Public Policy

  • June 08, 2026

    Trump's $100K H-1B Fee Is Unauthorized Tax, Judge Rules

    A Massachusetts federal judge ruled Monday that President Donald Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa payment constitutes a tax that Congress did not authorize the president to impose, declaring the fee unlawful and vacating it in its entirety.

  • June 08, 2026

    Conn. Expands Solar Energy System Tax, Limits Exemption

    Connecticut expanded the scope of a tax on solar energy systems and limited a property tax exemption for solar energy facilities under a bill signed by the governor.

  • June 08, 2026

    Seattle Fights Uber, Instacart Bid To Undo 9th Circ. Gig Ruling

    The city of Seattle urged the Ninth Circuit not to revisit a panel decision backing its app-based worker deactivation ordinance against a First Amendment challenge from Uber and Instacart, arguing the companies are trying to turn an ordinary worker protection law into a speech case.

  • June 08, 2026

    Top Court Turns Away Sentencing Disparity Appeal

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear the appeal of a man seeking early release from a life sentence for a drug offense, after ruling last month that reductions to mandatory minimum sentences cannot be cited as a reason for compassionate release.

  • June 08, 2026

    Justices Uphold 10th Circ. Native American Assault Rulings

    The U.S. Supreme Court won't overturn a pair of Tenth Circuit decisions that found that two Native American men cannot be convicted of simple assault under the Major Crimes Act after the federal government argued that the "senseless result" can't be reconciled with the law's plain text.

  • June 08, 2026

    High Court Won't Let Pa. AG Enter Grid Project Suit

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rebuffed a plea from Pennsylvania's attorney general to let him intervene in Third Circuit proceedings that allowed an electricity transmission project to proceed despite having been rejected by state utility regulators.

  • June 08, 2026

    High Court Reopens Review Of DOE Furnace Efficiency Rules

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday vacated a D.C. Circuit decision that upheld Biden-era energy efficiency standards for furnaces and water heaters and ordered the circuit court to take another look in light of the Trump administration's intent to revise the rules.

  • June 05, 2026

    NY Bill To Ban Surveillance Pricing Heads To Gov.'s Desk

    New York is on the brink of becoming the third state to prohibit companies from using consumer data to set individualized prices for certain products and services, as policymakers across the country continue to ramp up scrutiny on the increasingly prevalent practice known as surveillance pricing. 

  • June 05, 2026

    USDA Food Assistance Conditions Halted By Mass. Judge

    A Massachusetts federal judge Friday blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture from conditioning funding for programs like school lunches and food assistance on compliance with Trump administration policies on gender, women's sports, diversity and immigration.

  • June 05, 2026

    Wash. Says 40-Year DV Gun Ban In Line With 2nd Amendment

    The Washington State Attorney General urged an Evergreen State federal court to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a man prevented from gun ownership for 40 years due to his history of domestic violence against his ex-wife, arguing there was nothing unconstitutional about preventing him from owning weapons.

  • June 05, 2026

    Hemp Sellers Say Ohio Law Can't Mandate In-State Retail

    Hemp product manufacturers and sellers are looking to block an Ohio state law that reclassified their products as marijuana, which effectively handed the hemp market over to state-approved dispensaries, according to a federal lawsuit, which claims the statute violates the U.S. Constitution.

  • June 05, 2026

    HHS Can Issue Medicare Fines Without Jury, 4th Circ. Says

    The Fourth Circuit ruled Friday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can seek monetary penalties from Medicare participants for violating program requirements without a jury trial, rejecting a Maryland nursing home operator's argument that Medicare participants are guaranteed that right.

  • June 05, 2026

    Rail Co. Loses DC Circ. Appeal Challenging State Forest Law

    The D.C. Circuit rejected Grafton & Upton Railroad Co.'s effort to preempt a Massachusetts town's claim over forest land the railroad wants to use for a new transloading facility, finding Friday that the federal Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act doesn't preempt a state right-of-first-refusal law.

