Public Policy

  • June 06, 2025

    Tobacco Cos. Sue Philip Morris Over Bid To Void Wash. Deal

    R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco producers have accused Philip Morris USA of trying to derail a deal with Washington state last spring to resolve longstanding payment disputes stemming from Big Tobacco's 1998 master settlement agreement, according to a new lawsuit in Washington state court.

  • June 06, 2025

    US Entry Barriers May Be Red Card For World Cup Fans

    As the U.S. prepares to host some of the 2026 World Cup games, a confluence of heightened border vetting, shifting visa policies and a sweeping new travel ban is fueling concerns about fans' willingness to come and the financial viability of the tournament.

  • June 06, 2025

    Justices Won't Hear Obama Center Site Selection Complaints

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined to consider claims that federal agencies failed to complete a full environmental review of plans to construct the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's Jackson Park neighborhood.

  • June 06, 2025

    LA Fitness Beats DOJ's ADA Suit, For Now

    A California federal judge tossed the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit Friday alleging LA Fitness did not accommodate disabled patrons, ruling the government failed to allege a pattern or practice of discrimination or put the gym chain on notice of claims the attorney general determined are of public importance.

  • June 06, 2025

    Fed's Bowman Calls For Oversight Built On 'Pragmatism'

    Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman on Friday previewed a sweeping industry-friendly agenda to ease burdens on smaller lenders, overhaul supervisory ratings and reevaluate capital rules as the central bank's new top regulator, drawing immediate praise from banking industry groups.

  • June 06, 2025

    Legislative Reprieve For Texas Green Energy Isn't Permanent

    Texas renewable energy companies dodged another bullet when several bills that would have restricted development died in the state Legislature a second time, but the industry remains on guard for future attempts to more tightly regulate renewable projects.

  • June 06, 2025

    DC Circ. Backs FERC Extension For Southgate Pipeline Work

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday affirmed the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's construction deadline extension for the Mountain Valley Pipeline's southern spur, with one judge characterizing a suit challenging it as "typical" of litigation that has stymied American progress.

  • June 06, 2025

    Texas Court Says Doctor Can Be Sued For Service Dog Mauling

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday greenlit a suit accusing a gynecologist of negligently giving a patient a note stating that she required a service dog which later mauled a toddler, saying the alleged negligence is not a malpractice claim, therefore the plaintiffs did not need a medical expert's opinion.

  • June 06, 2025

    Supreme Court Limits Discovery In FOIA Suit Against DOGE

    The U.S. Supreme Court halted discovery Friday into whether the Department of Government Efficiency is an agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act, but left the door open to future, more tailored inquiries about the inner workings of the initiative.

  • June 06, 2025

    Commerce Dept. Creates Tech-Neutral Plan For BEAD Funding

    Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Friday unveiled a technology-neutral approach for broadband deployment subsidies under the $42.5 billion program created during the Biden administration, which he argues will speed up the federal effort.

  • June 06, 2025

    Texas Justices Ax Multiplaintiff 'Jurisdictional Loophole'

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday closed a "gaping jurisdictional loophole" that allowed defendants to challenge jurisdiction in just about any case involving multiple plaintiffs, saying the mere presence of multiple plaintiffs is not enough to invoke appellate review.

  • June 06, 2025

    Denver Tenants Say Lack Of Repairs Made Building Unsafe

    Tenants at a Denver apartment complex have filed a proposed class action against the owner as well as current and former property managers in state court, alleging the property became dangerous and unsanitary because the defendants refused to pay for necessary repairs.

  • June 06, 2025

    Calif. Says Nonprofit Can't Challenge Captive Meeting Law

    California's labor commissioner asked a federal court Friday to toss a lawsuit challenging the state's law prohibiting so-called captive audience meetings, arguing that the nonprofit that sued to block the law lacks standing because it hasn't sufficiently alleged an injury or "a credible threat of prosecution."

  • June 06, 2025

    Bipartisan Bill Would Let Tribes Prosecute Drug Traffickers

    Congressional lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that would give tribal nations expanded authority to prosecute non-Native drug traffickers and combat the opioid crisis on their reservations.

