Public Policy

  • October 09, 2026

    Phaseout Of FCC's E-Rate Could Dampen GDP, Report Says

    An advocacy group warned that a Federal Communications Commission plan to eventually phase out the E-Rate connectivity aid program could dampen U.S. economic output.

  • October 09, 2026

    Can Trade Secret Law Protect Indigenous Knowledge?

    As the U.S. and other countries struggle to agree on new international protections for Indigenous knowledge, trade secret law is drawing renewed attention as a possible solution for material that communities actually keep confidential.

  • October 09, 2026

    States Fight DOL's Ax Of Unemployment Insurance Grants

    Fourteen states sued the federal government in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims on Friday, alleging the U.S. Department of Labor wrongfully terminated grants intended for modernizing their unemployment insurance programs.

  • October 09, 2026

    Noncitizen Guantánamo Detainees Fight Closed-Hearing Bid

    Lead plaintiffs in a certified class of noncitizen Guantánamo Bay detainees who are challenging a Trump administration policy to detain noncitizens at Guantánamo Bay asked a D.C. federal judge to reject an administration request to close an upcoming hearing when officials are anticipated to testify about the policy.

  • October 09, 2026

    Feds Say Calif. 'Clean Trucks' Pact Usurps Emissions Rules

    The Trump administration said Friday that California cannot usurp exclusive federal authority to set uniform motor vehicle emissions standards, urging a federal judge to strike down the Golden State's efforts to still enforce stricter emissions mandates on heavy-duty truck manufacturers in defiance of federal law.

  • October 09, 2026

    CU Boulder Hiked Fees For Records Requests, Suit Says

    An administrator at the University of Colorado Boulder claimed in Colorado state court Thursday that the school improperly withheld and attempted to overcharge for records requested related to harassment he experienced under the Colorado Open Records Act.

  • October 09, 2026

    SEC Proposes Restoring Funds' Ability To Cross-Trade Bonds

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission put forth a proposal on Friday to make it easier for mutual and other registered funds under the same manager to trade with one another, while promising to update the oversight rules for fund managers participating in such cross-trades.

  • October 09, 2026

    Vape Cos. FDA Suit On Hold As Agency Reviews Policy

    A Texas federal court has granted a joint motion to stay litigation by an Altria Group Inc. vape subsidiary challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's premarket authorization rule, pausing proceedings while the FDA pursues rulemaking to replace the challenged framework.

  • October 09, 2026

    EU, China Make Trade Pledges On Hybrid Vehicles, Minerals

    The European Union and China said Friday that they reached mutual understanding on several key trade matters following a bilateral meeting, including the facilitation of Chinese minerals to EU companies and limiting China's exports of hybrid vehicles to the bloc.

  • October 09, 2026

    Cannabis Wholesaler Settles Conn. AG's Consumer Claims

    A wholesaler that allegedly supplied Connecticut stores with high-potency cannabis products has agreed to settle a state enforcement action for $2 million and a promise not to operate without a license, according to a stipulated judgment Thursday.

  • October 09, 2026

    NM Groups Contest Militarization Of Public Land On Border

    A coalition of New Mexico groups has accused the Trump administration of unlawfully transferring more than 110,000 acres of public land along the southern border to the U.S. Department of Defense to close it off and rope the military into immigration enforcement.

  • October 09, 2026

    FCC Aims To Boost Mexico, Canada Telecom Border Security

    The Federal Communications Commission will vote on proposed new rules that would strengthen border security by improving transparency and disclosures for communications across the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders.

  • October 09, 2026

    CNN Says Azerbaijan Can't Sue Over Israel-Iran Report

    CNN has urged a Delaware federal court to throw out Azerbaijan's defamation lawsuit over the network's report that Israel used the country as a base for covert operations against Iran, arguing the First Amendment bars governments, foreign or domestic, from suing news organizations over criticism of their conduct.

