Public Policy

  • October 14, 2025

    Concrete Co. Can't Challenge $2M Seattle Wage Theft Fine

    A Washington state appellate panel on Monday rejected a concrete subcontractor's appeal of more than $2 million in penalties for wage violations at Seattle construction sites, supporting a city hearing examiner's conclusion that the company was also on the hook alongside the primary contractor.  

  • October 14, 2025

    NYC Mayor Creates Crypto Office Ahead Of Departure

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday issued an executive order to establish a mayoral office focused on attracting crypto talent and economic opportunities to the city, an announcement that comes weeks before the city is set to elect a new mayor.

  • October 14, 2025

    Governor Won't Testify In Conn. Official's Corruption Case

    Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont won't be called to testify in the bribery and extortion trial of former school construction official Kosta Diamantis after a judge agreed with prosecutors on Tuesday that additional testimony about Diamantis' character and demeanor would be irrelevant to the charges against him.

  • October 14, 2025

    Split 3rd Circ. Won't Redo Order To Count Undated Ballots

    The Third Circuit on Tuesday narrowly rejected a request to take another look at its ruling that Pennsylvania's counties can not discard mail-in ballots with misdated or absent dates on their outer envelopes, with six of the 14 circuit judges, including new-Trump appointee Judge Emil Bove, voting to reconsider its ruling in light of emerging election law in the state.

  • October 14, 2025

    Rural Phone Co. Asks FCC To Revisit $3M Subsidy Clawback

    A rural phone carrier has urged the full Federal Communications Commission to review a decision to claw back $3 million in universal service aid, claiming the move ran counter to an executive order and federal law.

  • October 14, 2025

    Wash. To Launch Portal For Entities Applying To Practice Law

    Applications for businesses and nonprofits to provide legal services in Washington state will go live next week, the Washington State Bar Association announced Tuesday, a major milestone in a state Supreme Court-approved plan to expand who can practice law.

  • October 14, 2025

    Meet HHS General Counsel Michael Stuart

    Michael Stuart, a former chief federal prosecutor for West Virginia, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as general counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services, where he has promised to make healthcare fraud enforcement a priority. 

  • October 14, 2025

    Calif. Seeks To Dismiss Feds' Suit Challenging Emission Regs

    California is asking a federal court to dismiss the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's lawsuit challenging the state's emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks.

  • October 14, 2025

    Humana's 2025 Medicare Ratings Sound, Judge Says

    A Texas federal judge on Tuesday upheld the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' 2025 star ratings for some of Humana Inc.'s Medicare Advantage plans, saying the agency had the right to hand down a poor rating to the insurer.

  • October 14, 2025

    Mich. Urges Judge Not To Empower A 'Hall Monitor' DOJ

    The state of Michigan has implored a federal judge not to give the U.S. Department of Justice any leash to preemptively challenge states' anticipated policy moves, saying "there would be no stopping point" to the federal government's interference.

  • October 14, 2025

    Calif. Gov. Vetoes 'Well-Intentioned' Bill Targeting PFAS

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a bill that would require manufacturers to phase out their use of so-called forever chemicals in children's products, cookware, dental floss and other items, saying he agrees with the bill's health and environmental protection goals but that it could lead to higher costs for Californians.

  • October 14, 2025

    Voting Rights Case Could Further Chief's 'Central Project'

    As a 20-something special assistant in President Ronald Reagan's Department of Justice, John G. Roberts Jr. argued a test focused on the discriminatory effects of legislative redistricting on minority voters would be unconstitutional. Now, four decades later and as chief justice of the United States, he has a chance to make that view the law of the land.

  • October 14, 2025

    DC Circ. Questions Nonprofits' Standing In Funding Cuts Case

    A D.C. Circuit panel expressed skepticism Tuesday that nonprofits challenging the Justice Department's termination of immigration court assistance funding could simultaneously have standing to bring their case while also keeping it out of the Court of Federal Claims, where a district judge effectively sent it in July. 

