholding the patent and a ruling that led BeSang to concede Micron doesn't infringe.

  • October 06, 2026

    7th Circ. Told Boeing Investors Fail 'Comcast' Cert. Test

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is among those backing Boeing's call to the Seventh Circuit to overturn class certification in a case accusing the aerospace firm of misleading investors about the safety of its 737 Max fleet, arguing that the certification is dependent on a damages model that the U.S. Supreme Court and Fourth Circuit have rejected.

  • October 06, 2026

    Calif. Tribe Says Kalshi Evades Tribal Sports Betting Bans

    A Southern California tribe warned the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday that a recent Third Circuit decision blocking New Jersey from enforcing its gambling laws against Kalshi could threaten tribes' exclusive rights to regulate gambling on their reservations.

  • October 06, 2026

    Micron Ends Netlist IP Litigation With $600M, 5-Year License

    Micron Technology Inc. has agreed to pay Netlist Inc. $600 million to end multivenue patent infringement litigation over memory technology, Netlist announced Tuesday.

  • October 06, 2026

    Texas Justices Leery Of Banning AI Deposition Transcripts

    Texas Supreme Court justices seemed hesitant to bar attorneys outright from using artificial intelligence voice transcription software during depositions, pointing out Tuesday that multiple safeguards exist to ensure accuracy.

  • October 06, 2026

    3rd Circ. Backs Hybrid Test For Categorizing Sex Offenders

    The Third Circuit on Tuesday joined its sister circuits and adopted a "hybrid" framework to determine a sex offender's appropriate category under a federal registry law by looking at the text of state laws used to charge an offender, and weighing facts from the case.

  • October 06, 2026

    NJ Judge Backs Denial Of Painting Co.'s $350K Fee Bid

    A New Jersey federal judge rejected a painting company's challenge to a magistrate judge's ruling that denied its bid for a union pension fund to cover roughly $350,000 in legal fees, finding that the magistrate judge applied the correct legal standard in his findings.

  • October 06, 2026

    Ariz. Tribe Seeks Emergency Stop To Border Wall In DC Circ.

    The Tohono O'odham Nation is asking the D.C. Circuit for an emergency injunction pending appeal to block construction of a border wall on its Arizona reservation, telling the appellate court that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security intends to start construction as early as Monday.

  • October 06, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Overrules Albright, Sends Google IP Suit To Calif.

    The Federal Circuit on Tuesday overruled former U.S. District Judge Alan Albright's decision to keep a patent dispute between the University of Southern California and Google in the Western District of Texas, ordering the case transferred to California.

  • October 06, 2026

    DC Circ. Tells FCC To Respond In Fox Philly License Case

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday ordered the Federal Communications Commission to respond to an advocacy group's petition for court action to compel full commission review of a staff order that tossed a challenge to Fox TV's Philadelphia broadcast license.

  • October 06, 2026

    Texas Justices To Review Law Firms' Paxil Fees Fight

    The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to wade into a battle between two law firms over fees generated from litigation involving the antidepressant Paxil, with the dispute centering on application of the personal injury exemption in the state's anti-SLAPP statute.

  • October 06, 2026

    10th Circ. Revives Prosecution Of Utah Psilocybin Church

    The Tenth Circuit has revived a state court prosecution against a Utah church that uses the psychedelic psilocybin as a sacrament, saying the enforcement action did not violate religious freedoms and a lower district judge erred by halting it.

  • October 06, 2026

    EEOC Homes In On Causation In HR Group's 10th Circ. Appeal

    Workers don't have to show discrimination was the primary reason for a firing or other adverse action to win bias suits, the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission told the Tenth Circuit, seeking permission to weigh in on a human resources group's challenge to an $11.5 million loss.

  • October 06, 2026

    3rd Circ. Judge Faces Ethics Complaint For Managing PR Firm

    A pair of U.S. senators from Delaware have filed an ethics complaint with the Third Circuit raising concerns over U.S. Circuit Judge Jennifer Mascott's purported operation of a public affairs agency, months after she was officially confirmed to the appellate court.

  • October 06, 2026

    Ex-FBI Analyst Says Bove Ordered Illegal Protester Probe

    A former FBI agent has come forward with a claim that when U.S. Circuit Judge Emil Bove was at the U.S. Department of Justice, he directed the Los Angeles field office to illegally investigate protesters.