  • October 09, 2026

    Feds Again Turn To 9th Circ. In Fight Over ICE Facility

    The Trump administration said Friday it will ask the Ninth Circuit to overturn a trial court decision requiring ICE to give independent monitors access to conduct inspections and electronic records for detained immigrants at a lockup in Adelanto, California, where a judge has twice called for conditions to be improved.

  • October 09, 2026

    US Sets Rules For Mexico, Canada Metal Tariff Discount

    The U.S. Department of Commerce on Friday defined how the U.S. content of certain metal products from Canada and Mexico will be determined for purposes of applying President Donald Trump's modifications to the steel, aluminum and copper tariff regimes.

  • October 09, 2026

    Squires Grants 4 PTAB Petitions, Rejects 3 In New Drop

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has instituted four new America Invents Act reviews at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and turned down three in his newest mass order.

  • October 09, 2026

    Md. Says No US Harm From Undocumented Tuition Law

    Maryland urged a federal court to reject a challenge to a state law that allows unauthorized immigrants to pay in-state college tuition, arguing the Trump administration has failed to identify any injury it has suffered from the law.

  • October 09, 2026

    M&A Attys See Resilience Through Q3 Amid Geopolitical Risk

    Global M&A activity remained strong through the first nine months of 2026 despite a third-quarter slowdown, as strategic buyers and private equity firms continued to pursue deals in areas ranging from technology and defense to essential services, attorneys told Law360.

  • October 09, 2026

    Bill Would Shift Unused Housing Vouchers To Tribal Veterans

    A bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would allow tribal nations to give back U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development vouchers that can be redistributed to Indigenous communities that are facing a shortage for their veterans.

  • October 09, 2026

    Up Next At High Court: Criminal Sentences & Video Privacy

    The U.S. Supreme Court will close out its October sitting by hearing oral arguments in two cases that ask what level of deference federal district courts should give to commentary interpreting the federal sentencing guidelines, and what purchases are protected under a video consumer privacy statute.

  • October 09, 2026

    Hospitals Ask Court To Block Revised Plan For 340B Rebates

    The American Hospital Association and four safety-net hospitals in Maine sued the Trump administration Friday to block plans to establish a rebate system in the 340B drug discount program, alleging it violates procedural requirements and threatens hospital finances.

  • October 09, 2026

    Grassley Attacks Dems' Claims Of Rule-Breaking Over Hearing

    Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, clapped back at Democrats for their accusations that Republicans broke Senate rules during a hearing last week at which former special counsel Jack Smith appeared.

  • October 09, 2026

    Va.'s Arlington County Seeks To Halt Trump's 'Triumphal Arch'

    Arlington County, Virginia, has filed a lawsuit seeking to block the development of President Donald Trump's 250-foot "triumphal arch" between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, telling a Virginia federal court that his administration undertook a "cursory and conclusory" environmental assessment.

  • October 09, 2026

    Arizona Tribe Loses Bid To Pause Border Wall Construction

    A D.C. federal judge has denied an Arizona tribe's request to block border wall construction on its reservation pending appeal, saying the Indigenous nation hasn't identified any reason for reconsideration of a previous decision that reached the same conclusion.

  • October 09, 2026

    Trump Picks Panel To Consider Claims Against Fed's Cook

    President Donald Trump has established a committee to investigate mortgage fraud allegations against Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook and to determine if they provide sufficient grounds to fire her, according to a memo released Friday by the White House.

Expert Analysis

  • Fed Report Underscores Focus On Nonbank, CRE Risks

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    The Federal Reserve Board's latest supervision and regulation report highlights that broad systemic stability will not insulate individual institutions from rigorous supervisory challenges regarding concentrated commercial real estate portfolios and nonbank partnerships, says Daniel Meade at Hogan Lovells.

  • 3 Upcoming Deadlines That EB-5 Investors Should Consider

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    Potential EB-5 regional center investors should weigh three approaching deadlines, the most immediate of which is Sept. 30, that may affect their filing strategy, required capital commitment and ability to participate even if Congress fails to reauthorize the program, says Michael Ashoori at Ashoori Law.