  • October 14, 2025

    Justices Won't Take Up Bid To Ax Spousal Work Permits

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to review a D.C. Circuit decision holding that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had authority to grant work permits to some spouses of highly skilled foreign workers.

  • October 14, 2025

    Don't Raise Power Levels In Shared Band, Advocates Say

    It would be a bad idea to allow devices to operate at higher power levels in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, as some in the wireless industry want, an advocacy group said, telling the Federal Communications Commission the move might cause "needless disruption" to the shared airwaves.

  • October 14, 2025

    Has The 9th Circ.'s Rightward Shift Ended Bids To Split It?

    Republican lawmakers have long dreamed of breaking up the nation's largest appellate court. But that fervor has diminished as the Ninth Circuit's balance of Democratic and Republican appointees has evened out in recent years, upending the circuit's status as a culture war lightning rod.

  • October 14, 2025

    Delta Urges Court Not To Certify Class In Greenwashing Suit

    Delta Air Lines Inc. is asking a California judge to deny a motion to certify a proposed class action accusing it of overstating its emissions progress and falsely touting itself as the "first carbon-neutral" airline.

  • October 14, 2025

    Calif. Bar Won't Tweak Scores Despite Accommodation Errors

    The committee in charge of overseeing the California bar exam has announced it will not be seeking further score adjustments for test-takers whose approved accommodations were not provided in the fraught February 2025 exam.

  • October 14, 2025

    Justices Seek SG Input In 'Lightning Rod' Health Ministry Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday asked for the U.S. solicitor general to weigh in on a "lightning rod" of a case involving the regulation of nonprofit healthcare-sharing ministries that provide cheap, Christian-friendly health insurance options but aren't legally bound to pay for medical care.

  • October 14, 2025

    Judge Slams Feds' 'Ham-Handed' Bid To Skirt DHS Aid Order

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies did "precisely" what a Rhode Island federal court forbade when they recently told states that they must agree to help with immigration enforcement in order to receive disaster and security funding, a judge ruled Tuesday.

  • October 14, 2025

    Judges Back Ga. County's Use Of Outside Attys In Opioid Suit

    The Georgia Court of Appeals has backed the dismissal of a lawsuit by Publix Supermarkets claiming a metro Atlanta county unconstitutionally hired outside counsel to pursue opioid litigation against the grocery chain, ruling Publix had "done nothing to assuage" the court's reasons for throwing out an almost identical suit earlier this year.

  • October 14, 2025

    Florida Supreme Court Rejects Bid For Bondi Ethics Probe

    The Supreme Court of Florida has ended an attorney's attempt to force the Florida Bar to investigate U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for alleged unethical conduct after finding that he failed to show a clear legal right to do so.

  • October 14, 2025

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Last week at the Delaware Chancery Court, Vice Chancellor Lori W. Will ruled that Carlos Vasallo remains the CEO of Caribevision TV Network LLC, finding that majority investors' attempt to remove him under a defective 2019 agreement was invalid for lack of proper notice.

  • October 14, 2025

    High Court Says Blackfeet Members Can't Join Tariff Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court denied a bid by members of the Blackfeet Nation to join its review of suits challenging the legality of President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs, who had argued that their inclusion in the dispute is crucial to protect Indigenous rights under federal law.

  • October 14, 2025

    Madigan Ally, Ex-ComEd CEO Can't Delay Prison For Appeal

    An Illinois federal judge on Tuesday rejected requests by the former CEO of Exelon subsidiary Commonwealth Edison and a former lobbyist to remain out of prison while they appeal their convictions for engaging in a scheme to illegally influence ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, saying what's left on appeal are not substantial questions and they aren't likely to overturn their guilty verdicts.

Expert Analysis

  • FDA Transparency Plans Raise Investor Disclosure Red Flags

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    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recently announced intent to publish complete response letters for unapproved drugs and devices implicates certain investor disclosure requirements under securities laws, making it necessary for life sciences and biotech companies to adopt robust controls going forward, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Rising USCIS Denials May Signal Reverse On Signature Policy

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    Increasingly, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services appears to be issuing denials and requests for evidence in cases where petitioners digitally affix handwritten signatures to paper-based petitions, upending a long-standing practice with potentially grave consequences for applicants, says Sherry Neal at Corporate Immigration.

