Public Policy

  • September 30, 2026

    Newsom Signs New AI Worker Protections, Atty Limits

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday signed a slate of laws aimed at placing guardrails on artificial intelligence, including protecting workers from job losses, limiting its use in the practice of law and strengthening safeguards against deepfakes.

  • September 30, 2026

    Senate Panel Seeks To Hold AI Giants Liable For Rogue Hacks

    Several U.S. senators made a bipartisan push Wednesday to impose both civil and criminal liability on the makers and users of advanced artificial intelligence models for the misuse of these systems, arguing that such a move would give these companies more incentive to combat cyberattacks carried out by rogue AI agents and other potential harms. 

  • September 30, 2026

    Fed HQ Review Finds Cost-Control Failures, No Crimes

    A Federal Reserve watchdog said Wednesday that it has found no potential criminal violations tied to overbudget renovations of the central bank's headquarters, a more than $2 billion overhaul that became a focus of White House attacks on former Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

  • September 30, 2026

    Parler Ex-CEO Makes Final Trial Pitch For $100M Damages

    The former CEO of social media site Parler made his final argument Wednesday that he was wrongly stripped of a stake worth up to $100 million, with his lawyer telling a Nevada jury a valuation finding the entire company worth $10.81 was "bunk."

  • September 30, 2026

    Senate Confirms Keith Sonderling As Labor Secretary

    The full U.S. Senate late Wednesday approved President Donald Trump's nomination of Keith Sonderling to serve as secretary of labor and lead the U.S. Department of Labor.

  • September 30, 2026

    Baby Food Co. Will Keep Posting Test Results, Texas AG Says

    Baby food company Plum Organics has committed to continuing to publish heavy metal test results for its infant food products, according to a deal it signed with the Texas attorney general's office to end a state investigation.

  • September 30, 2026

    Newsom Signs Law Letting California Target Solo Monopolies

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Wednesday that expands California's Cartwright Act to allow the state to pursue monopoly and monopsony claims against a solo company, instead of requiring multicompany coordinated conduct, saying the bill is "leveling the playing field" for small businesses. 

  • September 30, 2026

    FCC OKs Cable Biz Waiver To Fix Banned Routers

    The Federal Communications Commission has come through with another waiver that will allow certain companies to make changes to foreign-made routers that the agency has banned from being imported, in the hopes of avoiding the supply chain shortages that the ban created.

  • September 30, 2026

    FTC Asks Texas Court To Keep Trans Health Suit Intact

    The Federal Trade Commission asked a Texas federal court to keep intact its lawsuit against World Professional Association for Transgender Health, saying Tuesday that it adequately pled that the organization published medically dubious, self-serving trans guidelines that push "dangerous and experimental treatments."

  • September 30, 2026

    3rd Circ. Topples Materiality Rule For Securities Suits

    The Third Circuit on Wednesday revived a securities fraud class action against pharmaceutical company Ocugen Inc., scrapping a decades-old circuit rule that treated a stock price's failure to move after a corrective disclosure as conclusive proof that an alleged misstatement was immaterial.

  • September 30, 2026

    Glock Wins Bid To Block Conn. Convertible Pistol Sale Ban

    A Connecticut federal judge Wednesday blocked a new state law that banned the advertising or sale of newly manufactured pistols if they can be "readily converted" into fully automatic weapons, agreeing with Glock Inc., an industry trade group and other challengers that the law is "likely unconstitutional."

  • September 30, 2026

    Utility Hasn't Billed For Almost 10 Years, Conn. Agency Told

    A small Connecticut water company has not issued bills to its customers in nearly a decade, violating a prior regulatory order and raising concerns that customers will ultimately owe enormous sums, according to a petition asking the state's energy regulator to investigate.

  • September 30, 2026

    Chase Gets Trump's $5B Fla. Debanking Case Sent To NY

    A Florida federal judge on Wednesday granted JPMorgan Chase Bank NA's motion to transfer President Donald Trump's $5 billion debanking case to New York, agreeing with the bank that the president and his businesses fraudulently joined JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon in an attempt to keep the litigation in Florida.

