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Public Policy
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May 22, 2025
Justices Allow Trump To Fire NLRB, MSPB Members, For Now
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled two fired members of the National Labor Relations Board and the Merit Systems Protection Board cannot return to work while they challenge President Donald Trump's authority to fire them without cause, handing the president a win in his crusade against a 90-year-old precedent limiting his power to fire employees at independent agencies.
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May 22, 2025
Coalition Backs Calif. Tribe's Fight Over $700M Casino Project
A coalition of tribes weighed in on a dispute over the federal government's decision to rescind gambling eligibility for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians' $700 million casino project, questioning the federal government's perceived acquiescence to pushback from other tribes.
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May 22, 2025
Judge Asks If DEI Is Now 'Homogeneity, Inequity And Exclusion'
A Massachusetts federal judge considering a challenge to the Trump administration's cuts to hundreds of National Institutes of Health grants pressed the U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday for its definition of diversity, equity and inclusion, at one point asking hypothetically whether the government's policy is now "homogeneity, inequity and exclusion."
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May 22, 2025
Pa. House Rep Asks 3rd Circ. For Immunity In Robocall Suit
Counsel for a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives told the Third Circuit on Thursday that a federal judge was wrong to conclude the lawmaker was not immune from a Telephone Consumer Protection Act lawsuit over recorded phone messages he sent to constituents.
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May 22, 2025
Columbia Student Says 2nd Circ. Backs Removal Challenge
A Columbia University student who says she is being unlawfully targeted by the Trump administration for deportation after attending a pro-Palestine demonstration told a New York federal judge that recent Second Circuit decisions bolster her challenge to her imminent detention.
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May 22, 2025
Marshals Pick Advances As Dems Seek Move From DOJ
President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Marshals Service was voted out of committee on Thursday, the same day Democrats introduced legislation to move the agency from the executive to judicial branch to prevent the potential weaponization of the marshals.
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May 22, 2025
Michigan Seeks 6th Circ. Rehearing In Enbridge Pipeline Row
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has asked the full Sixth Circuit to find she is protected by sovereign immunity from an Enbridge Energy lawsuit to halt her efforts to shut down an oil and natural gas pipeline.
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May 22, 2025
Chancellor Wants Del. High Court To Review 'DExit' Corp. Law
Delaware's chancellor wants the state's high court to weigh in on a constitutional challenge of the controversial corporate law overhaul signed into law in March in an attempt to stave off more corporate charter relocations and protect the state's legal industry and $2 billion in annual corporate franchise fees.
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May 22, 2025
BigLaw Firms Insist Trump Deals Are Legal, Don't Alter Values
Nine BigLaw firms including Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, Latham & Watkins LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP have written to members of Congress defending controversial agreements they made with the Trump administration to avoid executive orders targeting the firms, according to letters obtained by Law360 on Thursday.
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May 22, 2025
2nd Suit Says Fla. Investigator Lied About Insurance Fraud
A Florida man accused of insurance fraud after helping a roofing company sign up customers whose homes suffered hurricane damage has sued the criminal investigator who referred the charges, telling a federal court that the investigator fabricated facts and intentionally misled state attorneys.
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May 22, 2025
NC City Council Member, Daughters Accused Of COVID Fraud
Federal prosecutors on Thursday accused a Charlotte city council member and her two daughters of filing bogus small business loan applications to obtain six figures in COVID-19 relief funds, some of which they allegedly used to throw the council member a birthday party.
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May 22, 2025
GOP FTC Drops Dems' Pepsi Price Discrimination Suit
The Republican-controlled Federal Trade Commission on Thursday dropped one of the last cases approved by agency Democrats before they handed over the gavel, abandoning a New York federal court complaint accusing Pepsi of giving a big box retailer better terms and promotional payments than smaller competitors.
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May 22, 2025
5th Circ. Denies Challenge To La. Oversight Of Carbon Wells
A Fifth Circuit panel said several environmental groups failed to show any imminent injuries stemming from a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to approve Louisiana's plan to oversee carbon sequestration wells, and dismissed their challenge for lack of standing.
