Public Policy

  • May 15, 2025

    Live Nation's Atty Fails To 'Move The Needle' In Discovery Bid

    A California federal judge appeared likely Thursday to stick with his tentative ruling that Live Nation's ticketing rivals can protect documents they say could facilitate the very conduct at issue in an antitrust case, telling an attorney for the company his arguments did not "move the needle."

  • May 15, 2025

    Colo. Chief Sacked Firefighters Behind Union Drive, Suit Says

    Two former captains and a statewide union sued a Southwest Colorado fire district and its chief Thursday for allegedly stopping a union campaign in its tracks by retaliating against organizers, claiming the chief fired the captains after they organized a vote showing nearly three-quarters of workers backed unionization.

  • May 15, 2025

    Consumer Bid To Block Capital One-Discover Deal Falters

    A California federal judge Wednesday rejected a group of consumers' last-minute bid to delay Capital One Financial Corp.'s impending purchase of Discover Financial Services, unpersuaded that the deal poses serious enough potential antitrust concerns to support a preliminary injunction.

  • May 15, 2025

    Unions, Groups Seek Injunction To Block Gov't Restructuring

    A California federal judge must greenlight a nationwide injunction to stop multiple federal agencies from moving ahead with implementing reorganization and mass termination plans linked to an executive order, a coalition of unions and groups argued, making their request on the heels of a temporary restraining order.

  • May 15, 2025

    SEC, FINRA Staff Retract 2019 Statement On Crypto Custody

    U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority staff on Thursday withdrew a joint statement from President Donald Trump's first term warning that existing consumer protection safeguards may not be effective or available for digital asset securities.

  • May 15, 2025

    Broadcasters, Wireless Biz Square Off Over 6 GHz Changes

    Big Tech is defending the Federal Communications Commission's move to open the 6 gigahertz band to unlicensed wireless devices, calling attacks from broadcasters "meritless" and saying they've been "debunked" numerous times already.

  • May 15, 2025

    Justices Wary Of Pausing Sweeping Injunctions In Birthright Case

    A majority of the U.S. Supreme Court seemed eager Thursday to limit lower courts' use of universal injunctions generally, but several justices voiced concerns about the effect such a ruling would have on lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's executive order that aims to limit birthright citizenship.

  • May 15, 2025

    Durbin Says White House Skirting Blue-Slip Process For Noms

    Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, raised concerns Thursday that the White House is not fully complying with the practice of giving both home state senators a de facto veto over nominees for U.S. attorney and district judgeships.

  • May 15, 2025

    DEA Says State-Legal Pot Fuels Transnational Crime

    The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in a report made public Thursday that state-level legalization of marijuana has resulted in a flood of cannabis beyond what those markets require and, despite state regulation, international crime syndicates have largely taken control of the entire American marijuana trade, both legal and not. 

  • May 15, 2025

    Plaintiff's 'Total Victory' Forces End To Southwest Bias Suit

    A Texas federal judge intends to issue a final judgment in a nonprofit's suit challenging an award program for Hispanic employees of Southwest Airlines Co., saying the "obstinate plaintiff" has already achieved total victory in the suit.

  • May 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Doubts Anti-Trans Orgs Can Nix Youth Runaway Law

    Ninth Circuit judges questioned Thursday if anti-transgender groups and parents had standing to challenge a Washington state law intended to ensure shelter for runaway teens seeking gender-affirming care, with one judge asking "where are the parents" who have been adversely affected.

  • May 15, 2025

    Regulatory Rollback Orders Legally Risky, FERC Chair Says

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is attempting to comply with executive orders that aim to roll back federal regulations, but Chairman Mark Christie said Thursday that implementing the orders could open FERC up to lawsuits and potentially courtroom defeats.

  • May 15, 2025

    9th Circ. Questions University's Limits On Professor's Speech

    Two Ninth Circuit judges cast doubt on the University of Washington's defense in a First Amendment lawsuit on Thursday, questioning why the college would remove a professor's parody of a Native American land acknowledgment from his class syllabus while permitting him to broadcast the same opinions elsewhere in the academic setting.

  • May 15, 2025

    SEC Focused On 'Rooting Out' AI Abuse, Agency Atty Says

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is focused on "rooting out" the misuse of artificial intelligence by brokerage firms and publicly traded companies, a California audience heard Thursday as agency attorneys tried to combat the perception that the SEC's enforcement arm has gone silent.

  • May 15, 2025

    Colo. Justices To Weigh Self-Defense In At-Will Firings

    The Colorado Supreme Court will consider if the state's at-will employment doctrine has an exception allowing people to challenge their termination for actions taken in self-defense, in the case of a Circle K store clerk who was fired after a confrontation with a robber.

  • May 15, 2025

    DOD Updates Plans For Trans Service Member Separations

    The U.S. Department of Defense on Thursday issued updated guidance for plans to identify and discharge transgender service members after a Supreme Court order allowed it to keep implementing a challenged policy that prohibited them from serving.

  • May 15, 2025

    Energy Dept. Expands Review Of $15B Worth Of Grants

    The U.S. Department of Energy said on Thursday that it's scrutinizing 179 grant awards worth $15 billion that it said were issued under the Biden administration.

  • May 15, 2025

    UMich Protesters Say Lives 'Upended' By Campus Bans

    An attorney for protesters challenging their bans from the University of Michigan campus told a federal judge Thursday that the trespass orders have "upended" their lives because the vast campus intertwines with the city of Ann Arbor and urged the court to find the bans violated their due process.

