Public Policy

  • September 30, 2026

    FCC Opens 2 Spectrum Bands For Satellite Services

    The Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday opened two portions of spectrum totaling more than 1,000 megahertz to expand satellite broadband as part of a long-range plan to free up the airwaves for space-based activities.

  • September 30, 2026

    Fla. Panel Says Hot-Car Conviction Needs Knowledge Element

    A Florida state appeals court Wednesday ruled that a nanny convicted of felony murder after forgetting she left a 10-month-old inside a hot car should be tried again, saying prosecutors used an improper underlying charge as a basis for the felony murder charge.

  • September 30, 2026

    3rd Circ. Calls Westlaw AI Fight 'Ordinary Copyright Case'

    The Third Circuit said the first appellate fight over artificial intelligence training and fair use ultimately came down to an "ordinary copyright case," affirming that Ross Intelligence infringed Thomson Reuters' Westlaw headnotes when it used them to train a competing legal research platform.

  • September 30, 2026

    Ill. Judge To Hear Fight Over Prosecutor Contempt Probe

    An Illinois federal judge is set to hear arguments Thursday on whether fallout from a failed prosecution of six anti-ICE protesters should extend beyond dismissed charges and internal reforms to an evidentiary sanctions hearing and a deeper probe into possible criminal contempt by Chicago federal prosecutors.

  • September 30, 2026

    NY DA: Construction Exec Offered 'Quid Pro Quo' To Atty

    The Manhattan District Attorney's Office seized the phone of The Rinaldi Group's managing director as part of a criminal investigation into allegations that he proposed a "quid pro quo" to a defense attorney representing another longtime TRG executive in a bribery case, a prosecutor has told a state court judge.

  • September 30, 2026

    Biz Groups Urge 5th Circ. To Back Texas Derivative-Suits Limit

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Association of Business on Wednesday urged the Fifth Circuit to uphold the dismissal of a Southwest Airlines shareholder's derivative suit, saying Texas law properly blocks such suits for those who hold less than 3% of shares.

  • September 30, 2026

    Treasury Sets Plans For State Stablecoin Regime Reviews

    The Treasury Department implemented its procedures for reviewing and approving state-level stablecoin licensing frameworks Wednesday, issuing an interim final rule that would give states some flexibility in meeting a looming deadline to submit their regimes for stablecoin issuers.

  • September 30, 2026

    Fed Finalizes Update To Open Stress Test Models

    The Federal Reserve Wednesday finalized changes to how it stress tests banks, saying that new steps, such as inviting public comment on the scenarios used in the exams, would lead to greater transparency and public accountability.

  • September 30, 2026

    UC Davis Accused Of Gender Bias In Financial Aid To Athletes

    Current and former University of California, Davis women's equestrian team members upset with the athletic program's downgrade from Division I status are accusing the school of violating Title IX by giving female student-athletes proportionally "far less" financial aid.

  • September 30, 2026

    DC Says Rail Fee Doesn't Favor Local Carriers Over Others

    The Office of Attorney General for the District of Columbia has urged a federal judge to uphold its annual per-car fee on railroads against a challenge from the freight industry, arguing the charge is valid under the dormant commerce clause because it doesn't favor in-state interests over those outside the district.

  • September 30, 2026

    Wyo. Asks To Intervene In Suit Over Lease Sales To Oil Cos.

    Wyoming urged a Colorado federal judge to allow the state to intervene in environmental nonprofit groups' lawsuit challenging the leasing of public lands in Colorado and Wyoming for oil and gas development, saying it could stand to lose millions of dollars in future revenue.

  • September 30, 2026

    Trump Says S. Korea Investing $54B In Alaska Gas Pipeline

    South Korea will invest about $200 billion in various U.S. energy projects, including $54 billion for a long-awaited Alaska liquid natural gas pipeline, as part of a deal trading investments in the U.S. for preferential tariff treatment, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.

  • September 30, 2026

    IP Notebook: AI Dilution, Alamo TM, India Copyright Ruling

    An unsettled copyright theory over competition from artificial intelligence-generated works and a trademark clash between Texas and an association representing descendants of those who fought at the Battle of the Alamo lead this edition of Law360's look at emerging copyright and trademark issues.