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May 22, 2025
Tribes Sue US Over $23B Used For Boarding School Program
A group of Indigenous nations has asked for class certification and an order that would require the U.S. to account for how much of the tribes' money was used in an estimated $23.3 billion appropriated by the federal government in connection with its past Indian boarding school programs.
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May 22, 2025
Conn. AG Targets 'Bootleg' Weight Loss Drug Sellers
Connecticut has launched a consumer protection lawsuit in state court against a Florida-based company and its owner, accusing them of peddling untested and unsafe, research-level, "bootleg" GLP-1 weight loss drugs to customers.
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May 22, 2025
Texas Lawmakers Clarify Exceptions To Abortion Ban
The Texas House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday specifying that women experiencing life-threatening pregnancies don't have to suffer "any effects" before they can obtain an abortion.
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May 22, 2025
Ore. Lawmakers OK Renewed Historic Preservation Credit
An expired Oregon tax credit for historic preservation would be reauthorized and limited to commercial properties under legislation passed by the state Senate and headed to the governor.
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May 22, 2025
Contractor Settles DOJ's Aircraft Adhesive FCA Allegations
A federal contractor paid to make an external pod to carry communications equipment on military aircraft agreed to pay $512,000 to resolve allegations that it misrepresented or omitted important information regarding the adhesive used in a prototype as well as the testing procedures used on that prototype.
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May 22, 2025
Senior FCC Democrat Attends Final Monthly Meeting
Geoffrey Starks, the senior Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission, participated in his last agency meeting Thursday, where he announced he will leave the agency sometime within the next month.
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May 22, 2025
Mass. Judge Halts Trump's Bid To Slash Education Dept. Jobs
A Massachusetts federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to lay off hundreds of U.S. Department of Education employees, finding that the administration's claims of wanting more efficiency are a mask for their actual goal of dismantling the department.
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May 22, 2025
High Court Declines To Narrow Reach Of Federal Fraud Law
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday held that using deceptive means to induce a business transaction may still be a crime even if the defendant doesn't seek to cause economic loss, a departure from earlier decisions that have narrowed the scope of federal fraud statutes.
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May 22, 2025
Split Supreme Court Blocks 1st Religious Charter School
A deadlocked U.S. Supreme Court left in place Thursday an Oklahoma state court ruling barring the launch of the nation's first religious charter school, leaving open questions about the constitutionality of excluding religious groups from participating in publicly funded charter school programs.
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May 21, 2025
Tribes Push To Preserve Challenges To Okla. Prosecutions
The Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations are dialing up their opposition to two Oklahoma district attorneys' attempts to prosecute tribal citizens for crimes committed in Indian Country, telling a federal court that prior case law makes it "readily apparent" that these state actions can't stand.
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May 21, 2025
Fox Accuses Smartmatic Of Destroying 'Critical' Evidence
Fox News on Wednesday called for Smartmatic to be sanctioned, claiming that nearly two-dozen executives and other employees at the voting tech company destroyed "critical" evidence related to the company's defamation case against the television network, an accusation that comes a week after Smartmatic said Fox deleted relevant texts.
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May 21, 2025
Judge Prolongs Pause On Trump's HUD, DOT Grant DEI Limits
A Washington federal judge Wednesday extended a block on federal grant conditions limiting homelessness aid and transportation funding to recipients who align with the Trump administration's policies against diversity and inclusion programming, as nearly two dozen localities joined New York, San Francisco and others challenging the terms.
Expert Analysis
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Charging A Separate Tariff Fee May Backfire For Retailers
In the wake of the Trump administration's newly imposed tariffs, retailers facing significant supply chain cost increases may be considering adding a tariff fee to offset these costs, but doing so risks violating state drip pricing bans, say attorneys at Benesch.
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Series
Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law
Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.
