Public Policy

  • May 02, 2025

    DC Circ. Allows Feds To Halt Funding To Int'l Media Outlets

    A D.C. Circuit panel has paused a lower court order that restored federal grant funding to international broadcasters while leaving intact other aspects of a ruling preserving the agency that oversees Voice of America.

  • May 02, 2025

    A Look At Trump's Pick For The 6th Circuit

    President Donald Trump's first judicial nominee, Whitney Hermandorfer, who's been tapped for a seat Democrats tried to fill while Joe Biden was in the White House, has been part of litigation on several politically charged issues due to her job with the Tennessee Attorney General's office.

  • May 02, 2025

    Trump Proposes Billions In Cuts To EPA State Grant Programs

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would lose more than half of its funding compared with 2025 under the 2026 budget request released Friday by the Trump administration, with proposed cuts to drinking water infrastructure grants for states amounting to $2.4 billion. 

  • May 02, 2025

    With Lowell's New Firm, San Juan Bank Appeals NY Fed Loss

    Abbe Lowell — the high-profile litigator who on Friday announced he will launch a boutique firm aiming to aid with "politicized investigations" after exiting the partnership of Winston & Strawn LLP — will help handle a Puerto Rico bank's appeal of an order affirming the closure of its Federal Reserve master account by federal regulators.

  • May 02, 2025

    Civil Rights Groups Told They Can't Block Trump's DEI Orders

    A D.C. federal judge declined Friday to block executive orders from President Donald Trump canceling funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and contracts, ruling the orders haven't infringed on the missions of the three civil rights groups behind the suit beyond federally funded projects.

  • May 02, 2025

    Opening Upper C-Band Poses Air Safety Concerns, FCC Told

    The Federal Communications Commission needs to scrutinize how a plan to open the upper C-Band airwaves for commercial wireless would affect aircraft safety equipment before moving toward new rules, airline pilots said.

  • May 02, 2025

    US, China Battling Over Entrenched Economies, Experts Say

    Differing economic philosophies are contributing to the escalating trade war between the United States and China, according to professionals who follow the countries' relations, with the Chinese government's supply-side ideology rooted in exports and U.S. deficit spending driving demand for imports.

  • May 02, 2025

    Layoffs, Grant Cutoffs On Hold At Federal Library Agency

    Employees of the federal agency that provides grants and resources to public libraries can keep their jobs for now, with a federal judge in Washington, D.C., issuing a temporary restraining order blocking a mass layoff scheduled for May 4 from going into effect.

  • May 02, 2025

    More Crypto Easing For Banks Is 'Critical,' Trade Groups Say

    A coalition of Wall Street trade groups urged the executive branch to continue removing "barriers" limiting financial institutions from engaging with digital assets in a joint letter calling for uniform risk-management expectations over processes that require firms to clear their crypto activities with banking regulators ahead of time.

  • May 02, 2025

    Feds Urge Judge To Deny ACLU's Broader Injunction Request

    The Trump administration said a Washington, D.C., federal judge can't order the government to facilitate the return of Venezuelan nationals deported from the U.S. to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center "in a district in which none of the affected individuals are located."

  • May 02, 2025

    4 Mass. Rulings You May Have Missed In April

    Some notable Massachusetts state court decisions in April wrestled with a Staples affiliate's jurisdictional challenge in an employment case, a discovery dispute in the state's greenwashing litigation against Exxon involving McKinsey & Co., and an insurer's effort to be let off the hook for representing a lawyer in a malpractice claim.

  • May 02, 2025

    Pot Co. Drops Challenge To Mich. City's Licensing Scheme

    A would-be Michigan dispensary has dropped its suit alleging that the city of Auburn Hills violated a voter-approved ordinance by awarding a cannabis license to a company it had previously said didn't fit the criteria for one.

  • May 02, 2025

    Ad Tech Judge Mulls Possible Google Exchange Divestiture

    A Virginia federal judge expressed interest Friday in potentially forcing Google to divest a key piece of its advertising placement technology business, while voicing reservations with a U.S. Department of Justice proposal to also force another sale to address the search giant's ad tech monopoly.

  • May 02, 2025

    Trooper Guilty On Most Counts In Driver's License Scheme

    A former Massachusetts State Police trooper was convicted Friday on most counts in a case alleging he accepted bribes in exchange for giving passing scores on commercial driver's license exams.

  • May 02, 2025

    Conn. Exoneree Says Town Can't Escape $5.7M Jury Verdict

    A murder exoneree who spent three decades in prison has asked a federal judge to reject a Connecticut town's attempt to escape a $5.7 million evidence fabrication award, saying a limited post-verdict review weighs in his favor and that the town's prior Second Circuit loss supports his win.

  • May 02, 2025

    Trade War Spurs Companies To Freshen Disclosure Playbooks

    Against the backdrop of a protracted trade war that has rattled investors, companies are honing their securities filings and public communications strategies, posing fresh challenges for corporations and their lawyers, who are otherwise accustomed to navigating global disruptions.

  • May 02, 2025

    Mass. Board Knocks $36K Off Senior Condo's Tax Valuation

    A Massachusetts senior condominium unit was overvalued by $36,000, the state Appellate Tax Board ruled in an opinion released Friday, saying the owner's comparable sales analysis showed the property's valuation was inconsistent with the other properties.

  • May 02, 2025

    FCC Poised To Pull Plug On Thousands Of 'Inactive' Dockets

    The Federal Communications Commission's GOP leader said Friday the agency plans to shut down more than 2,000 regulatory dockets that have become outdated and "inactive."