  • May 15, 2025

    House Tax Bill's Foreign Rules May Finish Off Energy Perks

    House Republicans' mammoth tax bill proposes phasing out two popular clean electricity business tax credits, but additional restrictions on eligible development projects' foreign business ties could have the same effect as immediately repealing them.

  • May 15, 2025

    Battery Recycler Cites 'Green' Funding Uncertainties In Ch. 15

    Lithium battery recycler Li-Cycle asked a New York bankruptcy judge to recognize its Canadian insolvency, saying the current political climate has made investors wary of infusing money needed to tap a $475 million U.S. federal loan.

  • May 15, 2025

    Harvard Researcher Held By ICE To Be Returned To Mass.

    A Harvard Medical School researcher and Russian national taken into custody by immigration officers who found frog embryos in her luggage three months ago will be returned to Massachusetts to face a smuggling charge, a Louisiana federal judge ordered on Thursday.

  • May 15, 2025

    Conservatives Challenge Title Of Colo. Tax Cut Initiative

    A proposed Colorado ballot measure to reduce the state income tax rate by one-hundredth of a percentage point was assigned an unlawfully confusing title by a state board, the conservative activists behind the initiative charged in a petition to the state Supreme Court.

  • May 15, 2025

    DC Circ. Doubts Jurisdiction In Baristas' NLRB Challenge

    A D.C. Circuit panel expressed skepticism Thursday that it had any role in deciding two Starbucks workers' challenge to job protections for National Labor Relations Board members now that the agency agrees with the baristas' argument.

  • May 15, 2025

    Conn. Justice Warns DMV Rule May Destroy Towing Program

    If the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles is correct in its interpretation of how towing companies can be paid for certain services, a state police program for clearing wrecks will evaporate because participating will not be profitable, a justice of the state Supreme Court warned Thursday.

  • May 15, 2025

    SEC-Ripple Deal Hits Speed Bump With NY Judge

    The New York federal judge who oversees the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement case against blockchain firm Ripple Labs declined Thursday to bless a deal that would truncate the penalties and injunctions she levied in her judgment, saying the request was made in a "procedurally improper" way.

Expert Analysis

  • Know The Rules And Costs Of New Fla. Condo Inspection Law

    Author Photo

    Following the first report deadline for a structural integrity law meant to prevent disasters like the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida condominium associations and unit owners should understand the process of conducting compliant inspections and anticipate new assessments to fund required maintenance, say attorneys at Ball Janik.

  • Mass. AG Emerges As Key Player In Consumer Protection

    Author Photo

    Through enforcement actions and collaborations with other states — including joining a recent amicus brief decrying the defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has established herself as a thought leader for consumer protection and corporate accountability, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • SEC Confidential Review Process Provides Issuers Flexibility

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently announced enhancements to the process for confidentially submitting draft registration statements will be immediately impactful for issuers seeking to access the public capital markets, and should provide more grounds to explore and plan public offerings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • What Pending FCPA Trials Suggest About DOJ Priorities

    Author Photo

    Following President Donald Trump's executive order in February instructing the U.S. Department of Justice to temporarily pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, developments surrounding five FCPA cases already set for trial provide a glimpse into how the DOJ is attempting to navigate the situation at hand, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Measuring And Mitigating Harm From Discriminatory Taxes

    Author Photo

    In response to new tariffs and other recent "America First Trade Policy" pronouncements, corporations should assess and take steps to minimize their potential exposure to discriminatory and reciprocal tax measures that are likely to come, say economists at Charles River Associates.

  • How Del. Law Rework Limits Corporate Records Requests

    Author Photo

    Newly enacted amendments to a section of the Delaware General Corporation Law that allows stockholders and beneficial owners to demand inspection of Delaware corporations' books and records likely curtails the scope of such inspections and aids defendants in framing motions to dismiss at the pleading stage, says Jonathan Richman at Brown Rudnick.

  • What Cos. Should Know About U.S. Minerals Executive Order

    Author Photo

    President Donald Trump's new executive order aimed at boosting U.S. mineral production faces challenges including land use and environmental regulations, a lack of new funding, and the need for coordination among federal agencies, but it provides industry stakeholders with multiple opportunities to influence policy and funding, say advisers at Holland & Knight.

  • Inside State AGs' Arguments Defending The CFPB

    Author Photo

    Recent amicus briefs filed by a coalition of 23 attorneys general argue that the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will irreparably harm consumers in several key areas, making clear that states are preparing to fill in any enforcement gaps, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • Alien Enemies Act Case Could Reshape Executive Power

    Author Photo

    President Donald Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals raises fundamental questions about statutory interpretation, executive power and constitutional structure, which now lay on the U.S. Supreme Court's doorstep, says Mauni Jalali at Quinn Emanuel.

  • HHS Directive Could Overhaul Food Ingredient Safety Rules

    Author Photo

    If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration eliminates the self-affirmed pathway that allows food ingredients to be used without premarket approval, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' directive, it would be a sea change for the food industry and the food-contact material industry, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • How The ESG Investing Rule Survived Loper Bright, For Now

    Author Photo

    A Texas federal court's recent decision in Utah v. Micone upholding the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 ESG investing rule highlights how regulations can withstand the post-Loper Bright landscape when an agency's interpretation of its statutorily determined boundaries is not granted deference, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

  • Issues To Watch At ABA's Antitrust Spring Meeting

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Freshfields consider the future of antitrust law and competition enforcement amid agency leadership changes and other emerging developments likely to dominate discussion at the American Bar Association's Antitrust Spring Meeting this week.

  • Will Trump Order On Transgender Women In Sports Survive?

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Venable consider whether President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender women from women's sports will survive legal challenges, and if it does, how federal agencies will enforce it.

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!