Public Policy

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.
December 18, 2025
HHS Proposes Hospital Ban On Gender Care For Minors

The Trump administration moved to block all hospitals that receive federal funding from providing gender-affirming care to minors and issued warning letters to a dozen companies Thursday as part of a sweeping push to halt the care nationwide, even in states with legal protections in place.
December 18, 2025
Dems Offer Bill To Shine Light On High Court 'Shadow Docket'

Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Supreme Court to explain its "shadow docket" rulings, criticizing the high court for issuing "harmful, backwards decisions" that "impact millions of American's lives" but are often unaccompanied by a formal opinion.
December 18, 2025
NC Construction Exec Admits To $6M Bid-Rigging Scheme

A North Carolina construction company executive pled guilty to a conspiracy to rig bids for maintenance and repair on U.S. military installations, according to a Wednesday press release from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Public Affairs.
December 18, 2025
OMB Slammed With Suit Over Federal Watchdog Defunding

A group of nonprofits sued the federal Office of Management and Budget this week to secure permanent funding for the independent agency for federal watchdogs, saying the office overstepped its authority in choosing to defund the organization.
December 18, 2025
Ariz. Bill Would Bar Local Taxes On Residential Sales

Arizona would retroactively bar local taxes on the sales of certain residential properties under legislation proposed in the state Senate.
December 18, 2025
Judge Wants More Info On 1976 Memo In Philly Cops' OT Suit

A Pennsylvania federal judge Thursday held off on deciding whether to send an overtime lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia, its police department and some of the department's leaders to trial, saying he needs additional details, including about a decades-old memorandum amending a civil service regulation.
December 18, 2025
Trump Orders Loosening Of Federal Restrictions On Marijuana

President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that his administration would instruct federal agencies to loosen restrictions on cannabis via executive order, a historic acknowledgment from the executive branch that the drug has recognized medical uses.
December 18, 2025
Pot Co. Says NY's 'Seed To Sale' Program Raises Costs

A maker of cannabis products is suing New York's cannabis regulators, alleging that new 'seed-to-sale' tracking system will exponentially raise prices and is an unconstitutional overreach by the agency.
December 17, 2025
Senate Sends $900B Defense Bill To Trump's Desk

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a $900.6 billion defense policy and budget bill for 2026, which includes a provision aimed at putting pressure on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to release unedited video of boat strikes carried out in international waters near Venezuela.
December 17, 2025
Trump Admin Asks Fed Whether It's Back In The Black

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday asked the Federal Reserve to confirm whether it has returned to profitability, a potential opening for the Trump administration to draw new funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after insisting none is available.
December 17, 2025
9th Circ. Affirms DHS Officers' Fast-Track Removal Authority

A Ninth Circuit panel on Wednesday upheld the denial of a Mexican citizen's bid to toss illegal reentry charges, rejecting arguments that a U.S. Department of Homeland Security "deciding service officer" unconstitutionally ordered his removal, while also clarifying that such officers who issue fast-track removal orders aren't subject to the U.S. Constitution's appointments clause.
December 17, 2025
NJ Gov. Says Clemency Grants Exceed 300 Since Exec Order

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday announced that his office has surpassed 300 grants of clemency since he launched an effort last year to increase the legal relief provided to incarcerated and convicted people in the state.
December 17, 2025
States, Groups Urge DC Circ. To Preserve EPA Soot Rule

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's request that the D.C. Circuit vacate a Biden-era soot rule is legally untenable and should be rejected, Democrat-led states and cities, along with health and environmental groups, told the court.
December 17, 2025
5th Circ. Overturns 20-Year Sentence For Illegal Reentry

A Fifth Circuit panel vacated a 20-year sentence imposed on a Mexican national for unlawful reentry, ruling Wednesday that prosecutors broke an informal agreement to support far lower sentencing guidelines if the man entered a guilty plea with no formal deal.
December 17, 2025
Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Nexstar's $6.2B Tegna Deal

A group of Democratic lawmakers has urged federal enforcers to closely scrutinize Nexstar Media Group Inc.'s planned $6.2 billion purchase of rival broadcast company Tegna Inc. and to block the deal if they find it violates the law.
December 17, 2025
DC Circ. Grants En Banc Hearing On CFPB Layoff Plan