  • May 02, 2025

    Groups Seek Order Halting Trump's Restructuring Of Gov't

    A California district court must stop federal agencies from moving ahead with President Donald Trump's directive to reorganize and terminate government workers, unions and other groups argued, calling for a temporary restraining order based on alleged harms from the administration's "radical restructuring."

  • May 02, 2025

    Emory Fired Palestinian Prof Over Gaza Posts, Bias Suit Says

    Emory University folded to pressure from an advocacy group and illegally fired a medical school professor for criticizing on social media Israel's treatment of Palestinian people, the ousted educator alleged Friday in Georgia federal court.

  • May 02, 2025

    Conn. AG Scuttles Nursing School Suit After $5M Student Deal

    The state of Connecticut has formally withdrawn an unfair trade practices lawsuit against defunct nursing school Stone Academy after the facility penned a $5 million deal for students and the state attorney general vowed not to seek additional penalties from the shuttered entity.

  • May 02, 2025

    DC Circ. Seems Unconvinced That Proxy Firms 'Solicit'

    An industry group's bid to revive a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule regulating proxy advisory firms seemed to meet a skeptical D.C. Circuit panel on Friday, as the judges questioned whether those firms "solicit" proxy votes.

  • May 02, 2025

    Miner, Recreationists Look To Dissolve Chuckwalla Monument

    A miner and an advocacy group have asked a Michigan federal court to revoke the protected status of the Chuckwalla National Monument in a suit that takes aim at presidential power to protect vast areas of federal land.

  • May 02, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says County Judges Need Notice To Pull Probation

    The Third Circuit on Friday partly revived claims from criminal defendants who said they were jailed for alleged probation violations too hastily and too long by Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Judges Jill Rangos, Anthony Mariani and Kelly Bigley, but the split panel declined to require more than "probable cause" for someone to be returned to jail.

  • May 02, 2025

    Live Nation Antitrust Fight Won't Have Split Damages Phase

    A Manhattan federal judge declined Friday to break out a possible monetary damages phase in a suit by federal and state authorities accusing Live Nation of quashing competition in live entertainment, saying the move would be unlikely to streamline the complex case.

Expert Analysis

  • New Fla. Financial Abuse Law May See Limited Buy-In

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    Florida's newly effective financial protection law comes with compliance burdens and uncertainties that could discourage financial institutions from participating, even though the law aims to shield them from liability for delaying transactions when they suspect exploitation of elderly and vulnerable account holders, say attorneys at Shutts & Bowen.

  • Navigating The Uncertain Future Of The Superfund PFAS Rule

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    The D.C. Circuit's recent grant of a pause in litigation while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviews the Biden-era designation of two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances as "hazardous" under the Superfund law creates new uncertainty for companies — but more lawsuits are likely as long as the rule remains in effect, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • What To Know About Insurance Coverage For Greenwashing

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    As the number of public and private lawsuits relating to greenwashing dramatically grows, risk managers of companies making environmental claims should look to several types of insurance for coverage in the event of a suit, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • Opinion

    IRS Should Revise Overbroad Microcaptive Regs

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    Rather than seeking to curtail use of congressionally sanctioned microcaptive insurance programs by imposing burdensome disclosure obligations, the Internal Revenue Service should revisit its recently finalized regulations and implement rules tailored to address areas of specific abuse, say attorneys at Zerbe Miller.

  • How GSA Lease Clauses May Affect DOGE Terminations

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    The Department of Government Efficiency has begun to cut the U.S. General Services Administration's enormous real estate portfolio, but some standard lease clauses include limits helpful to landlords that may slow progress toward the administration's cost-cutting goals, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Considering The Future Of AI Regulation On Health Sector

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    As Texas looks to become the next state to pass a comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence, the healthcare industry should consider how AI regulation will continue to evolve in the U.S. and how industry members can keep up with compliance considerations, say attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis.

  • How Banks Can Prepare For NYDFS Overdraft Overhaul

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    The New York State Department of Financial Services' recent proposal to amend overdraft rules for financial institutions underscores states' potential to create consumer protection mechanisms in the absence of meaningful federal action, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Terraform Case May Be Bellwether For Crypto Enforcement

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    The prosecution of crypto company Terraform Labs and its CEO, Do Kwon, offers a unique test of the line between lawful and unlawful conduct in digital transactions, and the Trump administration’s posture toward the case will provide clues about its cryptocurrency enforcement agenda in the years to come, say attorneys at Brooks Pierce.

  • Opinion

    California Climate Lawsuit Bill Is Constitutionally Flawed

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    A bill in the California Legislature that would let victims of climate-related disasters like the Los Angeles wildfires sue oil and gas producers for spreading misinformation about climate change is too vague, retroactive and focused on one industry to survive constitutional scrutiny, says Kyla Christoffersen Powell at the Civil Justice Association of California.

  • What's Next For Russia Sanctions After Task Force Disbanded

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    Attorney General Pam Bondi’s recent disbanding of Task Force KleptoCapture, which was initially aimed at seizing Russian oligarchs’ funds and assets, is unlikely to mean the end of Russia sanctions enforcement and other economic countermeasures, as the architecture for criminal enforcement remains in place, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • What To Expect From 'Make America Healthy Again' Actions

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    The Make America Healthy Again Commission recently established by President Donald Trump and chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will potentially bring energy and attention to important public health topics, and stakeholders should be aware of pathways for sharing their input and proactively informing proceedings, says Nicholas Manetto at Faegre Drinker.

  • Texas Banking Dept. Memo Demystifies Crypto Classifications

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    A recent memorandum from the Texas Department of Banking provides clarity with respect to the classification of both stablecoins and nonstablecoin virtual currencies under the state's Money Services Modernization Act, flagging for firms that stablecoins may be scrutinized more closely as money transmission, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

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