  • June 06, 2025

    Unions Say Agencies Can't Handle Resignation Offer Dispute

    Three federal worker unions urged a Massachusetts federal judge not to toss their challenge to the president's deferred resignation offer, saying the personnel agencies the government wants to send their suit to can't decide their claims or give them a fair shake.

  • June 06, 2025

    Crypto Groups Want Protections For Developers In House Bill

    A coalition of crypto industry groups urged lawmakers and courts to shield developers from certain legal liabilities if their creations do not take hold of customer funds, including by enshrining protections in a proposal to regulate crypto markets that lawmakers continue to debate.

  • June 06, 2025

    Lobbying Firm Sued Over Deal For White House Meetings

    A lobbying firm, its owner and an employee have been sued in Georgia federal court by a legal and consulting firm for breach of contract after they allegedly accepted partial payment for but never delivered on a $500,000 deal to arrange meetings with senior White House officials: the president, vice president and secretary of state.

  • June 06, 2025

    Ga. Judge Signals '2,000 Mules' Slander Suit May Go On

    A Georgia federal judge signaled Friday that he may leave it up to a jury to decide whether a Peach State voter was defamed by his portrayal as an election fraud operative in the conspiracy movie "2,000 Mules," doubting whether he had enough evidence to prove the film's producers deliberately tried to slander him.

  • June 06, 2025

    NY AG Shuts Down 26 Online Sweepstakes Casinos

    New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday that her office has shuttered the in-state operations of 26 online sweepstakes casinos, saying they are prohibited by state law because they involve risking something of value.

  • June 06, 2025

    Ore. Pot Regulators Say No Contract In Firing Suit

    The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission is urging a federal court to throw out a suit from its former deputy director alleging that the OLCC breached his employment agreement by firing him following a whiskey pocketing scandal, saying the state's Statute of Frauds voids the alleged employment agreement.

  • June 06, 2025

    Feds Want Comments On Altering ESA Conservation Rule

    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Friday said it's considering altering a Biden-era rule intended to increase participation in voluntary conservation programs, and asked the public for input.

  • June 06, 2025

    NY Tribe Urges Supreme Court To Overturn Eel Fishing Ruling

    A Long Island tribe is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to undo a Second Circuit ruling that rejected its challenge to New York's regulations on eel fishing harvests, arguing that if the decision is held, it would set a precedent allowing district courts to give up their gatekeeping roles on expert testimony.

  • June 06, 2025

    Free Speech Shields Rehab From Permit Suit, Court Says

    A Connecticut drug treatment facility does not have to face claims, including unfair trade practices, lodged by a prospective competitor amid a contentious permit battle, a state appellate panel ruled Friday, finding that the state's anti-SLAPP statute is fatal to the case.

  • June 06, 2025

    Split DC Circ. Says IAF CEO Can Stay In Role

    A split D.C. Circuit panel refused to block the reinstatement of the head of a federal agency that invests in Latin America and the Caribbean, concluding that the Trump administration's firing of the official was "likely invalid."

  • June 06, 2025

    Judge Allows New Plaintiffs In 'Good Time' Sentencing Suit

    A Michigan federal judge said Friday that a proposed class alleging they were denied timely release from jail because the sheriff refused to provide so-called good-time credit to their criminal contempt sentences can add new plaintiffs to the case, rejecting the sheriff's arguments that the proposed new parties were improperly solicited.

Expert Analysis

  • Unpacking Copyright Office's AI Report Amid Admin Shakeups

    Author Photo

    Though recent firings have thrown the U.S. Copyright Office into turmoil, the latest entry in its report on artificial intelligence can serve as a road map for litigants, persuasive authority for courts and input on the legislative process, say attorneys at Epstein Becker.

  • Del. Bill Reflects Nat'l Tug-Of-War Between Cannabis, Alcohol

    Author Photo

    As Delaware's bill targeting hemp-derived THC beverages and ingestible products moves through the general assembly, it reads like a local regulatory fix — but in reality, it's a microcosm of a national power struggle playing out state-by-state across the cannabis frontier, says attorney Peter Murphy.

