Mass. Court Affirms DQ Of Pot Shop Lawyer

By Julie Manganis

An intermediate appellate court in Massachusetts on Thursday affirmed the disqualification of an attorney who sought to represent both an LLC seeking to open a cannabis dispensary and one of its members in a dispute with the other member.

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Cannabis-Linked Co. CEO To Pay SEC Fine Over Fraud Claims

By Katryna Perera

The CEO of a shipping container company for the cannabis industry agreed on Thursday to a five-year officer and director bar and to pay a $100,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve the regulator's claims that he concealed his control over the company and related entities, and also deceived investors about the business's revenue source.

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Pot Co. Not Wrong To Mar CBD Goods, Mich. Judge Rules

By Jonathan Capriel

Destroying a batch of CBD products that contained THC potency well above the state's limits was seemingly the only legal option for a marijuana grower, a Michigan state court said, ending a hemp entrepreneur's lawsuit that claimed the company should have returned the goods.

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Fla. Entrepreneur Urges Court To Halt RI Pot Licensing

By Jonathan Capriel

Rhode Island's cannabis authority should be temporarily blocked from following a rule that forbids issuing licenses to out-of-state residents, a Florida entrepreneur told a federal court, saying his lawsuit slamming the state's residency rule as unconstitutional is likely to succeed.

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3rd Circ. Upholds 24-Year Drug, Fraud Sentence

By Jarek Rutz

A Third Circuit panel on Thursday upheld a roughly 24-year prison sentence imposed on a Pennsylvania man convicted of marijuana trafficking and wire fraud, rejecting arguments that the trial judge improperly relied on acquitted conduct, overstated the man's leadership role and imposed an excessive punishment.

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Series

Muay Thai Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Muay Thai kickboxing has taught me that in order to win, one must stick to one's game plan and adapt under pressure, just as when facing challenges by opposing counsel or judges, says Mark Schork at Feldman Shepherd.

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New Assistant AG For Fraud Will Report To White House

By Courtney Bublé

Vice President JD Vance announced on Thursday the creation of a new assistant attorney general role for fraud, which will be overseen by him and the president.

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US Atty In NY Northern District Serving Unlawfully, Judge Says

By Stewart Bishop

A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday held that the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York is unlawfully serving in his position, the latest in a string of rulings disqualifying prosecutors appointed by President Donald Trump.

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Calif. Judge Will Resign, Cop To Workers' Comp Fraud

By Lauren Berg

A California state judge has agreed to resign and plead guilty to a felony fraud charge after prosecutors alleged he knowingly hired a physician previously convicted of healthcare fraud to prepare medical reports to submit to the state's workers' compensation program, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

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Alito Recuses From Chevron, Exxon Coastal Pollution Case

By Keith Goldberg

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday recused himself from considering Chevron and ExxonMobil's effort to place Louisiana pollution lawsuits stemming from the companies' World War II-era production in federal court, just days before the justices hear oral arguments in the case.

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Brief

House OKs $540M For Imperiled Legal Services Corp.

By Emily Sawicki

The "minibus" appropriations bill that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on Thursday includes a lifeline $540 million allocated toward the nonprofit Legal Services Corp. — representing a reduction of $10 million, or 3.6%, compared to fiscal year 2025's budget — whose funding the White House previously suggested should be slashed.

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La. Judge Is Senate's 1st Judicial Confirmation Of 2026

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate voted 53-40 on Thursday to confirm former acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook to be a district judge in the Western District of Louisiana.

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