Public Policy

  • October 07, 2025

    Senate Confirms Trump's Wage Chief Pick

    The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division on Tuesday.

  • October 07, 2025

    Judge Concerned As Feds Keep Immigration Atty's Phone Data

    A federal prosecutor told a Massachusetts judge on Tuesday that the government has returned a phone it seized from an immigration lawyer but does not intend to delete data it pulled from the device, prompting the court to raise concerns that the information could be used to identify and arrest immigrants.

  • October 07, 2025

    Approach The Bench: Judge Kaplan On Suit Against The Gov't

    U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Elaine Kaplan's docket doesn't always garner attention in the same way trial court cases do, but that may change as the executive branch makes sweeping budget and policy changes that could lend more political significance to monetary claims against the government.

  • October 07, 2025

    Planners Should Be Tariffed As Calendars, Fed. Circ. Told

    Weekly planners sold by a California calendar company are advertised for their calendars and should be considered such for tariff purposes, counsel for the business told Federal Circuit judges Tuesday, arguing the lower court and government incorrectly classified them as a type of notebook.

  • October 07, 2025

    La. Challenges Mail-Order Access To Abortion Medication

    The state of Louisiana on Monday sued federal regulators for expanding access to the abortion medication mifepristone under the Biden administration, alleging the removal of an in-person dispensing requirement allows the drug to be mailed illegally into anti-abortion states.

  • October 07, 2025

    Baker Donelson Forms Gov't Solutions, Public Funding Group

    Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC announced Tuesday that it has launched a government solutions and public funding group to help clients prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters — while identifying and securing public funding opportunities at the federal, state and local levels.

  • October 07, 2025

    Bondi Declines To Discuss James Comey Indictment

    Appearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi deflected when questioned on the recent indictment of former FBI Director James Comey and other controversies involving the U.S. Department of Justice. 

  • October 07, 2025

    Mich. Court Scraps Ruling That Affirmed Solar Farm Permit

    A Michigan state appeals court tossed a ruling that upheld a township's permit for an Invenergy subsidiary's industrial-scale solar farm, concluding that its board of trustees failed to sufficiently explain or provide a basis for its decision.

  • October 07, 2025

    ​​​​​​​California Aims To Sink DOJ's 'Egg Prices' Animal Law Case

    California, state egg farmers and animal rights groups are asking a federal court to dismiss the U.S. government's lawsuit that seeks to eliminate animal welfare laws that it alleges have contributed to a rise in egg prices.

  • October 07, 2025

    Pa. Justices Wary Of Lifting Corporate Veil To Beat Time Limit

    Members of Pennsylvania's Supreme Court seemed skeptical of a bid by asbestos claimants to sue the parent company of a defunct industrial firm, pointing to a two-year time limit for claims against the dissolved subsidiary.

  • October 07, 2025

    Mich. Panel Upholds Hazing Charges In Frat Member's Death

    A Michigan appeals panel upheld the constitutionality of a state law criminalizing hazing that results in injury or death, greenlighting charges stemming from a Michigan State University fraternity pledge's death from alcohol poisoning.

  • October 07, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Halt Labor Mandate Case For Gov't Shutdown

    The federal government can't stay a builders association's case challenging an executive order that requires union-favoring labor agreements for expensive government contracts, the Eleventh Circuit ruled, declining a request made in light of the government shutdown.

  • October 07, 2025

    SEC's Atkins Wants To 'Future-Proof' Deregulatory Agenda

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins said Tuesday that he hopes that moving quickly to adopt new rules deregulating the public and private markets will "future-proof" his agenda against potential tampering by succeeding presidential administrations.

  • October 07, 2025

    Copyright Chief Says DC Circ. Decision Bars Removal

    Shira Perlmutter has shot back at the government's arguments defending President Donald Trump's decision to fire her as head of the U.S. Copyright Office, saying the D.C. Circuit has said in her case that Trump likely never had the power to do so.

