Public Policy

  • May 15, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's Pick For EPA General Counsel

    The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to confirm Sean Donahue as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's general counsel.

  • May 15, 2025

    Feds Freeze Parity Enforcement As Agencies Rethink Regs

    Federal agencies said Thursday they will hold off on enforcing a rule requiring employer group health plans to analyze how they restrict coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatments, citing ongoing litigation aimed at blocking the policy and broader plans to reevaluate enforcement priorities.

  • May 15, 2025

    C-Band Payment Clearinghouse Says Its Work Is Done

    The Federal Communications Commission's C-Band Relocation Payment Clearinghouse is planning to wind down its operation by the end of June, saying it's "completed all substantive functions required" by the commission dating back to its 2020 order expanding use of the C-band for 5G.

  • May 15, 2025

    House Bill Aims To Nix FMLA Leave Cap For Married Couples

    A bipartisan group of U.S. House members floated a bill that aims to strike a provision from the Family and Medical Leave Act that limits leave for married couples who work for the same employer.

  • May 15, 2025

    Asset-Rich Menendez Associate Must Pony Up $1.8M Fine

    A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday refused to adjust the payment schedule for a $1.75 million criminal fine for a New Jersey businessman who was convicted of bribing former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, citing his plentiful assets.

  • May 15, 2025

    Justices Say Context Matters When Evaluating Use Of Force

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for a civil rights lawsuit against a Houston-area traffic officer who shot and killed a fleeing man, ruling that courts must weigh the full sequence of events — not just the instant a threat arises — when deciding if police used excessive force.

  • May 15, 2025

    Jenner & Block Hires Garland's Former Chief Of Staff

    Matthew Klapper, who was chief of staff to former Attorney General Merrick Garland, has joined Jenner & Block LLP in the latest expansion of the firm's congressional investigations team, the firm announced Thursday.

  • May 14, 2025

    NY Judge Skeptical Of Huawei's Pretrial Bid To Nix Charges

    A Brooklyn federal judge seemed skeptical of a push by Huawei Technologies and affiliates to dismiss charges from a criminal case alleging Huawei deceived banks and the U.S. government for years about its business dealings in sanctioned countries and conspired to steal intellectual property from U.S. companies.

  • May 14, 2025

    Smartmatic Says Fox News Deleted 'Incriminating' Texts

    Fox News and its executives — including Rupert Murdoch and his son, Lachlan — deleted "critical" and "incriminating" text messages related to the network's allegedly defamatory broadcasts about Smartmatic during the 2020 election, the voting tech company said Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    2 Mothers Fighting 'Inhumane' ICE Conditions To Stay In US

    A Maryland federal judge on Wednesday blocked the federal government from deporting two mothers detained in immigration holding cells in Baltimore pending their putative class action challenging the lawfulness of allegedly prolonged, inhumane and punitive detention conditions.

  • May 14, 2025

    DOGE Can't Dodge Limited FOIA Discovery, DC Circ. Says

    The Office of Management and Budget and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency must restart efforts to hand over thousands of pages of documents to a watchdog group seeking insight into DOGE's "secretive operations," the D.C. Circuit ruled Wednesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    Lawmakers Question Legality Of Library Of Congress Moves

    The Trump administration's recent removal of the head of the U.S. Copyright Office has triggered concerns from Senate Democrats who questioned Wednesday if the president had the authority to do it and whether it threatens the agency's independence.

  • May 14, 2025

    Mont. Court Blocks 'Ideological' Transgender Youth Care Ban

    A Montana judge on Tuesday struck down a state statute that banned gender-affirming care for minors, holding that the state's interest is "ideological rather than medical" and violates the constitutional rights of transgender youth seeking gender-affirming care and of healthcare professionals who provide it.

  • May 14, 2025

    Connecting With Friends Becoming 'Secondary,' FB Head Says

    The head of Facebook acknowledged in D.C. federal court Wednesday that Meta Platforms Inc.'s original application remains focused heavily on sharing with friends, but, despite Federal Trade Commission claims it's monopolized that business, said social media has evolved so much that those connections are no longer the platform's "main character."

  • May 14, 2025

    DOJ Tells Judge It's Reshaping, Not Killing, Detainee Legal Aid

    A D.C. federal judge suggested he might need more in an administrative record to decide whether to reinstate government-backed legal assistance programs for detained noncitizens after a late filing from the feds suggested congressionally appropriated funds would still go out but to different recipients.

  • May 14, 2025

    Judge Questions Harm In Suit Over CPB Board Terminations

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday seemed unconvinced that Corporation for Public Broadcasting members purportedly ousted by President Donald Trump are facing the sort of irreparable harm that warrants blocking their firings, questioning whether the nonprofit corporation could take other measures to fill its leadership.

  • May 14, 2025

    CFPB Junks Plans For Data Broker, Contract Clause Rules

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Wednesday that it is mothballing several more Biden-era regulatory initiatives, calling off planned rules that would have, among other things, required data brokers to comply with credit reporting-style protections.

  • May 14, 2025

    Labor Groups Sue HHS Over Workplace Safety Agency Cuts

    Unions representing employees in the nursing, education, mining and manufacturing industries on Wednesday sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Washington, D.C., federal court over efforts to gut an agency tasked with protecting workers' health and safety.

  • May 14, 2025

    ICE Policy Tweak Won't Fix Harm To F-1 Students, Judge Says

    A California federal judge issued an injunction Wednesday in multiple cases challenging the Trump administration's termination of foreign students' F-1 visa records, rejecting the government's arguments that its recent policy change eliminates the likelihood students will be irreparably harmed, but he held off on deciding whether to grant nationwide relief.