  • June 05, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Tribal Smoke Shop Owner's RICO Suit

    Officials with the Colorado River Indian Tribes must face a lawsuit brought by a smoke shop owner who claims they wrongfully evicted his business and stole its inventory, the Ninth Circuit ruled in a published opinion, saying tribal employees aren't automatically shielded by sovereign immunity.

  • June 05, 2026

    Trump Signs Memo To Speed Up AI Use For National Security

    President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday aimed at accelerating the development and use of artificial intelligence for national security applications and barring companies from preventing the U.S. military from using their AI systems unless they get approval to.

  • June 05, 2026

    Epic Fights Apple's Bid For High Court Sanctions Review

    Epic Games told the U.S. Supreme Court there's no need for high court review of a California federal court's contempt order against Apple for violating a ban on company policies that barred app developers from steering users to outside payment options.

  • June 05, 2026

    Quinnipiac Hit With Title IX Suit After Dropping Rugby Team

    Current and future players for a women's rugby team eliminated by Quinnipiac University sued in Connecticut federal court Friday to reinstate the team, accusing the school of Title IX discrimination and of using NCAA revenue-sharing rules as an excuse to cut it.

  • June 05, 2026

    Trans Patients Urge Blocking DOJ 'Campaign Of Harassment'

    Transgender adolescents urged a California federal judge Friday to block a Stanford Medicine hospital from sharing gender-related care medical records in response to a Texas grand jury criminal subpoena, arguing that other courts have rebuffed similar government subpoena attempts and the judge should end the DOJ's "campaign of harassment."

  • June 05, 2026

    7th Circ. Says Ind. Can Bar Press From Attending Executions

    A divided Seventh Circuit panel on Friday ruled that an Indiana prison rule restricting journalists' access to inmate executions does not violate the First Amendment, as reporters are not actually prevented from covering executions.

  • June 05, 2026

    NYC Beats Taxi Drivers' Unfair Suspensions Suit

    A New York federal judge has said the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission had probable cause for summarily suspending the licenses for taxi and for-hire vehicle drivers who've been arrested, but not convicted, rejecting a proposed class action alleging the drivers were maliciously prosecuted.

  • June 05, 2026

    EPA Asks 4th Circ. To Back 'Streamlined' Haze Plan Reviews

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency urged the Fourth Circuit to deny a petition challenging its approval of West Virginia's regional haze plan, saying it reasonably accepted the plan after proposing to reject it based on a new policy to streamline reviews.

  • June 05, 2026

    Texas Justices Say Cities Sued Wrong Party In Telecom Row

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday tossed a group of cities' challenge to state laws limiting what they can charge telecommunications companies to use public rights-of-way, finding the cities sued the wrong defendant and leaving the constitutional fight unresolved.

  • June 05, 2026

    GOP Lawmakers Target China With 2 Patent Bills

    Republican lawmakers are floating a pair of bills that would block anyone who is considered a national security threat from gaining a U.S. patent and require anyone with connections to "foreign adversaries" to list the association on an application.

  • June 05, 2026

    Coalition Urges Court To Halt Gov't Contractor DEI Order

    A coalition of nonprofits, university professors, federal contractors and subcontractors has asked a Maryland federal court to halt an executive order requiring government contractors to agree not to engage in "racially discriminatory DEI activities," arguing that they will continue to suffer irreparable harm if the order is not enjoined and stayed.

  • June 05, 2026

    Diocese Says Feds Already Working On Land Before Taking

    Attorneys for the Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces in New Mexico clashed with the government Friday over reports that Border Patrol contractors are already working on a stretch of church-owned land the government wants for border wall construction but has not won the title to.

Expert Analysis

  • How Cos. Can Navigate The Patchwork Of AI Safety Bills

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    In the first few months of 2026, state and federal lawmakers introduced hundreds of bills to address the perceived safety risks of artificial intelligence, so companies should assess whether existing or planned services could be scoped into AI safety legislation across jurisdictions, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Unpacking FCC's Proposed Rules For Offshore Call Centers

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    The Federal Communications Commission recently proposed rules that would restrict the use of offshore customer service operations, citing consumer frustration, data security risks and fraud as core reasons for the sweeping regulatory move, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Series

    Calif. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    As usual, California remained a hub for financial services activity in the first quarter of 2026, with key developments including the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation's eye on consumer issues, a bill targeting "pig butchering" schemes, and jam-packed courts, say attorneys at Joseph Cohen.