  • Perspectives

    Reading Tea Leaves In High Court's Criminal Law Decisions

    Author Photo

    The criminal justice decisions the U.S. Supreme Court will announce in the coming weeks will reveal whether last term’s fractured decision-making has continued, an important data point as the justices’ alignment seems to correlate with who benefits from a case’s outcome, says Sharon Fairley at the University of Chicago Law School.

  • $38M Law Firm Settlement Highlights 'Unworthy Client' Perils

    Author Photo

    A recent settlement of claims against law firm Eckert Seamans for allegedly abetting a Ponzi scheme underscores the continuing threat of clients who seek to exploit their lawyers in perpetrating fraud, and the critical importance of preemptive measures to avoid these clients, say attorneys at Lockton Companies.

  • Hints Of Where Enforcement May Grow Under New CFPB

    Author Photo

    Though the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has significantly scaled back enforcement under the new administration, states remain able to pursue Consumer Financial Protection Act violators and the CFPB seems set to enhance its focus on predatory loans to military members and fraudulent debt collection and credit reporting practices, say attorneys at MoFo.

  • Only Certainty About FAR Reform Order Is Its Uncertainty

    Author Photo

    The president’s recent order overhauling the Federal Acquisition Regulation, which both contractors and agencies rely on to ensure predictability and consistency in federal procurement, lacks key details about its implementation, which will likely eliminate many safeguards that ensure contractors are treated fairly and that procurements are awarded in a reasonable manner, say attorneys at Miles & Stockbridge.

  • Maintaining Legal Compliance For GenAI In Life Sciences

    Author Photo

    As companies continue to implement generative artificial intelligence to enhance all phases of drug discovery, they must remain mindful of legal, regulatory and practical considerations as best practices in this space emerge and evolve, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Assessing Jurisdictional Issues In 2nd Circ. Bank Audi Case

    Author Photo

    The Second Circuit's reasoning last month in Raad v. Bank Audi that the exercise of personal jurisdiction must be based on conduct taking place within the jurisdiction reminds foreign financial institutions to continually monitor how plaintiffs are advocating for an expansive view of personal jurisdiction in the U.S., say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Series

    Teaching Business Law Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Teaching business law to college students has rekindled my sense of purpose as a lawyer — I am more mindful of the importance of the rule of law and the benefits of our common law system, which helps me maintain a clearer perspective on work, says David Feldman at Feldman Legal Advisors.

  • Enviro Justice Efforts After Trump's Disparate Impact Order

    Author Photo

    The Trump administration's recent executive order directing the U.S. Department of Justice to unwind disparate impact regulations may end some Biden-era environmental justice initiatives — but it will not end all efforts, whether by state or federal regulators or private litigants, to address issues in environmentally overburdened communities, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • What Disparate Impact Order Means For Insurers' AI Use

    Author Photo

    A recent executive order seeking to bar disparate impact theory conveys a meaningful policy shift, but does not alter the legal status of federal antidiscrimination law or enforceability of state laws, such as those holding insurers accountable for using artificial intelligence in a nondiscriminatory matter, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Choosing A Road To Autonomous Vehicle Compliance

    Author Photo

    As autonomous vehicle manufacturers navigate the complex U.S. regulatory landscape, they may opt for different approaches to following federal, state and local rules and laws, as they balance the tradeoffs between innovation, compliance and speed of deployment, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Navigating The Expanding Frontier Of Premerger Notice Laws

    Author Photo

    Washington's newly enacted law requiring premerger notification to state enforcers builds upon a growing trend of state scrutiny into transactions in the healthcare sector and beyond, and may inspire other states to enact similar legislation, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Evolving Federal Rules Pose Further Obstacles To NY LLC Act

    Author Photo

    Following the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's recent changes to beneficial ownership information reporting under the federal Corporate Transparency Act — dramatically reducing the number of companies required to make disclosures — the utility of New York's LLC Transparency Act becomes less apparent, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • The Risks Of Trump's Plan To Fast-Track Deregulation

    Author Photo

    A recent memorandum issued by President Donald Trump directing the repeal of so-called unlawful regulations, and instructing that agencies invoke the good cause exception under the Administrative Procedure Act, signals a potentially far-reaching deregulatory strategy under the guise of legal compliance, say attorneys at GableGotwals.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!