Public Policy

  • August 12, 2026

    DHS Can't Shake Suit Over Suspicionless Stops, Atty Access

    A California federal judge has allowed a lawsuit accusing federal immigration agents of stopping people without reasonable suspicion and preventing immigration detainees from speaking with attorneys to proceed.

  • August 12, 2026

    SpaceX On Hunt For More Spectrum

    SpaceX is hungry for more spectrum, telling the Federal Communications Commission it ought to set "aggressive, technology-agnostic" buildout milestones in order to get new wireless satellite services to market just as the company unveils plans to build its own terrestrial network.

  • August 12, 2026

    Texas Medical Board Says AG Can't Get In On Malpractice Suit

    The Texas Medical Board told a state court judge that the Texas Office of the Attorney General could not represent a doctor who tried to treat a COVID-19 patient with ivermectin, saying the office flouted ethics rules by first representing the board and then representing the doctor.

  • August 12, 2026

    11th Circ. Backs EPA, Fertilizer Co. In 'Radioactive' Road Case

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday rejected an environmental group's challenge to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision allowing the construction of a private road with a radioactive byproduct from fertilizer production, finding EPA regulations don't categorically bar such use.

  • August 12, 2026

    9th Circ. Backs Extradition For Al Qaeda In Iraq-Linked Killings

    The Ninth Circuit said Wednesday that a U.S. citizen can't escape his extradition to Iraq to be tried for the murders of two Iraqi police officers because the killings constitute international terrorism, meaning he is not protected by a political-offense exception to the relevant extradition treaty.

  • August 12, 2026

    Colo. Gun Group Asks Court To Block Semiauto Law

    Colorado's official branch of the National Rifle Association urged a Colorado federal judge to block the enforcement of a new state law restricting ownership of certain semiautomatic firearms, writing the law "all but eliminates" law-abiding citizens' right to purchase the firearms.

  • August 12, 2026

    10th Circ. Upholds Phone Search In Child Porn Case

    The Tenth Circuit upheld an Oklahoma man's child pornography convictions Wednesday, rejecting his arguments that police unlawfully prolonged a traffic stop and obtained an overly broad warrant to search his cellphone.

  • August 12, 2026

    Colleges Say Wealth Bias Evidence Would Prejudice Jury

    Top-flight universities, preparing to fight class action antitrust claims at trial later this year that they illegally colluded on financial aid formulas, on Wednesday accused the student plaintiffs of trying to "dirty" the universities with allegations that they admit underqualified applicants because of their family wealth.

  • August 12, 2026

    NYC Probes Polymarket, Kalshi Over Ads Targeting Minors

    The New York City Council announced Wednesday that it is investigating Kalshi, Polymarket, Coinbase and Gemini Titan for potentially false, deceptive or abusive advertising tactics for their prediction market platforms, expressing concerns about marketing directed toward young people.

  • August 12, 2026

    UMich Law Professor's Pro Bono Work Not FOIA Fodder

    The University of Michigan doesn't have to turn over the emails a law professor sent as part of her environmental pro bono work in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, after Michigan state court ruled that the emails don't count as public records under the law.

  • August 12, 2026

    Apple Gets Brief Pause In App Store Case From High Court

    The U.S. Supreme Court issued a brief stay Wednesday in a case from Epic Games targeting Apple's App Store policies, after the district court refused to put the case on hold while the justices review a contempt order against Apple.

  • August 12, 2026

    Wash. County Wants Out Of Burial Site Development Suit

    Whatcom County, Washington, has asked a federal court to dismiss the sole claim against it in a lawsuit from the Lummi Nation over broadband construction that allegedly disturbed ancestral remains, arguing that the county cannot be held liable for how it reviewed permits for the projects.

  • August 12, 2026

    Missouri Seeks To Block Minority Contracting Program

    Missouri Attorney General Catherin L. Hanaway pressed a district court judge to block Kansas City's contracting program for minority- and women-owned businesses, saying it violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.