  • Series

    Being A Professional Wrestler Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Pursuing my childhood dream of being a professional wrestler has taught me important legal career lessons about communication, adaptability, oral advocacy and professionalism, says Christopher Freiberg at Midwest Disability.

  • 2 Calif. Cases Could Reshape Future Of Trap-And-Trace Suits

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    A California federal judge's recent dismissal of two California Invasion of Privacy Act cases demonstrates an inherent contradiction in pen register and trap-and-trace claims, teeing up a Ninth Circuit appeal that could either breathe new life into such claims or put an end to them outright, says Matthew Pearson at Womble Bond.

  • How FDIC Appeals Plan Squares With Fed, OCC Processes

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent proposal to revise its appeals process merits a fresh comparison to the appeals systems of the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and would provide institutions with greater transparency and independence, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How GILTI Reform Affects M&A Golden Parachute Planning

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    Deal teams should evaluate the effect of a recent seemingly technical change to U.S. international tax law on the golden parachute analysis that often plays a critical part of many corporate transactions to avoid underestimating its impact on an acquirer's worldwide taxable income following a triggering transaction, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • SEC Rulemaking Radar: The Debut Of Atkins' 'New Day'

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's regulatory flex agenda, published last week, demonstrates a clear return to appropriately tailored and mission-focused rulemaking, with potential new rules applicable to brokers, exchanges and trading, among others, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Restored Charging Project Funds Revive Hope For EV Market

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    While 2025 began with a host of government actions that prompted some to predict the demise of the U.S. electric vehicle market, the Trump administration's recent restoration of federal funding for EV charging infrastructure under new terms presents market participants with reason for optimism, says Levi McAllister at Morgan Lewis.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Adapting To The Age Of AI

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    Though law school may not have specifically taught us how to use generative artificial intelligence to help with our daily legal tasks, it did provide us the mental building blocks necessary for adapting to this new technology — and the judgment to discern what shouldn’t be automated, says Pamela Dorian at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Ch. 11 Ruling Voiding $2M Litigation Funding Sends A Warning

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    A recent Texas bankruptcy court decision that a postconfirmation litigation trust has no obligations to repay a completely drawn down $2 million litigation funding agreement serves as a warning for estate administrators and funders to properly disclose the intended financing, say attorneys at Kleinberg Kaplan.

  • A Changing Playbook For Fighting Records Requests In Del.

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    The Delaware Supreme Court's recent decision in Wong v. Amazon, reversing the denial of an inspection demand brought by a stockholder, serves as a stark warning to corporations challenging books and records requests, making clear that companies cannot defeat such demands solely by attacking the scope of their stated purpose, say attorneys at Duane Morris.

  • Tesla Verdict May Set New Liability Benchmarks For AV Suits

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    The recent jury verdict in Benavides v. Tesla is notable not only for a massive payout — including $200 million in punitive damages — but because it apportions fault between the company's self-driving technology and the driver, inviting more scrutiny of automated vehicle marketing and technology, says Michael Avanesian at Avian Law Group.

  • Insuring Against FCA Risk In Shifting Trade Landscape

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    In today's heightened trade enforcement environment, companies should proactively assess whether their insurance programs are positioned to respond to potential False Claims Act or customs-related claims, including reviewing directors and officers, professional liability, and representations and warranties policies for key terms, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • What To Expect As Trump's 401(k) Order Materializes

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    Following the Trump administration’s recent executive order on 401(k) plan investments in alternative assets like cryptocurrencies and real estate, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will need to answer several outstanding questions before any regulatory changes are implemented, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Demystifying The Civil Procedure Rules Amendment Process

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    Every year, an advisory committee receives dozens of proposals to amend the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, most of which are never adopted — but a few pointers can help maximize the likelihood that an amendment will be adopted, says Josh Gardner at DLA Piper.

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