Public Policy

  • January 12, 2026

    10th Circ. Says Courts Can Review Refugee Terminations

    The Tenth Circuit ruled Monday that courts can review whether asylum seekers met the legal definition of refugee when they were admitted to the U.S., reviving a Rwandan woman's challenge to the termination of her refugee status.

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Wary Of Broader Removal In Coastal Pollution Suits

    U.S. Supreme Court justices on Monday questioned a bid by ExxonMobil and Chevron to move Louisiana pollution lawsuits to federal court, appearing hesitant to embrace the companies' argument that their World War II-era oil production clearly was federal in nature.

  • January 12, 2026

    FCC Scraps Verizon's 60-Day Phone Unlocking Mandate

    The Federal Communications Commission Monday waived a rule stemming from Verizon's takeover of discount provider TracFone that forced the company to open its cellphones to other carriers after 60 days.

  • January 12, 2026

    NYC Must Face Claims It Wrongly Halted Chelsea Hotel Reno

    A New York federal judge on Monday rejected New York City's bid for a quick win against a $100 million suit that accuses the city of wrongfully stopping renovations for the Hotel Chelsea after changing the building's classification.

  • January 12, 2026

    High Court Won't Review Calif. Law Shielding Workers' Info

    The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to take up an anti-union think tank’s challenge to a California law that limits the disclosure of information about new public employees.

  • January 12, 2026

    Local Governments Ask Texas Judge To Keep NFA Intact

    Two U.S. cities and a Texas county asked a federal judge to shoot down a bid by gun rights groups to repeal the National Firearms Act, saying that without the law, criminals would have greater access to especially dangerous weapons, such as short-barreled rifles.

  • January 12, 2026

    Justices Won't Look At Michigan's Foreclosure Sale Rule

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review three cases that ask whether Michigan's process to claim surplus proceeds after a tax foreclosure sale violates the takings and due process clauses.

  • January 12, 2026

    UNC, Ex-Provost Eye Deal In Open Records Lawsuit

    The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and its former provost are in settlement talks to resolve the ex-provost's lawsuit alleging UNC board members violated open meetings law by using auto-deleting messaging platforms and unlawfully closing public meetings.

  • January 12, 2026

    European Union Carrying Out Revised Min. Corp. Tax Regime

    The European Union's executive body is implementing changes to the 15% minimum corporate tax regime across the trade bloc after a renegotiation of Pillar Two last week, according to a notice published Monday.

  • January 12, 2026

    DOL Tells 4th Circ. Lockheed Pensioner Class Lacks Standing

    The U.S. Department of Labor urged the Fourth Circuit to shut down a proposed class action from Lockheed Martin Corp. pension plan participants challenging the company's $9 billion pension risk transfer, arguing a Maryland federal court erred in holding that retirees had established standing.

  • January 12, 2026

    Boston Demoted Police Official Who Probed Fraud, Suit Says

    A high-ranking Boston Police Department official claimed Monday in Massachusetts state court he was demoted in retaliation for continuing an investigation into paid detail fraud after the police commissioner told him that the findings would give the department "a black eye."

  • January 12, 2026

    Joint Cannabis Firms Settle Antitrust, 'Gun Jumping' Claims

    Four Connecticut cannabis companies and their principals have agreed to pay $416,000 to settle claims that they violated state marijuana, antitrust and unfair trade practices laws by skipping a mandatory merger review process, the attorney general's office said Monday.

  • January 12, 2026

    Compromise Funding Bill Gives Judiciary $9.7 Billion

    Congressional appropriators have unveiled a bipartisan compromise funding bill for the federal judiciary for fiscal 2026, which includes the judiciary's requested funding for court security and federal public defenders.

  • January 12, 2026

    Solar Co. Blames Broker's Error For $6M Tariff Bill

    A renewable energy company wants its customs broker and agent held responsible for over $6 million in antidumping and countervailing duties it had to pay on imported solar panels due to the broker's alleged failure to properly record them.

  • January 12, 2026

    High Court Won't Hear Challenge To NLRB Toss Of Complaint

    The Supreme Court on Monday declined a food distributor's bid for review of a decision tossing a challenge to a National Labor Relations Board ruling that backed the withdrawal of a complaint of unfair labor practices against two Teamsters locals.

  • January 12, 2026

    Texas AG Investigating Major Grocery Chains' Pesticide Use

    The Texas attorney general's office on Monday said it has started an investigation into major grocery store chains in Texas that the state accuses of spraying organic produce with pesticides without informing consumers.

  • January 12, 2026

    Judge Won't Reconsider Pot Club Owners' Injunction Bid

    A New York federal judge won't reconsider his decision to deny a motion for a preliminary injunction brought by the owners of an unlicensed cannabis club, saying they haven't overcome the fact that they don't have standing to block the state from enforcing its cannabis laws.

  • January 12, 2026

    Gov't Defends IRS, SSA Handing Taxpayer Data To ICE

    The Trump administration has asked a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit that seeks to block the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration from sharing taxpayer addresses with immigration enforcement officials, saying the data sharing pacts are legal.

  • January 12, 2026

    Calif. City Claims Void Development Deal In SoFi Owner's Suit

    The city of Inglewood asked a California state court to dismiss real estate magnate Stan Kroenke's claim that he's owed $376 million in support costs on SoFi Stadium, arguing that a decade-old development agreement is void based on a state appeals court decision.

  • January 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Told $100K H-1B Fee Threatens Congress' Tax Power

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the D.C. Circuit to bar the Trump administration from charging employers its new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, arguing it presents a "grave threat" to Congress' exclusive power to levy taxes.