  • September 30, 2026

    Trump's Rationale On Forced Labor Tariffs Misses, CIT Told

    The U.S. Trade Representative's report justifying President Donald Trump's latest round of global tariffs based on imports produced with forced labor should prove insufficient, counsel for small businesses told a panel of U.S. Court of International Trade judges during oral arguments Wednesday.

  • September 30, 2026

    FCC Eases Federal Enviro Reviews Of Broadband Projects

    The Federal Communications Commission voted Wednesday to substantially pare back environmental impact reviews of broadband deployment projects.

  • September 30, 2026

    States Back AGs' 6th Circ. Bid To Keep RealPage Rent Claims

    A contingent of 25 states is backing a Sixth Circuit appeal from several other state-level enforcers challenging settlements in private litigation that could block them from seeking damages over claims that landlords used RealPage's software to collude on residential rental rates.

  • September 30, 2026

    11th Circ. Seems Wary Of Ga. Campaign Finance Challenge

    The Eleventh Circuit appeared reluctant Wednesday to revive the Libertarian Party of Georgia and the Georgia Green Party's challenge to a Peach State campaign finance statute they say gives traditional political parties an unfair advantage, pressing their attorney on whether they had standing to sue. 

  • September 30, 2026

    3 States Ask High Court To Block Abortion Shield Laws

    Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to strike down shield laws for reproductive care in New York, California and Massachusetts, alleging they illegally allow the mailing of abortion medication into states that restrict or ban abortion.

  • September 30, 2026

    International Group Agrees To Tackle Excess Steel Capcity

    The U.S., 31 other countries and the European Union agreed Wednesday to coordinate and strengthen trade measures against global excess steel capacity, according to a statement issued by the U.S. Trade Representative.

  • September 30, 2026

    Senate Leaders Unveil Project Permitting Overhaul

    U.S. Senate energy and environmental leaders on Wednesday unveiled bipartisan legislation aimed at speeding up the permitting of infrastructure projects, and said they hope to get the bill through the chamber during the lame-duck session following November's elections.

  • September 30, 2026

    College Sports Overhaul Still Uncertain Despite Senate Lift

    A yearslong effort to comprehensively regulate college sports surged ahead this week with the U.S. Senate's easy approval of bipartisan legislation, but lingering concerns about the bill's NCAA antitrust shield and other fraught policy fights are clouding its future.

  • September 30, 2026

    Judge Backs CMS' Contested Organ Procurement Metrics

    Federal health officials didn't violate federal law when they implemented a competitive rule that will alter how organ procurers are rated by decertifying low performers, a Florida federal judge ruled, a holding that could bring wide changes to the organ donor network. 

  • September 30, 2026

    Hemp Interests Say Texas THC Rule Defies Federal Law

    A trio of hemp interests challenging a Texas policy redesignating intoxicating hemp products as Schedule I substances have urged a federal judge to declare that the policy is both preempted by federal law and inconsistent with Texas state law.

  • September 30, 2026

    DOJ Accuses Judges Of Ethics Violations With Press Remarks

    Several Minnesota federal judges ran afoul of their ethical obligations when they commented on President Donald Trump's immigration policies in a recent news article, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a judicial misconduct complaint filed Wednesday.

  • September 30, 2026

    DC Judge Sends Shinnecock Land Dispute To NY Court

    A D.C. district court judge is moving a challenge over a decision to place 84 acres into a "restricted fee" status for the Shinnecock Indian Nation to a New York district court, saying the interest in "having local controversies decided at home tips heavily in favor of transfer."

Expert Analysis

  • How FCC Covered List Blitz Is Sidelining Commerce Dept.

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    The swath of recent Federal Communications Commission rulemakings raises serious questions about the purpose and future of Commerce's Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services, and how the U.S. government will go forward in imposing national security regulation on domestic applications of adversary-linked technologies, says Peter Jeydel at Troutman.

