Public Policy

  • September 11, 2026

    'Creative' Settlement Path For EPRs Shows Wording Risks

    T-Mobile's use of a contingency payment to end patent litigation with Kaifi LLC highlights the difficulty of alleged infringers challenging patents through ex parte reexaminations, a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office proceeding where they have no control, attorneys say.

  • September 11, 2026

    Texas Judge Finds TikTok Let Minors See Harmful Content

    Texas scored significant wins in its lawsuit accusing TikTok of exposing children to harmful content while misrepresenting the app's safety, with a state judge ruling that the social media company violated state law by misleading consumers about its content-moderation practices and the effectiveness of its "restricted mode" feature.

  • September 11, 2026

    Maryland Residents Sue DHS Over Warrantless Arrests

    A group of Maryland residents is suing to block the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's "arrest first, ask questions later" policy after they say they were unlawfully arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

  • September 11, 2026

    Kalshi Can Appeal Tribe's Sports Betting Claims, Judge Says

    A Wisconsin federal judge Friday said Kalshi can appeal a ruling allowing claims brought by the Ho-Chunk Nation to proceed, saying since the issues involved will "certainly" make their way to the U.S. Supreme Court eventually, the Seventh Circuit should consider them now.

  • September 11, 2026

    NRC Targets Red Tape In Broad Overhaul Of Reactor Regs

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Friday unveiled a proposed overhaul of its nuclear reactor licensing and oversight regulations, the agency's latest step to implement an executive order directing it to refocus on encouraging new nuclear power development.

  • September 11, 2026

    11th Circ. Ruling Won't Prevent Qui Tam Constitutional Tests

    The Eleventh Circuit's holding that the False Claims Act's provisions letting private individuals sue on the federal government's behalf pass muster under the U.S. Constitution may do little to halt the growing wave of challenges seeking to knock down those provisions.

  • September 11, 2026

    Noncitizens Want Class Cert In Alien Enemies Act Suit

    A group of noncitizens at risk of being transferred to an El Salvador prison asked a Texas federal court to grant them class certification in their lawsuit against the Trump Administration, saying that without it, the government may deny them judicial review entirely.

  • September 11, 2026

    State Dept. Must Give Court 3 Diversity Visa Updates A Week

    A California federal judge has ordered the U.S. Department of State to provide three updates per week on the status of diversity visa applications, saying he was "troubled" by the lack of progress since he ordered adjudications to be resumed.

  • September 11, 2026

    5th Circ. Says Enviro Groups Timely In Prairie-Chicken Fight

    The Fifth Circuit on Friday allowed two environmental groups to join a lawsuit over the endangered designation of the lesser prairie-chicken, saying their second request to intervene was timely filed after the Trump administration made it clear it would stop defending the designation.

  • September 11, 2026

    Copyright Office To Test New Registration System In Late 2026

    The U.S. Copyright Office is making progress on its launch of its new modernized registration system, with plans to start rolling out some functions to Copyright Public Modernization Committee members later this year, leaders said Friday.

  • September 11, 2026

    Wisc. Groups Say Warrantless Flock Searches Violate Chatrie

    Wisconsin privacy groups have sued a group of local governments over their warrantless searches of Flock Group Inc. camera data, arguing that they run afoul of the Fourth Amendment after the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Chatrie v. U.S.

  • September 11, 2026

    Tatneft Says Ukraine Is Politicizing $173M Award Appeal

    The Russian oil company Tatneft pressed the D.C. Circuit on Thursday to restart litigation aimed at enforcing a confirmed $173 million arbitral award against Ukraine, accusing the country of relying on "unsupported assertions and innuendo" to keep the case on pause indefinitely.

  • September 11, 2026

    Employers In Bind As Noncitizen Workers Lose TPS

    The Trump administration's rollback of Temporary Protected Status for 13 of 17 countries that had the designation has put work authorization for hundreds of thousands of noncitizen workers at risk across various industries, including healthcare, hospitality and construction.

  • September 11, 2026

    U of Mich. Hit With Suit Over Foreign Service Tuition Rate

    A student has accused the University of Michigan of violating federal law and his constitutional rights by refusing to grant him in-state tuition despite his parents' claim that Michigan is their permanent legal residence and his father's service as a U.S. Foreign Service officer overseas. 