Expert Analysis

  • 3rd Circ. Hotel Ruling Flags Key Issues In Dynamic Pricing

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    The Third Circuit's recent decision in Cornish-Adebiyi v. Caesars Entertainment relies on allegations that competitors used nonpublic data to set real-time rates considered exorbitant, highlighting both the potential risks and substantial benefits of utilizing emerging technologies, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • 4th Circ. Class Cert. Ruling Offers Tips For Damages Experts

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    The Fourth Circuit's recent decision reversing class certification in litigation against Boeing raises the cost of a bare-bones damages model proposal for plaintiffs, but it also clarifies what a defensible proposal should contain, say Alok Khare and Erica Rose at FTI Consulting.

  • Opinion

    'Plain Meaning' Requires Plainer Meaning In IP Litigation

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Socket Solutions v. Import Global highlights the frequent ambiguity surrounding courts' references to "plain meaning" in patent claim construction — an ambiguity that should be resolved by courts, not litigants, say attorneys at Klarquist Sparkman.

  • What To Know As Legal Duty To Consider AI Takes Shape

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    While the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce’s recent statement on liability for artificial intelligence harms is nonbinding for both U.K. and U.S. lawyers, it highlights the importance of being able to distinguish between the availability of a tool and a professional obligation to use it, say Jonny Frank and Michael Costa at StoneTurn.

  • Patent Ruling Shows Concrete Tech Solution Key To Eligibility

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent Ceiva Opco v. Amazon.com decision offers an important reminder that software-related inventions can remain patent eligible when they claim a concrete technological solution to a specific problem, says Irah Donner at Manatt.

  • Appellate Vape Rulings May Expand State Regulation Powers

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    Two recent federal appeals courts decisions rejecting Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act preemption challenges to state electronic nicotine delivery systems directory laws signal an emerging appellate consensus that could significantly expand states' power to regulate vaping product sales where federal enforcement falls short, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • How Solar Fraud Case Affects Lender Oversight Of Dealers

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's refusal to review the Third Circuit's ruling in Migliore v. Sunlight Financial means that residential solar finance companies are protected from vicarious liability for deceptive acts by independent solar dealers — but lenders must still take steps to guard against dealer misconduct, says Rand Manasse at Green Lane Partners.

  • Fed. Circ. Rulings Emphasize Adjudicative Access And Review

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    Decisions from the Federal Circuit's 2026 docket indicate that the court is increasingly paying attention to whether tribunals possess authority to act, meaning practitioners will need to properly address procedural hurdles before they can argue the merits of a case, say attorneys at Reichman Jorgensen.

  • Amazon v. Perplexity Ruling Limits CFAA Reach Over AI Tools

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Amazon v. Perplexity provides important early guidance on how the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act applies to agentic artificial intelligence, and is the latest in a line of rulings in which courts have declined to stretch existing statutes to broadly regulate AI, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Managing OSHA Mental Illness Logs After 5th Circ. Vacatur

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    Employers with facilities in multiple states need to carefully weigh their recordkeeping procedures following the Fifth Circuit’s recent decision that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration cannot require employers to log work-related mental illness, as inconsistent logs across facilities may raise other issues, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • Expect More Probes After 3rd Circ. Algorithmic Pricing Ruling

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    The Third Circuit's recent decision in Cornish-Adebiyi v. Caesars Entertainment, allowing algorithmic price-fixing claims to proceed past motions to dismiss, may serve as a road map for how to contend with increased litigation risk in this developing area of antitrust law, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Series

    Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Notable Q2 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    After 2026's second quarter, there is more authority rejecting class certification on total loss valuation theories from courts at the federal circuit, federal district and state appellate level — along with a resolution of a novel issue of depreciation on a wildfire claim, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • 10th Circ. Ruling Undermines False Ad 'Two Clicks' Rule

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    The Tenth Circuit’s recent ruling in KetoNatural Pet Foods v. Hill's Pet Nutrition substantially challenges a long-standing assumption that a company can avoid responsibility for promotional claims simply because the consumer encountered them by clicking a hyperlink to a third-party website, say attorneys at Venable.

  • How Drug Trial Prediction Markets Pose Insider Trading Risks

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    Multiple prediction market platforms have recently announced plans to offer event contracts related to clinical trial outcomes and regulatory decisions, creating new insider trading risks by expanding the group of people possessing related material nonpublic information far beyond traditional corporate insiders, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

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