  • January 12, 2026

    NJ US Atty Office's 3-Person Leadership Unlawful, Court Told

    Criminal defendants in the District of New Jersey are challenging the three-person leadership structure now in place at the Garden State's U.S. Attorney's Office following the disqualification of Alina Habba, telling the court their due process rights have been violated by the allegedly unlawful system now in place.

  • January 12, 2026

    Minn. Lawmakers Demand ICE Halt Native Detentions

    Members of the Minnesota Legislature's Native American Caucus are demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement stop targeting Indigenous individuals after four Oglala Sioux tribal members were detained in Minneapolis amid continuing immigration raids.

  • January 12, 2026

    Amendments Can't Fix Faulty Indictment, Mass. Justices Say

    A Massachusetts man's indictment under the wrong subsection of a criminal statute could not be addressed through an amendment because it went to the substance of the case, the state's highest court said Monday in vacating his convictions for aggravated child rape.

  • January 12, 2026

    Neb. Bill Would Allow Income Tax Deductions For Tips, OT

    Nebraska would allow individual income tax deductions for tips and overtime pay under a bill introduced in the state's unicameral Legislature.

  • January 12, 2026

    Sitting Judges Advocate For Bill To Allow Them To Carry Guns

    Three federal judges have come out in support of a Republican-led bill to allow judges and prosecutors to carry concealed firearms across state lines.

Expert Analysis

  • SEC Virtu Deal Previews Risks Of Nonpublic Info In AI Models

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s recent settlement with Virtu Financial Inc. over alleged failures to safeguard customer data raises broader questions about how traditional enforcement frameworks may apply when material nonpublic information is embedded into artificial intelligence trading systems, says Braeden Anderson at Gesmer Updegrove.

  • How Mamdani Will Shift NYC Employment Law Enforcement

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    Under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the New York City labor law regime is poised to become more coordinated, less forgiving and more willing to test gray areas in favor of workers, with wage and hour practices, pay equity and contractor relationships among likely areas of enforcement focus, says Scott Green at Goldberg Segalla.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Courts Can Boost Access To Justice

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    Arizona Court of Appeals Judge Samuel A. Thumma writes that generative artificial intelligence tools offer a profound opportunity to enhance access to justice and engender public confidence in courts’ use of technology, and judges can seize this opportunity in five key ways.

  • Opinion

    DHS' Parole Termination Violates APA And Due Process

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    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s abrupt termination of family reunification parole programs violates both the Administrative Procedure Act and the due process rights of vetted beneficiaries who relied on the government's explicit invitation to wait in the U.S. for an immigrant visa to become available, says Abdoul Konare at Konare Law.

  • 2025's Most Notable State AG Activity By The Numbers

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    State attorneys general were active in 2025, working across party lines to address federal regulatory gaps in artificial intelligence, take action on consumer protection issues, continue antitrust enforcement and announce large settlements on behalf of their citizens, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Opinion

    The Case For Emulating, Not Dividing, The Ninth Circuit

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    Champions for improved judicial administration should reject the unfounded criticisms driving recent Senate proposals to divide the Ninth Circuit and instead seek to replicate the court's unique strengths and successes, says Ninth Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace.

  • Montana Ruling Reaffirms Record-Based Enviro Analyses

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    A Montana federal court's recent decision in Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Forest Service, vacating permits for logging near Yellowstone National Park, is a reminder that, despite attempts to pare back National Environmental Policy Act reviews, agencies must still properly complete such reviews before projects are approved, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Banking M&A Outlook Reflects Favorable Regulatory Climate

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    The banking mergers and acquisitions environment is starting 2026 with a rare alignment of favorable market conditions and a more permissive regulatory atmosphere, creating a clear window for banks to pursue transformative combinations and shape the competitive landscape, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • How Rule 16.1 Streamlines And Validates Mass Tort Litigation

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    The new Rule 16.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure not only serves a practical purpose by endorsing early, structured case management and dispositive motion practice in multidistrict litigation, but also explicitly affirms the importance of MDL practice in the justice system, says Rocco Strangio at Milestone.

  • ERISA Litigation Trends To Watch With 2025 In The Rearview

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    There were significant developments in Employee Retirement Income Security Act litigation in 2025, including plaintiffs pushing the bounds of sponsor and fiduciary liability and defendants scoring district court wins, and although the types of claims might change, ERISA litigation will likely be just as active in 2026, say attorneys at Groom Law.

  • 2025's Defining AI Securities Litigation

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    Three securities litigation decisions from 2025 — involving General Motors, GitLab and Tesla — offer a preview of how courts will assess artificial intelligence-related disclosures, as themes such as heightened regulatory scrutiny and risk surrounding technical claims are already taking shape for the coming year, say attorneys at Cooley.

  • How 11th Circ.'s Zafirov Decision Could Upend Qui Tam Cases

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    Oral argument before the Eleventh Circuit last month in U.S. ex rel. Zafirov v. Florida Medical Associates suggests that the court may affirm a lower court's opinion that the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act are unconstitutional — which could wreak havoc on pending and future qui tam cases, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Key Trends For Life Sciences Cos. To Watch In 2026

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    Following a year of drastic change at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, two themes are likely to drive the coming year — a commitment to lowering the cost of drugs and an inherent tension between the priorities of the health agencies and the broader administration, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • What To Know About NY's Drastic 3rd-Party Practice Changes

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    Last month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law establishing new time limits for the commencement of third-party actions, which will have dramatic effects on insurance defense practice, particularly cases involving construction site accidents or claims of premises liability, says Shawn Schatzle at Lewis Brisbois.

  • Series

    Mass. Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q4

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    Among the most significant developments on the banking regulation front in Massachusetts last quarter, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced her bid for reelection, and the state Division of Banks continued its fintech focus by finalizing rules implementing a new money transmitter law, say attorneys at Nutter.

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