  • September 11, 2026

    9th Circ. Leaves VA On Hook For Homeless Vet Housing

    The full Ninth Circuit Friday refused to revisit a ruling requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to build supportive housing for homeless disabled veterans, sparking dissents that accused judges of swapping their robes for hard hats and "bulldozing" established disability law.

  • September 11, 2026

    DOJ Gets Final OK For Agri Stats Antitrust Settlement

    A Minnesota federal court granted final approval Thursday to the U.S. Department of Justice's settlement with Agri Stats, with the company agreeing to stop offering the sales reports for meat processors at the center of the case.

  • September 11, 2026

    7th Circ. Probes Ill. Nonprofit Demographic Disclosure Law

    A Seventh Circuit panel wrestled Friday with whether Illinois' law requiring nonprofits to publicize their demographic data merely encourages diversity or unconstitutionally compels speech, with one judge questioning whether its "nudging effects" establish an injury while another highlighted legislators' statements indicating a push to influence leadership or donor decisions.

  • September 11, 2026

    New IHS Director Says Bill Protects $5.3B In Health Programs

    Newly confirmed Indian Health Service Director Mark Cruz in one of the first acts of his four-year term has told tribal leaders that $5.3 billion in federal funds earmarked for IHS programs is safe following the U.S. government's passage of a stopgap spending bill.

  • September 11, 2026

    3M Wants Conn. Firefighter PFAS Suit Moved To Different MDL

    3M Co. has asked to peel PFAS "forever chemicals" claims by Connecticut firefighter unions and several individuals away from a recently empaneled Minnesota multidistrict litigation containing claims by municipalities who purchased firefighting turnout gear, arguing the unions' and individuals' allegations instead belong in an ongoing South Carolina MDL.

  • September 11, 2026

    DC Circ. Probes DOT Authority To Withhold Calif. Funds

    A panel of D.C. Circuit judges grilled a Trump administration attorney Friday over the U.S. Department of Transportation's move to slash California's federal highway funding because of the state's commercial driver's licensing rules for nondomiciled drivers, wondering whether the agency had any authority to take the drastic measure.

  • September 11, 2026

    Prediction Markets' High Court Clash Looks More Imminent

    The widespread clash over whether the regulation of prediction markets falls under federal or state jurisdiction was bound to land in the U.S. Supreme Court, and a new circuit split and urgent policy questions may force the justices' hands to take up the issue.

  • September 11, 2026

    FCC Can't Avoid Final Order On Fox Philly Issue, Court Told

    A media advocacy group told the D.C. Circuit on Friday that the Federal Communications Commission cannot sidestep its duty to issue a final order on whether to dismiss a petition over Fox TV's character fitness for a broadcast license in Philadelphia.

  • September 11, 2026

    Zurich Needn't Cover Auto Dealers In Deceptive Pricing Row

    Two Zurich units have no duty to defend or indemnify a group of auto dealers accused by the Federal Trade Commission and the Maryland Attorney General's Office of misrepresenting the cost of vehicles to consumers, a Virginia federal judge ruled Friday.

  • September 11, 2026

    Bank Regulators Propose Tailored Third-Party Risk Guidance

    Federal banking regulators Friday proposed revisiting 3-year-old guidance on third-party risk management for banks, saying they plan to let banks tailor their practices more specifically to the actual risk posed by each relationship.

  • September 11, 2026

    IRS Can Withhold Docs That May Air Taxpayer ID, Court Rules

    The IRS may withhold documents sought by a tax news publisher, a Washington, D.C., federal judge said, finding the subject is prominent enough that disclosing the records could allow the taxpayer to be identified using a former IRS contractor's leak of President Donald Trump's tax returns and thousands of others.

Expert Analysis

  • Attorneys Using AI May Have Ethical Duty To Redact Docs

    Author Photo

    The trajectory of legal ethics guidance in recent years strongly suggests that as redaction technology becomes more accessible, the failure to use it when uploading highly confidential materials into artificial intelligence tools will become increasingly difficult to defend as reasonable, say attorneys at Lewis Brisbois.

  • Compliance Lessons From Agriculture Co. Mexican Bribe DPA

    Author Photo

    Agricultural company Scoular’s recently announced deferred prosecution agreement over alleged Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations at the U.S.-Mexico border reinforces the U.S. Department of Justice’s focus on cartels, and companies must accordingly ensure they address risks associated with the use of customs brokers, says Adam Safwat at Foley Hoag.