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Independent Contractor Rule Up In The Air Under New DOL
In several recent court challenges, the U.S. Department of Labor has indicated its intent to revoke the 2024 independent contractor rule, sending a clear signal that it will not defend the Biden-era rule on the merits in anticipation of further rulemaking, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.
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Why Trade Cases May Put Maple Leaf Deference On Review
When litigation challenging the president’s trade actions reaches the Federal Circuit, the court will have to reevaluate the Maple Leaf standard in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 Loper Bright decision limiting Chevron-like deference to cases involving statutory provisions in which Congress delegated discretionary authority to the executive branch, say attorneys at Wiley.
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Risk Control Tips For Banks With Cryptocurrency Customers
Given federal policy shifts, cryptocurrency's presence within the U.S. banking system will doubtless increase, so banks should keep in mind key risk control considerations when accepting funds related to cryptocurrency transactions — and make sure they know their customers and the crypto industry, says Jason Noto at Polsinelli.
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How The USPTO Might Find A Path Forward After Job Cuts
Recent layoff plans and other cost-reduction initiatives at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office call for a corresponding adjustment to improve operational efficiency, such as adding post-filing examination request procedures and artificial intelligence enhancements, says James Gourley at Carstens Allen.
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How Trump Orders Affect Health Orgs.' Care For Trans Minors
Two recent executive orders issued by President Donald Trump regarding gender-affirming care for minors have put healthcare organizations in a precarious situation, and these institutions should prepare for various implications and potential scenarios, say attorneys at ArentFox.
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FDIC Rules Rollback Foretells More Pro-Industry Changes
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s March withdrawal of Biden-era proposals to tighten brokered deposit rules and impose new corporate governance standards shows that acting chair Travis Hill’s commitment to reviewing regulations that may restrict growth and innovation for financial institution and fintech companies is unlikely to flag soon, say attorneys at Cooley.
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Trump DOE's Plan On AI Offers Challenges, Opportunities
The Trump administration's push to make federal land available for development of artificial intelligence data centers follows a similar Biden administration proposal — but a new request for information from the U.S. Department of Energy envisions a rapid timeline that may prove challenging for both the DOE and industry stakeholders, say attorneys at HWG.
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NY Tax Talk: Sourcing, Retroactivity, Information Services
Attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland examine recent decisions by New York’s Tax Appeals Tribunal, Division of Taxation and Court of Appeals on location sourcing of broker-dealer receipts, a case of first impression on the retroactive application of Corporate Franchise Tax regulations and when fees for information services are excluded from taxation.
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DOJ Memo Maps Out A Lighter Touch For Digital Assets
A recent memo issued by the Justice Department signals a less aggressive approach toward the digital asset industry, with notable directives including disbandment of the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team, a higher evidentiary bar for unlicensed money transmitting, and prosecutions of individuals rather than platforms, say attorneys at Cleary.
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SEC Update May Ease Accredited Investor Status Verification
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently opened a new avenue to verifying accredited investor status, which could encourage more private fund sponsors and other issuers to engage in a general solicitation with less fear that they will lose the offering's exemption from registration under the Securities Act, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Legal Ethics Considerations For Law Firm Pro Bono Deals
If a law firm enters into a pro bono deal with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding or removing an executive order, it has an ethical obligation to create a written settlement agreement with specific terms, which would mitigate some potential conflict of interest problems, says Andrew Altschul at Buchanan Angeli.
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Avoiding Compliance Risks Under Calif. Recycling Label Law
CalRecycle's recently published final findings on California's S.B. 343 — determining which products and packaging materials are eligible to use the "chasing arrows" recyclability symbol — offer key guidance that businesses operating in the state must heed to avert the risk of penalties or litigation, says Christopher Smith at Greenspoon Marder.
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Reproductive Health Under Trump So Far, And What's Next
Based on priorities stated so far, the Trump administration will likely continue to weaken Biden-era policies that protect reproductive health, with abortion, in vitro fertilization and contraception all being issues to watch closely amid a post-Dobbs shift, say attorneys at McDermott.