  • August 12, 2026

    Wheelchair Isn't A 'Vehicle' For DUI Test Consent In PA

    A Pennsylvania appeals court on Wednesday rolled out its finding that a man's wheelchair does not constitute a vehicle and that his use of the device to leave the scene of a car crash did not imply consent for a blood test as part of a DUI investigation.

  • August 12, 2026

    Miami Judge Says Rival's Trump Library Attack Defamed Her

    A Miami-Dade County Circuit Court judge has accused an attorney vying for her seat on the bench of defamation, telling a Florida state court the attorney conspired to unlawfully influence the upcoming non-partisan judicial race with a smear campaign claiming she tried to block the Donald Trump Presidential Library.

  • August 12, 2026

    ICE Says Noncitizens Are Targeting 'Unwritten' Philly Policy

    The Trump administration asked a federal judge Wednesday to toss proposed class claims against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seeking the reinstatement of a Philadelphia policy that the three noncitizens who filed suit say limits the agency's ability to rearrest nondangerous immigrants without justification. 

  • August 12, 2026

    Labor Groups Sue Ed. Dept. Over Student Loan Access Cuts

    The AFL-CIO and several unions have filed a complaint in D.C. federal court challenging new federal student loan caps in a U.S. Department of Education rule that narrows the definition for "professional student," claiming that the rule arbitrarily restricts access to federal student loans.

  • August 12, 2026

    Raskin Asks Ellison To Speak To Congress About Merger

    U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., has asked Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison to appear for a transcribed interview to explain the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

  • August 12, 2026

    Trump Tells 11th Circ. Sanctions In IRS Case Must Be Paused

    President Donald Trump urged the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to halt sanctions imposed by a lower court over an immunity deal that would have given him broad protections from federal tax audits and investigations, arguing he and the government have distinct interests.

  • August 12, 2026

    Squires Tells Fed. Circ. PTAB Made Error In Corteva Decision

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has asked the Federal Circuit to intervene in Inari Agriculture's appeal of a Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision upholding a Corteva patent on insect-repellent corn, saying part of the board's decision was wrong.

  • August 12, 2026

    6th Circ. Rejects Prison Worker's Excessive Force Claim

    The Sixth Circuit has rejected a Michigan prison employee's excessive force claim stemming from injuries she suffered during a hostage training exercise, ruling that she was not "seized" under the Fourth Amendment because the officers were practicing a rescue rather than carrying out an actual law enforcement operation. 

  • August 12, 2026

    Texas Judge Keeps Hemp THC Curbs In Place During Suit

    A Texas federal judge has declined to halt new state-led restrictions redesignating intoxicating hemp products as Schedule I substances while a lawsuit challenging them plays out.

  • August 12, 2026

    Full 5th Circ. Invalidates Part Of No Surprises Act Rules

    The full Fifth Circuit partially unraveled federal regulations that implemented an arbitration system between insurers and out-of-network providers that Congress established in a 2020 law called the No Surprises Act, holding aspects of how the rules calculated payment amounts for disputed claims were unlawful.

  • August 12, 2026

    Trump Pick Sets Stage For More Fights Over FCC's Power

    A move by the White House to fill the third Republican vacancy on the Federal Communications Commission — but leave a long-empty minority seat on the five-member board unfilled — sets up what will likely be more pitched battles over not only the FCC's powers, but its future composition.

  • August 12, 2026

    Trump Repeats Call To Remove Stay On Mail-In Ballot Order

    The Trump administration prodded the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to "promptly" lift a Massachusetts judge's order prohibiting the enforcement of new restrictions on mail-in ballots in 23 states and the District of Columbia in this year's midterm elections. 

Expert Analysis

  • How Montgomery Ruling Will Affect Cos. Across Supply Chain

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    Since the U.S. Supreme Court's May 14 decision in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, the immediate focus has been on freight brokers and negligent carrier-selection claims, but the ripple effects may extend to shippers, logistics providers, insurers, transportation managers and other participants in the supply chain, say attorneys at Quintairos Prieto.