  • OpenAI Deal Highlights AI Hiring Risks In PERM Process

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent settlement of allegations that OpenAI discriminated against U.S. applicants for positions connected to the permanent labor certification process underscores that employers providing or using artificial intelligence must align their recruitment practices with their overlapping compliance obligations, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • 5 Practice Tips After DOJ's Healthcare Fraud Declination

    Author Photo

    In light of the U.S. Department of Justice's decision to not prosecute Campus Eye Management under the agency's new corporate enforcement and voluntary self-disclosure policy, healthcare companies should keep several considerations in mind when weighing their risk and self-disclosure strategy, including the distinctions between reporting to the DOJ versus other government agencies, say attorneys at Haynes Boone.

  • What Bulk-Power Gear Import EO Means For US Energy Cos.

    Author Photo

    Though President Donald Trump's recent executive order restricting imports of foreign-produced bulk-power system electrical equipment imposes no immediate obligations on private parties, stakeholders can take near-term steps to mitigate supply chain and contractual risks, as much of the order's ultimate impact will depend on implementing regulations, say attorneys at Orrick.

  • Assessing The Early Days Of Woodcock's SEC Tenure

    Author Photo

    Since David Woodcock took over the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement four months ago, the division has pursued a scaled-back caseload centered on fraud and manipulative conduct, largely following the enforcement outlook that emerged under SEC Chairman Paul Atkins, say attorneys at Akerman.

  • AI And AML: Rulemakings Lean Into Responsible Innovation

    Author Photo

    Recent federal rulemaking increasingly supports deployment of artificial intelligence tools for anti-money laundering compliance purposes, and institutions that build clear use and governance frameworks will be best positioned to defend programs when AI systems err, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Juggling And Unicycling Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Because I juggle (sometimes with fire) and ride the unicycle, friends and family used to joke that I should join the circus, but I pursued the practice of law instead and learned that my hobbies benefit my profession in several important ways, says Morgan Eddy at Smith Currie.

  • Unpacking Texas' New Grid Reliability Rules For Data Centers

    Author Photo

    The Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ recently effective technical and compliance obligations, designed to prevent data centers and other large energy customers from causing cascading outages when they go offline, will challenge facilities to develop equipment and protocols to help protect the grid, says Casey Bell at Balch & Bingham.

  • Opinion

    Md. Court Got Ad Tax Similarity Analysis Wrong

    Author Photo

    Decisions striking Maryland’s digital advertising tax are fundamentally flawed because the Maryland Tax Court found similarity between digital ads and other ads without considering deep market distinctions, says Darien Shanske at UC Davis School of Law.

  • Opinion

    NC Litigation Funding Ban Sets Model For Other States

    Author Photo

    States worried about rising liability costs and the commercialization of their courts should treat North Carolina's recently enacted litigation funding ban as a model because a prohibition adequately addresses the distortion that disclosure only documents, say attorneys at McAngus Goudelock.

  • The Future Of DOL Judge Removal Challenges After Slaughter

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Trump v. Slaughter calls into question whether U.S. Department of Labor administrative law judges exercising significant governmental authority remain insulated from presidential removal, but the answer depends on the governing statute, its severability provisions and other factors, says Mark Ishu at Conn Maciel.

  • DOJ Executive Privilege Opinion Portends 3rd-Party Dilemmas

    Author Photo

    The recent opinion from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel concluding that executive privilege can shield the president's communications with private advisers may lead to interbranch disputes, and companies must come up with a response plan now before they’re caught in the middle, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.

  • Planning For The Impact Of FinCEN's CTA Rollback

    Author Photo

    The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent rollback of Corporate Transparency Act reporting obligations should reduce compliance costs, but its plans to revisit customer due diligence rules should prompt companies and financial institutions to reassess state beneficial ownership programs, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • How 'Swap' Fight Underpins Prediction Market Enforcement

    Author Photo

    As courts around the country grapple with whether, and under what circumstances, event contracts qualify as swaps, federal enforcement authority hangs in the balance, with implications for companies that need to manage compliance risks during this period of legal uncertainty, say attorneys at Debevoise.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here