  • September 30, 2026

    11th Circ. Skeptical Of PACE Lenders' CFPB Rule Challenge

    An Eleventh Circuit panel on Wednesday appeared poised to reject an industry challenge to Biden-era Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules for providers of property-assessed clean-energy loans, repeatedly questioning claims that the agency overstepped its authority.

  • September 30, 2026

    NCAA Wins Title IX Trans Suit, As Judge Finds No Fed. Aid

    A Georgia federal judge has sided with the NCAA in a suit that challenged its former policy allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports, ruling the organization was not bound by Title IX restrictions because it received no federal funds.

  • September 30, 2026

    FCC Opens 2 Spectrum Bands For Satellite Services

    The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday opened two portions of spectrum totaling more than 1,000 megahertz to expand satellite broadband as part of a long-range plan to free up the airwaves for space-based activities.

  • September 30, 2026

    Fla. Panel Says Hot-Car Conviction Needs Knowledge Element

    A Florida state appeals court Wednesday ruled that a nanny convicted of felony murder after forgetting she left a 10-month-old inside a hot car should be tried again, saying prosecutors used an improper underlying charge as a basis for the felony murder charge.

  • September 30, 2026

    3rd Circ. Calls Westlaw AI Fight 'Ordinary Copyright Case'

    The Third Circuit said the first appellate fight over artificial intelligence training and fair use ultimately came down to an "ordinary copyright case," affirming that Ross Intelligence infringed Thomson Reuters' Westlaw headnotes when it used them to train a competing legal research platform.

  • September 30, 2026

    Ill. Judge To Hear Fight Over Prosecutor Contempt Probe

    An Illinois federal judge is set to hear arguments Thursday on whether fallout from a failed prosecution of six anti-ICE protesters should extend beyond dismissed charges and internal reforms to an evidentiary sanctions hearing and a deeper probe into possible criminal contempt by Chicago federal prosecutors.

  • September 30, 2026

    NY DA: Construction Exec Offered 'Quid Pro Quo' To Atty

    The Manhattan District Attorney's Office seized the phone of The Rinaldi Group's managing director as part of a criminal investigation into allegations that he proposed a "quid pro quo" to a defense attorney representing another longtime TRG executive in a bribery case, a prosecutor has told a state court judge.

  • September 30, 2026

    Biz Groups Urge 5th Circ. To Back Texas Derivative-Suits Limit

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Association of Business on Wednesday urged the Fifth Circuit to uphold the dismissal of a Southwest Airlines shareholder's derivative suit, saying Texas law properly blocks such suits for those who hold less than 3% of shares.

  • September 30, 2026

    Treasury Sets Plans For State Stablecoin Regime Reviews

    The Treasury Department implemented its procedures for reviewing and approving state-level stablecoin licensing frameworks Wednesday, issuing an interim final rule that would give states some flexibility in meeting a looming deadline to submit their regimes for stablecoin issuers.

  • September 30, 2026

    Fed Finalizes Update To Open Stress Test Models

    The Federal Reserve Wednesday finalized changes to how it stress tests banks, saying that new steps, such as inviting public comment on the scenarios used in the exams, would lead to greater transparency and public accountability.

  • September 30, 2026

    UC Davis Accused Of Gender Bias In Financial Aid To Athletes

    Current and former University of California, Davis women's equestrian team members upset with the athletic program's downgrade from Division I status are accusing the school of violating Title IX by giving female student-athletes proportionally "far less" financial aid.

  • September 30, 2026

    DC Says Rail Fee Doesn't Favor Local Carriers Over Others

    The Office of Attorney General for the District of Columbia has urged a federal judge to uphold its annual per-car fee on railroads against a challenge from the freight industry, arguing the charge is valid under the dormant commerce clause because it doesn't favor in-state interests over those outside the district.