  • October 07, 2025

    Cos., Mass. Town End $50M Earth Removal Permit Bylaw Suit

    A construction supplies company and its quarry operator have agreed to permanently bring an end to their more than $50 million suit challenging a Massachusetts town's amended bylaw for earth removal permits that allegedly impeded the plaintiff's quarry operations, according to a stipulation of dismissal filed in Massachusetts federal court.

  • October 07, 2025

    Calif. Allows Tax Break For Solar Property Until Owner Change

    A California property tax exclusion for newly built solar energy systems that is set to end in 2027 will continue to apply until there is a change in a qualifying property's ownership under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

  • October 07, 2025

    FDIC, OCC Rule Proposals Seek To Rein In Bank Supervision

    Federal banking regulators on Tuesday unveiled a pair of proposed curbs on their supervision programs that would formally ban the use of reputation risk as an exam factor and constrain what examiners can call out for criticism as an "unsafe or unsound" practice.

  • October 06, 2025

    High Court Declines Challenge To Ore. Secret Recording Ban

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up conservative media group Project Veritas' First Amendment challenge to an Oregon law prohibiting secret audio recordings of people's conversations, leaving in place a Ninth Circuit ruling upholding the measure. 

  • October 06, 2025

    New H-2A Wage Rule May Worsen Farm Labor Shortages

    A new regulation revamping wage calculations for workers on temporary H-2A visas is being welcomed by agricultural employers, but the possibility of depressed wages could tie up the policy in litigation at a time when the Trump administration is predicting farm labor shortages.

  • October 06, 2025

    OCC To Ease Exams, Simplify Licensing For Smaller Banks

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency moved Monday to ease its oversight of banks with under $30 billion in assets, rolling out policy changes that include cutting back on their exam requirements and potentially expanding their access to expedited licensing options.

  • October 06, 2025

    Justices Hint At Barring Del. Med Mal Law In Federal Court

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday appeared to side with a retired attorney's position that a Delaware medical malpractice statute clashes with federal rules of procedure and is therefore unenforceable in federal court, with several justices saying the law appears to be an improper procedural requirement.

  • October 06, 2025

    Justices Urged To Leave Trans Passport Ban On Ice

    Two classes of transgender and nonbinary people urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to reject the Trump administration's bid to lift a nationwide order that requires it to continue issuing passports that reflect the holders' gender identity, saying the proposed policy change is a textbook example of an unreasoned decision.

  • October 06, 2025

    ​​​​​​​Broadcasters Say FCC Can Nix Nat'l Ownership Cap. It's Iffy

    Top TV station chains insist the Federal Communications Commission has clear authority to scrap a decades-old cap on national audience share controlled by any one company. But they're wading into a murky legal area almost certain to prompt a flood of litigation.

  • October 06, 2025

    ICE Accused Of Silencing Press And Protesters In Chicago

    Chicago-area journalists and demonstrators on Monday sued the Trump administration in Illinois federal court, alleging in a proposed class action that federal agents in full combat gear have been violently violating their First Amendment rights to protest peacefully and report news.

  • October 06, 2025

    DC Circ. Grills Feds Over Expedited Removal Procedures

    A D.C. Circuit judge on Monday pressed the government about the procedures in place for ensuring noncitizens who are ineligible for expedited removal aren't deported, noting a dearth of evidence about their sufficiency.