  • High Court's FCC Fine Ruling Reframes Agency Enforcement

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Federal Communications Commission v. AT&T sweeps aside uncertainty about what kinds of regulatory enforcement trigger a Seventh Amendment right, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • How Maine's Expanded Health Deal Reviews Complicate M&A

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    A pair of recently approved Maine competition laws establish notice and approval requirements for certain healthcare transactions and expand state antitrust oversight, creating new hurdles for dealmakers as states take a more aggressive role in policing healthcare consolidation, especially involving private equity, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Opinion

    Congress Must Resolve Growing Subchapter V Uncertainty

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    Congress must pass a bill to permanently restore the Subchapter V debt limit and clarify several other key points of the law to prevent a practical restructuring tool from becoming a costly procedural morass, says Ted Gavin at Gavin Solmonese.

  • CFTC Policy Substantially Expands Self-Reporting Incentives

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    A recent U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission policy moves from a mitigation-centered model to prioritizing declination for early self-reporting and full cooperation, reflecting a deliberate effort to harmonize voluntary self-disclosure incentives across the federal enforcement authorities, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Opinion

    Exxon Shareholders Were Right To Save New Voting Program

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    Following Exxon shareholders’ recent vote that rejected a bid to dismantle the company’s new retail voting program, other companies should replicate it as a way to lower the friction for shareholders who already vote with the board to keep doing so without wrestling a ballot every spring, says J.W. Verret at the Antonin Scalia Law School.

  • Series

    Choral Singing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Singing in the New York City Bar Chorus — a hobby partly inspired by the late U.S. District Judge Richard Owen, who infused my clerkship year with opera music — has improved my legal career by refining my abilities to listen, exude confidence and develop emotional intelligence, says Bonnie Baker at Friedman Kaplan.

  • What Ratings Overhaul May Mean For Banking Industry

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    Proposed revisions to the bank rating system commonly known as CAMELS could constrain examiner discretion and tie supervisory outcomes more closely to measurable financial risk, potentially saving compliance costs, reducing the frequency of ratings downgrades and spurring a more growth-oriented banking system, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Series

    Illinois Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The last three months were particularly consequential for Illinois banking law, with a federal court ruling reshaping the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, the state filling enforcement gaps, significant legislative activity and a revision to the community bank leverage ratio, say attorneys at Riley Safer.

  • Attorney Mental Health Is An Ethical Obligation In The AI Era

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    As attorneys cope with the increasing unpredictability that artificial intelligence and constant policy changes have created, particularly in practice areas where they carry the emotional weight of clients’ most consequential life events, otherwise soft discussions about self-care are a matter of professional competence, says attorney Jack Jrada.

  • Md. Ruling Reflects Classic Administrative Law Principle

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    A Maryland federal court's recent decision in Columbus v. Kennedy significantly limits how far the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services can go in reshaping the Affordable Care Act through regulation, highlighting a principle that will likely be applied in similar Administrative Procedure Act challenges, says Michael King at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • DOJ China Container Indictments Signal Global Cartel Risk

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent announcement that it had indicted Chinese manufacturers for conspiring to drive up the price of shipping containers sold in the U.S. illustrates the Antitrust Division's interest in pursuing overseas cartel conduct, especially in China, signaling that multinational companies with employees abroad should strengthen antitrust compliance to avoid running afoul of U.S. national security policy, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

  • More Cos. Will Copy SpaceX's Shareholder Proposal Opt-Out

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    For more than 80 years, the shareholder proposal looked like a federal right guaranteed to all public company investors, but after SpaceX opted out before its recent initial public offering, other companies are likely to follow, says Mohsen Manesh at the University of Oregon School of Law.

  • How DOJ Is Approaching Monitorship After Signaling Limits

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    As the U.S. Department of Justice keeps more monitors in place than expected, a look at the matters in which prosecutors are maintaining oversight reveals the sort of companies enforcers might trust to self-remediate, and also those that may receive independent supervision, say attorneys at Kendall Brill.

  • Opinion

    DHS' World Cup Influencer Warning Overreads Visa Law

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    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s reported position that foreign influencers covering the 2026 World Cup need work visas if their content is monetized runs contrary to both legislative intent and long-standing precedent that structure the visa inquiry around labor market substitution, says Jun Li at Reid & Wise.

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