Expert Analysis

  • The State Of Prediction Market Litigation After 9th Circ. Ruling

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Kalshi v. Assad gives state regulators significant appellate backing to enforce state gaming laws over prediction markets, creating a direct split with the Third Circuit that will likely lead to Supreme Court review of the question, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • CISA Town Halls Signal Key Cyber Rule Changes Ahead

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    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recently held a series of town halls to gather additional stakeholder input on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, offering potential insights into how the agency may address key issues in a forthcoming final rule, say attorneys at Covington.

  • 11th Circ. FCA Qui Tam Revival Queues Up Next Challenges

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    Though the Eleventh Circuit on Sept. 1 upheld the constitutionality of the False Claims Act's qui tam provision, it will probably face continued litigation since the appellate court declined to rule on other constitutional challenges and the decision will likely be petitioned to the U.S. Supreme Court, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • Home Equity Products Face Expanding Regulatory Patchwork

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    Home equity investment providers, which have recently come under scrutiny from regulators and industry groups, face meaningful burdens as the U.S. Senate and a growing number of states take divergent regulatory approaches, with no uniform standard likely anytime soon, say attorneys at Bradley.

  • How Orbital Data Centers May Test NEPA's Reach

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    With environmental and scientific groups recently pushing back against the Federal Communications Commission's proposal to exempt massive data center satellite constellations from review under the National Environmental Policy Act, the question of whether NEPA even applies to projects in space turns on three closely related issues, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Subchapter V Bill May Change Restructuring Analysis

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    While a recently passed Senate bill would expand the pool of businesses eligible to use the streamlined Subchapter V process, its more significant influence may be on how distressed businesses and their lenders evaluate restructuring alternatives long before a bankruptcy petition is filed, says Robert Charbonneau at Agentis.

  • Series

    Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Illinois BNPL Law Casts Wide Net Over Loan Providers

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    A new Illinois law's broad definition of buy now, pay later providers under its new dedicated licensing and supervisory regime notably imposes conduct standards similar to other consumer credit regimes and aggressively looks through a wide range of business activities and arrangements, say attorneys at Ashurst Perkins.

  • BIA Ruling Calls For Analyzing Advance Parole Travel's Risks

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    The Board of Immigration Appeals’ recent policy reversal, holding that a temporary trip abroad pursuant to advance parole counts as a departure under the Immigration and Nationality Act, means counsel should assess their clients' immigration history and potential risks of travel before they depart, says attorney Richard Herman.

  • What Cos. Should Know About DOE Energy Dominance Loans

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    With the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing set to become a vital resource for funding U.S. energy and critical minerals projects, interested companies must understand the terms of potential loans and take into account the applicable financial, technical, legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • How Jackson Walker Settlement Will Affect Conflict Checks

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    Jackson Walker's recently filed $15 million settlement with the U.S. Trustee is effectively a contract between one firm and the government that will nevertheless serve as a template of conflict disclosure practices for all firms practicing in the bankruptcy courts, says attorney Ken Rosen.

  • Scope Issues For Cos. To Consider Ahead Of Cyber Rules

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    As the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency finalizes its proposed Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act rules, organizations can take steps to navigate the uncertainty that stems from inconsistent critical infrastructure sector definitions and overlapping sector boundaries, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • DOJ Fraud Declination Highlights Self-Disclosure Tradeoffs

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    As exemplified by the U.S. Department of Justice's declination of charges against Campus Eye Management under its new corporate enforcement policy, self-disclosure can be an attractive option for healthcare companies navigating criminal exposure, but should be weighed against potential costs, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Nonbank Lenders Should Watch In 'Open Banking' Redo

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    Nonbank mortgage lenders should prepare for several key changes in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's anticipated open banking rule rewrite that could reshape verification costs, vendor relationships and loan workflows, says Kara Ward at Baker Donelson.

  • SEC's Long-Awaited Crypto Rule Is 1st Piece Of Larger Puzzle

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently proposed crypto rule provides issuers with a workable exempt offering framework but leaves holder-side questions for forthcoming rules, meaning compliance officers and counsel will have to work from an incomplete picture for now, says Josh Burton at Silver Regulatory Associates.

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