Expert Analysis

  • Top Takeaways From Trump's AI Action Plan

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    President Donald Trump's AI Action Plan represents some notable evolution in U.S. policy, including affirmation of the administration's trend toward prioritizing artificial intelligence innovation over guardrails and toward supporting greater U.S. private sector reach overseas, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Navigating Executive Perk Enforcement Under Trump Admin

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    While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently signaled a softer approach to executive perks, companies should remain vigilant due to the bipartisan and lengthy nature of executive perquisite cases and Chairman Paul Atkins' previous support for disclosure requirements, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Ill. Toxic Tort Jurisdiction Law Raises Constitutional Concerns

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    Illinois' S.B. 328, purporting to broaden state courts' jurisdictional reach over out-of-state corporations, is presented as a measure aimed at facilitating recovery in toxic tort cases, but the legislation raises significant due process and dormant commerce clause issues, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Rebuttal

    BigLaw Settlements Should Not Spur Ethics Deregulation

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    A recent Law360 op-ed argued that loosening law firm funding restrictions would make BigLaw firms less inclined to settle with the Trump administration, but deregulating legal financing ethics may well prove to be not merely ineffective, but counterproductive, says Laurel Kilgour at the American Economic Liberties Project.

  • Opinion

    8th Circ. Should Reaffirm False Commercial Speech's Nature

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    The Eighth Circuit in Goldfinch Laboratory v. Iowa Pathology Associates should assert that false commercial speech is not categorically immune from antitrust scrutiny, says Daniel Graulich at the Federal Trade Commission.

  • Unpacking Ore. Law's Limits On PE Healthcare Investment

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    A recent Oregon law imposes significant restrictions on nonphysicians owning or controlling medical practices, but newly enacted amendments provide some additional flexibility in certain ownership arrangements without scuttling the law's intent of addressing concerns about the rise of private equity investment in healthcare, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Environmental Justice Is Alive And Well At The State Level

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    Even as the Trump administration has rolled back federal environmental justice policies, many states continue to prioritize it, with new regulations, strengthened enforcement of existing rules and ongoing private litigation — so companies must stay alert to how state-level EJ enforcement may affect their operations, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.

  • What FinCEN's AML Rule Delay Means For Advisers

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    Even with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's statement last month delaying the compliance date for a rule requiring advisers to report suspicious activity, advisers can expect some level of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission oversight in connection with anti-money laundering compliance, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • 5 Ways Lawyers Can Earn Back The Public's Trust

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    Amid salacious headlines about lawyers behaving badly and recent polls showing the public’s increasingly unfavorable view of attorneys, we must make meaningful changes to our culture to rebuild trust in the legal system, says Carl Taylor at Carl Taylor Law.

  • What Insurers Must Know About New La. Proof Of Loss Law

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    Insurers that comply with all the requirements under a Louisiana law effective this month may condition claim payments on receipt of proof of loss statements, but those that overlook even one prerequisite risk penalties and late payments, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Legal Jeopardy Looms Over Trump's Trade Negotiation Plans

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    Even as the Trump administration announces one trade deal after another, the legal authority of the executive branch to impose tariffs under consensual arrangements with leading trading partners is just as debatable as the unilateral imposition of U.S. tariffs under the president's executive orders, says Jeffrey Bialos at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Criminal Healthcare Fraud Takeaways From 4th Circ. Reversal

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    After the Fourth Circuit reversed a doctor’s postconviction acquittal in U.S. v. Elfenbein last month, defense attorneys should consider three strategies when handling complex criminal healthcare matters, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Opinion

    Furtive Changes To Federal Health Data Threaten Admissibility

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    A recent study showing that nearly 100 U.S. federal health datasets have been modified this year without any notation in official change logs should concern plaintiffs counsel, defense counsel and judges alike — because undermining data's integrity, authenticity and chain of custody threatens its admissibility in litigation, say attorneys at Kershaw Talley.

  • State Laws Show Uniformity Is Key To Truly Fair Bank Access

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    The lack of uniformity among state laws — including new Idaho legislation — that forbid banks from discriminating against customers based on ideology shows that a single set of federally administered fair access rules would better serve financial institutions and American consumers, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • A Look At Justices' Rare Decision Not To Limit Agency Powers

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    The Supreme Court's recent denial of Alpine's cert petition in its long-running case against the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority sends a strong signal that litigation strategies dependent on the elimination of government agencies merit caution, even from a court that lately hasn't been shy about paring back agency authority, say attorneys at Venable.

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