Additional D.C. Circuit judges will get to weigh in on the Trump administration's bid to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau through mass layoffs, after the appeals court granted the agency's employees' union an en banc rehearing on a lower court's injunction stopping the firings.
December 17, 2025
Senate Dems, FCC Tangle Over Agency's 'Independent' Status

The Federal Communications Commission's Republican chair faced off Wednesday against Senate Democrats, who accused him of trying to muffle dissenting political views and gutting the telecommunications regulator's longstanding independence.
December 17, 2025
Halt Of Alien Enemies Contempt Probe To Test Judicial Power

The D.C. Circuit's second halt of U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's contempt inquiry into the Trump administration's Alien Enemies Act deportations has set up a high-stakes fight over how far judges can go when the executive branch defies their orders.
December 17, 2025
Shutdown Deal Bars Federal Firings Until Feb., Judge Says

A California federal judge said Wednesday she'll grant a preliminary injunction barring layoffs of federal workers from several agencies before Jan. 30, saying legislation that ended the government shutdown prohibits the layoffs, but she added she might pause her order while the government appeals.
December 17, 2025
20 States Back 10th Circ. Rehearing In Colo. Interest Rate Row

Utah has led a group of 20 states in backing a push by banking groups for a full Tenth Circuit rehearing of their challenge to a Colorado law intended to curb high-cost lending in the state, saying a recent panel decision upholding the law harms states' interests.
December 17, 2025
Energy Dept. Orders Wash. Coal Plant To Remain Open

The U.S. Department of Energy has ordered Washington's sole coal-fired power plant to remain open through March 2026, despite a state law that requires utilities to stop using coal-fired electricity by year's end.

Editor's Picks

Trump's Legal Battles

States, federal employee unions, various advocacy groups and several individuals have filed over 220 lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's implementation of executive orders and other initiatives. Law360 has created a database of those lawsuits, separated into categories based on their subject matter.

Expert Analysis

Reviewing 2025's Most Pertinent Wiretap Developments

2025 was a remarkable year in the world of web tracking wiretapping litigation, not only for the increased caseload but also because of numerous developing theories of liability, with disputes expected to continue unabated in 2026, say attorneys at Squire Patton.
2025 Legal Milestones That Will Shape Psychedelics Sector

As 2025 draws to a close, psychedelic drug development stands at an inflection point, experiencing unprecedented momentum through recent sweeping regulatory changes and landmark clinical milestones, amid rapidly evolving regulatory expectations, say Odette Hauke at Odette Alina LLC and Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell.
M&A Midmarket Shows Resilience Amid 2025 Challenges

Midmarket mergers and acquisitions showed a slight decline in volume but climbed in value for much of 2025, particularly in the private equity space, indicating that the middle market M&A environment is cautious but steady heading into 2026, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.
Del. Dispatch: Key 2025 Corporate Cases And Trends To Know

The Delaware corporate legal landscape saw notable changes in 2025, spurred by amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law, ubiquitous artificial intelligence fervor, boardroom discussion around DExit, record shareholder activism activity and an arguably more expansive view of potential Caremark liability, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
Series

Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.
2025 Brought A New Paradigm For Federal Banking Regulation

A series of thematic shifts defined banking regulation in 2025, including a fundamental reform of prudential supervision, a strategic easing of capital constraints, steps to streamline merger reviews, and a new framework for fair access and entrants seeking to offer banking services, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
What 2025 Transpo And Logistics Legal Trends Mean For 2026

2025 was challenging for the transportation and logistics sector, with emergent trends including dramatic federal policy shifts, developments in tort risk, and a host of mergers and acquisitions — but a review of these themes offers a useful playbook for where the industry is headed in 2026, says Jonathan Todd at Benesch.
How Cos. Can Roll With NY's New Algorithmic Pricing Rules

Despite uncertainty from New York’s new ban on artificial intelligence and computer algorithms for setting rents, and efforts to further restrict individualizing prices based on consumers' personal data, property managers, software providers and merchants can take several steps to stay compliant, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.
2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.