  • CIPA Tech Tracking Suits Highlight Uncertain Legal Ground

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    Alexandra Samofalova at Spencer Fane discusses the state of California Invasion of Privacy Act website tracking litigation, why credible defendants choose to settle and how the businesses best positioned to face this uncertain legal landscape are the ones treating data practices as a legal compliance matter to address today.

  • AI, Prediction Markets Lead Securities Developments In 2026

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    Securities class actions tied to artificial intelligence and the battle over prediction market regulation both raise novel questions that courts are only beginning to address and that will continue to resonate throughout the second half of the year, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Why A Class Was Certified In Financial Aid Info-Sharing Case

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    The recent Illinois federal court decision in Corzo v. Brown University offers key guidance for defendants confronting class certification in antitrust matters, highlighting how typicality can be satisfied despite class members attending different universities, receiving different aid awards and being affected across different time periods, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Key Compliance Insights From Calif.'s Volvo Diesel Deal

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    While the future of California's vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act is uncertain, the state's recent settlement with Volvo over diesel emissions hinges on the truthfulness of manufacturer representations to state regulators, and offers important lessons for companies on compliance and recordkeeping, says Thierry Montoya at FBT Gibbons.

  • Community Bank Order Signals Fintech Partnership Scrutiny

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    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recent consent order against Community Federal Savings Bank for deficiencies in its Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering compliance programs offers clear and urgent lessons for community banks pursuing revenue growth through fintech partnerships and payments services, say attorneys at Bradley.

  • House-Passed KIDS Act Spurs Child Data Practices Audit

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    Graham Dean, Brian Roper-Nelson and Will Quick at Brooks Pierce discuss the noteworthy sections of the U.S. House of Representatives' recently passed Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act, the potential revisions as the law moves through the U.S. Senate and the significant business changes that the House law would require.

  • Calif. Recycle Label Order Imperils Product Responsibility Law

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    A California federal court's injunction blocking enforcement of the state's truth-in-recycling law gives companies racing to remove chasing arrows and other recyclability labels from their packaging a reprieve — and the court's action may also hobble implementation of the state's extended producer responsibility law, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • FTC Focus: Enforcing Vertically Integrated Operating Systems

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    As digital platforms increasingly pair operating systems with commerce, advertising, content and data, antitrust scrutiny will turn on whether those integrations create private bottlenecks that foreclose rivals through access, ranking, interoperability or defaults, pushing courts and enforcement agencies to adapt traditional utility and merger frameworks more aggressively, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • Challenging Detention After 5th Circ. Ends Bond Clocks

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    After the vacatur of the Fifth Circuit’s holding that the U.S. Constitution requires bond hearings for detained noncriminal noncitizens, practitioners should go back to filing habeas petitions, pending the court's en banc rehearing, says Kemal Hepsen at Mandamus Lawyers.

  • Patent Eligibility Bulletin: New USPTO Guidance And AI Risks

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    In the second quarter of 2026, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office updated its subject matter eligibility declarations in line with its increasingly permissive patent eligibility stance, while the Federal Circuit rigorously applied the Alice framework in a decision that highlighted risks facing patent claims that utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning, say attorneys at Banner Witcoff.

  • A Shift In How Policymakers Are Approaching PBM Regulation

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    Recent federal and state legislative and regulatory activity involving pharmacy benefit managers represent a change in focus from transparency to PBM compensation structures, vertical integration and competitive effects, say attorneys at Barclay Damon.

  • Workplace Menopause Laws Demand New HR Playbooks

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    A recent wave of state and local legislation that makes menopause an expressly protected condition in the workplace creates new compliance obligations amid an already ambiguous federal framework, and demands a workplace culture where employees feel safe asking for support, says Elliot Griffin at Ballard Spahr.

  • How State Actions Are Reshaping Surveillance Pricing Risk

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    Amid heightened state enforcement activity and expanding legislative action to curb surveillance pricing concerns related to transparency, fairness and discrimination, businesses should closely examine how consumer data is used in pricing decisions, say attorneys at Steptoe.

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