Public Policy

  • December 18, 2025

    FERC Orders PJM To Craft Data Center-Focused Grid Policies

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday took a step to tackle the electricity impacts of data center and artificial intelligence growth, ordering the nation's largest grid operator to create policies for co-locating large electricity users at power plants within its footprint.

  • December 18, 2025

    Trump Order Rallies Cannabis Industry, Advocates Want More

    The executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Thursday, marking the most substantial shift in federal cannabis policy in over half a century, is expected to have favorable ramifications for the marijuana industry even as it falls short of decriminalizing the drug or resolving the many tensions between federal and state law.

  • December 18, 2025

    School District Asks High Court To Stop Officials' Depositions

    A Texas school district has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let two district officials avoid sitting for depositions in a case alleging the district discriminated against Black students who wore their hair in locs, saying the officials are legislators and cannot be compelled to testify barring an extraordinary exception.

  • December 18, 2025

    Trump's Picks To Lead FDIC, CFTC Win Senate Approval

    The U.S. Senate on Thursday signed off on two more of President Donald Trump's picks for top financial regulator jobs, confirming Travis Hill and Michael Selig as chairs of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, respectively.

  • December 18, 2025

    NY Regulators Back Dispensary Against Local Zoning

    The New York State Office of Cannabis Management is putting its weight behind a Long Island dispensary's bid seeking to invalidate a township's zoning ordinance requiring such businesses to secure special permissions before operating, saying the local regulations are preempted by state cannabis law.

  • December 18, 2025

    Pennsylvania Says DOJ Not Authorized To Get Voter Data

    Pennsylvania shouldn't have to give the U.S. Department of Justice its voters' driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers because that data is not necessary for enforcing the federal laws the DOJ cited in its demand, according to a brief seeking dismissal of the DOJ's lawsuit.

  • December 18, 2025

    Top Trade Secrets Decisions Of 2025

    The Ninth Circuit clarified the rules of engagement in trade secrets disputes with guidance on when confidential information must be precisely detailed during litigation, and jurors delivered a $200 million verdict against Walmart over product freshness technology. Here are Law360's picks for the biggest trade secrets decisions of 2025.

  • December 18, 2025

    9th Circ. Revives National Forest Road Injury Claim

    A timber worker who suffered injuries when his excavator slid off a Washington road under the control of the U.S. Forest Service will get the opportunity to take his claims to trial, the Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday, saying a jury needs to decide whether the worker's employer or the federal government was responsible for the road's upkeep.

  • December 18, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Axes Appeal Of $8M Bond Under Idaho 'Troll' Law

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday dismissed an appeal by patent assertion entities challenging an $8 million bond imposed on them in an infringement case against Micron Technology, ruling that the order under an Idaho state law discouraging "bad faith" patent litigation is not an appealable final decision.

  • December 18, 2025

    FCC Reworks Reg Framework For Low Power TV

    The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday created a new regulatory framework in hopes of advancing the low-power TV industry.

  • December 18, 2025

    UC Researchers Near Reinstating $7B In DOE Grants

    A California federal judge said Thursday she's inclined to grant a preliminary injunction ordering the Trump administration to reinstate $7 billion in Department of Energy grants awarded to researchers, saying they were canceled with form letters similar to those she's previously found to violate the Administrative Procedure Act.

  • December 18, 2025

    Fla. High Court Says $5B Bond Deal Can't Be Set Aside

    Florida's Supreme Court agreed Thursday that counties and tax collectors could not reopen a bond validation judgment issuing $5 billion in bonds for renewable energy and hurricane mitigation projects, ruling that state law makes clear that if bonds are validated and there is no appeal, the judgment is final.

  • December 18, 2025

    EU Approves Bakery Biz Deal With Plant Sales

    European enforcers approved Belgian food group Vandemoortele's proposed acquisition of Délifrance SA from French grain cooperative Vivescia, conditioned on the sale of two production facilities for frozen dough products.

  • December 18, 2025

    Wash. Justices Say Open Gov't Law Covers Seattle Contractor

    The Washington State Supreme Court has reinstated a citizen suit seeking information related to downtown Seattle's Metropolitan Improvement District, recognizing in a Thursday opinion that the district's private nonprofit management entity DBIA Services is analogous to a government agency and thus subject to the state's public records law.  

  • December 18, 2025

    Ex-Connecticut Utility Regulator Fined Amid Records Brawl

    Connecticut's Freedom of Information Commission voted unanimously to fine the former chair of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority for the state agency's failure to comply with record requests from an Eversource subsidiary that has accused her of using her position illegally.

  • December 18, 2025

    IRS Guidance Discriminates Against Wind, Solar, Groups Say

    Several groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the city of San Francisco, asked a D.C. federal court Thursday to block the Internal Revenue Service from instituting new tax credit rules that they say illegally discriminate against wind and solar projects.

  • December 18, 2025

    Czech Republic, Estonia Shift To Backing Min. Tax Deal For US

    The Czech Republic and Estonia have shifted to supporting the proposed U.S. exemption from the global minimum tax's international provisions at the global tax policymaking body hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the countries' finance ministries told Law360.

  • December 18, 2025

    Feds Urge Justices To Keep SEC Disgorgement Power Intact

    The Trump administration has joined the call for the U.S. Supreme Court to resolve a circuit split over the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's disgorgement powers, urging the justices to find that alleged fraudsters should be required to give up illegal profits even if the government can't show investors lost money.

  • December 18, 2025

    Judge Clears Path For Trump Library Land Transfer

    A Florida state judge on Thursday dissolved an injunction blocking the transfer of Miami-Dade College-owned land to the state for the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library and dismissed the suit challenging the transfer.