  • May 14, 2025

    Judge Hints At Shielding Docs Of Live Nation Competitors

    The California federal judge overseeing claims from concertgoers accusing Live Nation of violating antitrust law is likely to grant a request from ticketing rivals to protect documents the rivals say could facilitate the very conduct at issue in the case.

  • May 14, 2025

    Virginia Judge Orders ICE To Release Georgetown Academic

    A Virginia federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release of a Georgetown University fellow that the Trump administration detained and initiated removal proceedings against while his habeas case is pending.

  • May 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Doubts Wash. Anti-Vaxxers' Stance In Med Board Suit

    A Ninth Circuit judge expressed skepticism on Wednesday that the federal appellate court could revive Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s suit against the Washington Medical Commission for initiating disciplinary proceedings against physicians who publicly aired anti-vaccination views, pointing out that federal courts generally "don't interfere" with ongoing state litigation.

  • May 14, 2025

    HUD Allocates $1.1B For Tribal Affordable Housing Initiatives

    The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will allocate more than $1.1 billion in Indian Housing Block Grant funding to support affordable housing efforts in Native American tribal communities, HUD announced Tuesday.

  • May 14, 2025

    USDA Says Native Villages Aren't Tribal Land In $70M Dispute

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture is standing by its assertion that two Native Alaskan villages are not tribal lands in the same way as reservations in its bid to convince a court to side with it in a fight over $70 million in broadband funds the agency is accused of wrongly giving away.

  • May 14, 2025

    Ga. Justices Consider Sovereignty In Telecom Permits Case

    Georgia's justices were urged by the state Wednesday to overturn a trial court order granting summary judgment to telecommunications providers that sued to enforce prior contracts with the Georgia Department of Transportation that did not include increased permitting fees.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

  • DOJ Immigration Playbook May Take Cues From A 2017 Case

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    A record criminal resolution with a tree trimming company accused of knowingly employing unauthorized workers in 2017 may provide clues as to how the U.S. Department of Justice’s immigration crackdown will touch American companies, which should prepare now for potential enforcement actions, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Paul Atkins' Past Speeches Offer A Glimpse Into SEC's Future

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    Following Paul Atkins' Thursday Senate confirmation hearing, a look at his public remarks while serving as a commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission between 2002 and 2008 reveals eight possible structural and procedural changes the SEC may see once he likely takes over as chair, say attorneys at Covington.

  • McKernan-Led CFPB May Lead To Decentralized Enforcement

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    Though Jonathan McKernan’s confirmation as director would likely mean a less active Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the decreased federal oversight could lead to more state-led investigations, multistate regulatory actions and private lawsuits under consumer protection laws, says Jonathan Pompan at Venable.

  • How Fla. Is Floating A Raft Of Bills To Stem Insurance Woes

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    Proposed reforms that follow a report skewering Florida's insurance industry offer a step in the right direction in providing relief for property owners, despite some limitations, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.

  • Include State And Local Enforcers In Cartel Risk Evaluations

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    Any reassessment of enforcement risk following the federal designation of drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations should include applicable state and local enforcement authorities, which have powerful tools, such as grand jury subpoenas and search warrants, that businesses would be wise to consider, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

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    Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

  • How Del. Supreme Court, Legislature Have Clarified 'Control'

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    The Delaware Supreme Court's January decision in In re: Oracle and the General Assembly's passage of amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law this week, when taken together, help make the controlling-stockholder analysis clearer and more predictable for companies with large stockholders, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Service By Token Is Transforming Crypto Litigation Landscape

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    As the Trump administration advocates a new course of cryptocurrency regulation, courts in the U.S. and abroad are authorizing innovative methods of process service, including via nonfungible tokens and blockchain messaging, offering practical solutions for litigators grappling with the anonymity of cyber defendants, says Jose Ceide at Salazar Law.

  • What To Expect For Stem Cell Regulation Under Trump Admin

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    The new administration's push for deregulation, plus the post-Chevron legal landscape, and momentum from key political and industry players to facilitate stem cell innovation may create an opportune backdrop for a significant reduction in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's regulatory framework for stem cells, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Rebuttal

    6 Reasons Why Arbitration Offers Equitable Resolutions

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    Contrary to a recent Law360 guest article, arbitration provides numerous benefits to employees, consumers and businesses alike, ensuring fair and efficient dispute resolution without the excessive fees, costs and delays associated with traditional litigation, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Executive Orders Paving Way For New Era Of Crypto Banking

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    Recent executive orders have already significantly affected the day-to-day operations of financial institutions that have an interest in engaging with digital assets, and creating informed strategies now can support institutions as the crypto gates continue to open to the banking industry, say attorneys at Spencer Fane.

  • Opinion

    After Fires, Calif. Must Streamline Enviro Reviews For Housing

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    Recent waivers to the California Environmental Quality Act and other laws granted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to expedite reconstruction of residential property damaged in the Los Angeles wildfires are laudable — but given the state's widespread housing shortage, policymakers should extend the same benefits to other communities, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Calif. Algorithmic Pricing Bills Could Affect Consumers

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    California's legislative efforts to regulate algorithmic pricing may address antitrust and fairness concerns, but could stop retailers from providing consumer discounts, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Jurisdiction Argument In USAID Dissent Is Up For Debate

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    A dissent refuting the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent order directing the U.S. Agency for International Development to pay $2 billion in frozen foreign aid argued that claims relating to already-completed government contract work belong in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims – answering an important question, but with a debatable conclusion, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

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