  • DOJ Healthcare Declination Offers Self-Disclosure Checklist

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    The U.S. Department of Justice's declination of criminal charges against Campus Eye Management signals that its new self-disclosure policy provides a real path for healthcare companies to avoid criminal exposure, but that path is paved with speed, transparency and operational remediation, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • SEC Rulemaking Radar: The Rubber Meets The Road

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new rulemaking agenda shows its regulatory reset taking shape, with sweeping crypto proposals that could bring the biggest changes it has made to broker-dealer, exchange and trading compliance in decades, says Christopher Grobbel at Goodwin.

  • Monitor Exposure, Stay Flexible Amid Tariff Uncertainty

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    To navigate an unstable trade environment, businesses must evaluate their exposure to new tariffs invoked under a patchwork of statutory authorities and be prepared to adapt to further changes that may be on the horizon, says Bhargav Prajapati at Capital Trade.

  • CFPB Complaint Portal Overhaul Signals Changing Priorities

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    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's updates to its consumer complaint portal and decision to cease publishing consumer complaint narratives should be viewed by companies as one component of a larger recalibration of how the CFPB collects information and allocates its supervisory and enforcement resources, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • Series

    Being In A Band Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing shows in storied New York City venues and rehearsing with my bandmates in poorly ventilated rooms helped develop the professional qualities I rely on as a litigator, including an ability to collaborate with strong-minded equals and the determination to treat each client with singular focus, says Eliad Shapiro at Herrick Feinstein.

  • Opinion

    Correctional Healthcare Requires Clearer Legal Standards

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    As the correctional healthcare industry increasingly faces financial instability due to litigation, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons should develop clear standards for constitutionally adequate care for incarcerated patients, says Susanne Moore at Blackstone Trial Group.

  • 6 Risk Areas Future Fla. Stablecoin Issuers Should Plan For

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    Companies hoping to issue stablecoins under Florida’s new supervision regime should prioritize constructing robust risk management architecture across key areas before the Oct. 1 effective date so they can secure licenses, avoid a web of potential liabilities, and operate sustainably as state and federal regulations evolve, says Elizabeth Brusa at Shumaker.

  • 6 Key Takeaways From CFIUS Annual Report

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    Attorneys at Simpson Thacher review highlights from the annual report of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., released to Congress this month, including the launch of the American First Investment Policy and the Known Investor Pilot Program, and the agency's continued focus on enforcement despite its resource constraints.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Surviving A Long Trial

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    Most of law school trial advocacy is geared toward the sprint of trying a short case, but beyond managing a cross-examination or closing argument, effectively handling the marathon of a lengthy trial requires the ability to maintain composure, organization and credibility with the jury, says Mihir Elchuri at Hirschler.

  • AI Chatbot's Medical Claims Highlight Enforcement Risks

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    The Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine's recent lawsuit against Character Technologies, arguing that an artificial intelligence chatbot engaged in the unlicensed practice of medicine, may provide other state licensing boards with a road map for going after AI platforms, and counsel should advise clients to calibrate compliance accordingly, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • A Deepening Patent-Trademark Divide Over Irreparable Harm

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    Recent Federal Circuit decisions, along with legislation being considered in Congress, may exacerbate the differences that patent owners and trademark owners face when seeking to stop infringement before irreparable harm is caused, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Upping Fed, FDIC's Insider Loan Cap May Ease Bank Burdens

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    Coordinated Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Federal Reserve proposals to raise the 1970s-era cap for bank executives borrowing from their institutions represent a long-needed regulatory recalibration that would lighten compliance obligations caused by the outdated ceiling without diminishing the original protections against conflicts of interest, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • What Calif.'s New Focus On Microplastics Means For Cos.

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    The recent move by California's Department of Toxic Substances Control to designate microplastics as candidate chemicals under its Safer Consumer Product regulations does not create a new product restriction — but it expands the agency's future reach by putting microplastics on the department’s regulatory runway, says Gregory Berlin at Alston & Bird.

  • 7th Circ. Ruling May Reduce Litigation Risk For Text Marketers

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    The recent Seventh Circuit holding in Steidinger v. Blackstone Medical Services that unwanted marketing text messages are not telephone calls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act may strengthen companies' responses to presuit demand letters and early-stage litigation claims premised on do-not-call text theories, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

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