  • December 18, 2025

    AstraZeneca Can't Block Colo. Law Over Drug Discount Rules

    A Colorado federal judge rejected AstraZeneca's effort to block enforcement of a Colorado law surrounding federal 340B drug pricing that requires manufacturers to sell drugs at discounted prices to certain safety net healthcare facilities, ruling Wednesday the law isn't preempted by 340B drug pricing. 

  • December 18, 2025

    Dems Urge Scrutiny Of AT&T, SpaceX Spectrum Deals

    Congressional Democrats are pushing Trump administration officials to further scrutinize AT&T and SpaceX's plans to obtain wireless spectrum licenses from the telecommunications company EchoStar.

  • December 18, 2025

    Hilton's $70M Tax Value Cut Appealed To Minn. Supreme Court

    Drops in the tax valuations of a Hilton hotel and convention center in Minneapolis, including a $70 million cut during one year, were wrongly ordered by the Minnesota Tax Court, the local assessor said, urging the state Supreme Court to review the case.

  • December 18, 2025

    Bad River Band Sues Army Corps Over Pipeline Reroute

    A Wisconsin tribe is seeking to void a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit for the construction of a new 41-mile section of Enbridge Inc.'s Line 5 oil pipeline that will encircle its reservation, alleging that the agency failed to conduct required environmental reviews.

  • December 18, 2025

    Calif. AG, Bar Officials Fight Bid To Stop ABS Fee-Sharing Ban

    Both the California attorney general and the California State Bar are opposing a California attorney's attempt to block a new law preventing fee-sharing with out-of-state law firms owned by nonlawyers set to go into effect on Jan. 1.

  • December 18, 2025

    NFL's Bears Dangle Ind. Move As Ill. Stadium Plans Stall

    The Chicago Bears will consider locations for a proposed new stadium outside the city, including in Indiana, because Illinois lawmakers have not supported their plan for suburban Arlington Heights, team President Kevin Warren said.

Expert Analysis

  • 2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

    Author Photo

    As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

    Author Photo

    Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.

  • Crypto In 2025: From Federal Deregulation To State Action

    Author Photo

    The cryptocurrency enforcement landscape evolved in 2025, marked by federal deregulatory trends and active state attorney general enforcement, creating both opportunity and risk for businesses navigating the digital asset market, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • How CFTC Enforcement Shifted In 2025 And What's Next

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission pivoted sharply under acting Chairman Caroline Pham in 2025, resulting in a pared-back enforcement docket, sweeping policy changes intended to provide greater transparency, and a renewed focus on fraud prevention and maintaining market integrity for the CFTC's core markets, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Learning From 2025 FCA Trends Targeting PE In Healthcare

    Author Photo

    False Claims Act enforcement trends and legislative developments from this year signal intensifying state and federal scrutiny of private equity's growing footprint in healthcare, and the urgency of compliance, says Lisa Re at Arnold & Porter.

  • Reviewing 2025's State And Federal AI Regulations

    Author Photo

    In light of increasing state and federal action to oversee the use of artificial intelligence, companies that develop or deploy the technology should keep abreast of current and forthcoming AI laws and consider their applicability to their business activities, says Jessica Brigman at Spencer Fane.

  • Software Patents May Face New Eligibility Scrutiny

    Author Photo

    November guidance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, along with recent litigation trends from the Federal Circuit, may encourage new challenges in the USPTO and district courts to artificial intelligence and software patents that rely on generic computing functions without concrete details, say attorneys at Venable.

  • What Trump Order Limiting State AI Regs Means For Insurers

    Author Photo

    Last week's executive order seeking to preclude states from regulating artificial intelligence will likely have minimal impact on insurers, but the order and related congressional activities may portend a federal expectation of consistent state oversight of insurers' AI use, says Kathleen Birrane at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

    Author Photo

    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • Investment Advisers Should Stay Apprised Of New AI Risks

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently issued annual examination priorities reiterate a host of regulatory implications for investment advisers using artificial intelligence tools, highlighting that meaningful ongoing due diligence can help mitigate both operational and regulatory surprises amid AI's rapid evolution, says Christopher Mills at Sidley.

  • New Rule Shows NRC Willing To Move Fast To Reform Regs

    Author Photo

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to forgo public comment and immediately rescind certain rules governing adjudicatory procedures, federal tort claims and disclosure of licensee information signals the agency's intent to accelerate the regulatory streamlining efforts ordered by the president this spring, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • AG Watch: Texas Junk Fee Deal Shows Enforcement Priorities

    Author Photo

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's recent $9.5 million settlement with online travel agency website Booking Holdings for so-called junk fee practices follows a larger trend of state attorneys general who have taken similar action and demonstrates the significant penalties that can follow such allegations, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • 10th Circ. Dissent May Light Path For Master Account Access

    Author Photo

    While the Tenth Circuit's majority in Custodia Bank v. Federal Reserve Board recently affirmed Federal Reserve banks' control over master account access, the dissent raised constitutional questions that could support banks seeking master accounts in future litigation, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Calif. AG's No-Poach Case Reflects Tougher Antitrust Stance

    Author Photo

    This month, California’s attorney general resolved the latest enforcement action barring the use of no-poach agreements, underscoring an aggressive antitrust enforcement trend with significant increases in criminal and civil penalties, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • A Look At The Wave Of 2025 Email Marketing Suits In Wash.

    Author Photo

    Since the Washington Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Old Navy in April, more than 30 lawsuits have alleged that a broad range of retailers across industries sent emails that violate the Washington Commercial Electronic Mail Act, but retailers are unlikely to find clear answers yet, says Gonzalo Mon at Kelley Drye.

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 Public Policy archive.