Public Policy

  • January 09, 2026

    EU Council Approves Trade Pact With 4 S. American Countries

    A legislative arm of the European Union approved the bloc's free trade agreement with four South American countries Friday, taking steps to create the largest global free trade zone.

  • January 09, 2026

    4th Circ. Asks If NCAA's W.Va. Eligibility Appeal Is Now Moot

    The NCAA and four West Virginia University football players have until Jan. 21 to tell the Fourth Circuit whether the collegiate athletic association's appeal of an injunction making the players eligible this season is moot, now that the season is over.

  • January 09, 2026

    Akin Adds Ways And Means Committee Trade Staffer In DC

    Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has expanded its international trade policy offerings with the addition of a former top Republican trade staffer to the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means.

  • January 09, 2026

    Alaska Natives Challenge IHS Over Women's Health Services

    Two Alaskan corporations are asking a D.C. federal court to compel the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to enter into a funding agreement that they say the Indian Health Service has rejected, arguing the denial threatens vital services to Alaska Natives and American Indians who have long depended on an Anchorage medical center.

  • January 09, 2026

    EU Clarifies Foreign Subsidies Regulation Guidelines

    The European Commission released an updated version of its foreign subsidies regulations to clarify how it determines competition distortions caused by such subsidies, among other aspects of the guidelines.

  • January 09, 2026

    NLRB Must Face Agency Atty's Speech Suppression Suit

    The National Labor Relations Board can't exit a field attorney's suit over her advocacy work with an environmental nonprofit, a Washington federal judge has ruled, finding that she has adequately alleged that her work doesn't violate a federal conflict of interest statute.

  • January 09, 2026

    Groups Oppose Feds' Bid To Stay $100K H-1B Visa Fee Suit

    Medical and other groups challenging President Donald Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee urged a California federal judge to reject the federal government's bid for a stay in the case, saying they are facing imminent harm without court intervention.

  • January 09, 2026

    Senate OKs Bipartisan Proposal To Limit Trump's War Powers

    The U.S. Senate voted to advance a War Powers Resolution that would prevent President Donald Trump from continuing to engage in military action in Venezuela without congressional authorization.

  • January 09, 2026

    Rakoff Hints 'Baby Shark' Mail-Service Precedent Is Unpopular

    U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff on Friday critiqued a Second Circuit decision requiring mail service to alleged Chinese infringers of "Baby Shark" trademarks, which he said may slow Google's effort to shutter an alleged China-based global phishing scam.

  • January 09, 2026

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Trade Secrets Row, A Patient Data Deal

    The North Carolina Business Court closed out the year by tossing a trade secrets fight brought by a corrugated packing manufacturer against its onetime star salesman and signing off on a $2.45 million settlement ending claims a healthcare system sold patients' data to Meta.

  • January 09, 2026

    Virginia Takes Vape Law Fight To 4th Circ.

    Virginia is looking to the Fourth Circuit to overturn a court order partially blocking it from enforcing a ban on flavored vapes, according to a notice filed by the state's attorney general.

  • January 08, 2026

    5th Circ. Wary Of Giving Investors Another Go At Lumen Suit

    A Fifth Circuit panel wanted to know why a group of investors should get another shot at a class action against Lumen Technologies Inc. for allegedly covering up its lead-covered copper cables, asking Thursday if the investors told the lower court how they would amend their pleading.

  • January 08, 2026

    FCC Updates 'Covered List' To Remove Some Drones

    The Federal Communications Commission announced that it will be pulling from its covered list certain drones and related components that the agency says no longer pose a risk to national security after consultation with the U.S. Department of Defense.

  • January 08, 2026

    NY Mortgage Cos. Face New 'Equitable Access' Lending Rules

    New York has finalized new rules that extend community-lending obligations to mortgage companies in the state, a move that officials said Thursday will promote regulatory parity and fairness as nonbank lenders outpace traditional banks in the mortgage market.

  • January 08, 2026

    NYAG Presses Instacart On Algorithmic Pricing Compliance

    The New York Attorney General's Office on Thursday sent a letter to Instacart requesting information about the online grocery shopping platform's compliance with a new state law on the use of algorithmic pricing following a report indicating users were being charged different prices for the same products.

  • January 08, 2026

    FCC Waives Call Consent Revocation Rule Until Early 2027

    The Federal Communications Commission has heeded the call of companies asking it to push a deadline for complying with a rule that makes it easier for people to opt out of robotexts, saying Thursday that businesses will have until 2027 to comply.

  • January 08, 2026

    Ex-Budget Official's Atty Stays On Case At Judge's Urging

    Despite an order allowing him to withdraw over a $65,000 fee dispute, a lawyer for former Connecticut budget official Konstantinos Diamantis late on Thursday agreed to remain on a case after a federal judge urged him to consider seeking payments under the Criminal Justice Act.

  • January 08, 2026

    Rep. Floats Bill To Require Tesla Manual Door Releases

    Tesla Inc. vehicles will be required to have both inside and outside manual door handles if a recently proposed U.S. House bill is made law, with the bill's sponsor calling it a "basic safety standard" that would save lives.

  • January 08, 2026

    FCC's 6 GHz Plan Relies On Geofenced 'Exclusion Zones'

    More details emerged Thursday about how the Federal Communications Commission plans to shield existing users from interference as it raises some device power levels in the 6 gigahertz spectrum band.

  • January 08, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Says Crocs' Appeal Of Split ITC Loss Came Too Late

    The Federal Circuit on Thursday rebuffed Crocs Inc.'s efforts to save its request for an import ban against companies it accused of importing footwear infringing its trademarks, finding the company was too late in challenging the mixed ITC ruling that generated two appeal deadlines.

  • January 08, 2026

    FTC Battles Edwards On Eve Of Heart Valve Merger Deadline

    The Federal Trade Commission asked a D.C. federal judge for a last-minute extension on an order blocking Edwards Lifesciences' $945 million acquisition of JenaValve Technology Inc., fearing difficulty with unscrambling the egg if the block expires Friday, the judge rejects its merger challenge and the deal closes before the agency can appeal.

  • January 08, 2026

    11th Circ. Told Gov't Knew Of Facility's Impact To Everglades

    Nonprofit groups told the Eleventh Circuit that the Trump administration withheld information on the environmental impact of an immigrant detention center located in the Everglades, saying the federal government worked closely with Florida officials before constructing the facility. 

  • January 08, 2026

    9th Circ. Redo Raises New Issues On Abortion Coverage Law

    A Ninth Circuit panel that previously sided with Washington in a church's challenge to a state law mandating employer health coverage of abortion services voiced fresh concerns about both sides' positions when revisiting the case Thursday, roughly six months after rescinding the initial opinion without explanation.

  • January 08, 2026

    AT&T Asks To Keep Extension After LA-Area Copper Theft

    AT&T needs more time before it can be required to provide telecommunications services in Los Angeles again, the telecom behemoth has told the Federal Communications Commission, because it's still struggling to combat a recent rash of copper thefts.

  • January 08, 2026

    Truckers Sue Over Calif. Immigrant Drivers License Freeze

    A group representing Chinese American truckers sued the Trump administration Wednesday, alleging the sweeping federal crackdown on immigrant truck drivers has forced California to freeze issuing or renewing all nondomiciled commercial driver's licenses, including those for qualified drivers with lawful status who are being deprived of due process.

Expert Analysis

  • 2025 Brought A New Paradigm For Federal Banking Regulation

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    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.

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.