  • Series

    Ultramarathons Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Completing a 100-mile ultramarathon was tougher, more humbling and more rewarding than I ever imagined, and the experience highlighted how long-distance running has sharpened my ability to adapt to the evolving nature of antitrust law and strengthened my resolve to handle demanding, unforeseen challenges, says Dan Oakes at Axinn.

  • Key Takeaways From The 2026 ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting

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    Last week's American Bar Association Spring Meeting revealed an antitrust landscape defined by heightened friction and tension — between federal and state enforcers, domestic and international regimes, competing political visions, and traditional enforcement tools and novel challenges, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • State FARA Laws Pose Unique Constitutional Challenges

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    Several states have recently enacted foreign agent registration and disclosure regimes that were modeled after the Foreign Agents Registration Act, but these state laws raise several constitutional questions, including concerns about preemption, speech and petition, and vagueness, says Alexandra Langton at Covington.

  • Series

    Pa. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q1

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    The first quarter of 2026 brought several consequential developments for Pennsylvania financial institutions, including the state banking department's first assessment overhaul in 10 years, a bill prohibiting interchange fees on card transaction sales taxes and a federal appeals court's upholding of a $52 million enforcement action, say attorneys at Gross McGinley.

  • Informal Announcements Are Reshaping FDA Regulations

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's recent shift toward using press releases, podcasts and other informal channels to announce major policy changes reflects a valid desire to modernize and accelerate regulatory efforts, but it could lead to diminished transparency, increased industry burden and reduced policy durability, says Rachel Turow at Skadden.

  • Motorola Case Shows Reach Of NLRA Dishonesty Protections

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    A recent National Labor Relations Board case, involving a Motorola employee who was terminated for lying about discussing wages, illustrates the broad reach of National Labor Relations Act protections for concerted activity, which may take on new significance as the agency shifts toward more restrained enforcement, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • In First For DOJ, Action Signals New CFIUS Enforcement Era

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    The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking judicial enforcement of a divestment order, an unprecedented action for the agency that ushers in a new phase for the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, one in which judicial proceedings complement administrative oversight and presidential divestment orders may be enforced through litigation, says attorney Sohan Dasgupta.

  • Berk May Spur More Pushback Against Med Mal Gatekeeping

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Berk v. Choy may appear to be a run-of-the-mill reminder that a federal procedural rule trumps its state counterpart, but it could inspire more challenges to state-created prerequisites to filing medical malpractice lawsuits, say attorneys at Decof Mega.

  • Getting The Most Out Of Learning And Development Programs

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Junior associates can better develop the legal, business and interpersonal skills they need for long-term success by approaching their firms’ learning and development programs armed with five tips for getting the most out of these resources, says Lauren Hakala at Reed Smith.

  • OhioHealth Suit Signals Higher Antitrust Heat On Hospitals

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    The recent antitrust lawsuit against OhioHealth by the U.S. Justice Department and Ohio attorney general shows that federal and state enforcers are closely examining the competition issues in the healthcare sector, including restrictive contracts and antisteering practices, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • OCC Rule Tests Nonfiduciary Powers Of Trust Banks

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    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's updates to its final rule on national bank chartering, effective April 1, may augur a showdown between the OCC, states and traditional banking institutions over both the authority of national trust banks to engage in nonfiduciary activities under the National Bank Act, and the scope of federal preemption, says Audrey Carroll at Stinson.

  • Proposed Oracle Act Tests NY's Prediction Markets Clout

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    New York's proposed Oracle Act could if passed force a high-stakes showdown over event contracts in the prediction markets as well as state gambling laws, and legal practitioners should closely monitor litigation, parallel developments in other states, Commodity Futures Trading Commission rulemaking and congressional action, says Linda Goldstein at CM Law.

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