Public Policy

  • September 22, 2026

    Pa. Gov., Legislators Must Face Public-Defense Funding Suit

    A divided Pennsylvania appeals court has allowed a petition filed against the commonwealth's top political leaders to proceed, granting a path forward for the claims that chronic underfunding of public defender offices has led to indigent criminal defendants receiving ineffective legal assistance.

  • September 22, 2026

    Trump Admin Sued Over $289M In Soon-To-Lapse CDFI Funds

    A business advocacy group has sued the Trump administration, seeking to force it to distribute over $289 million in congressionally appropriated funds meant to support community development financial institutions before the funds lapse at the end of the month.

  • September 22, 2026

    Trump Admin Asks Justices To Curb Noncitizen Habeas Relief

    The Trump administration implored the U.S. Supreme Court to cure a circuit split over noncitizens filing habeas petitions to challenge their detention during pending removal proceedings, warning of "intolerable disuniformity" in how the Immigration and Nationality Act is administered.

  • September 22, 2026

    DC Circ. Nixes Congressional Veto Over Capitol Protests

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Tuesday deemed regulations barring demonstrations on the U.S. Capitol building's Eastern steps without a congressional sponsor unconstitutional, holding that the government cannot "pick and choose" who gets to use the space for protected speech.

  • September 22, 2026

    RI Judge Vacates Feds' Noncitizen Benefit Restrictions

    New York and other states applauded a Rhode Island federal judge's finding that the Trump administration flouted rulemaking requirements when it reinterpreted a 30-year-old welfare reform bill to try to subject a slew of federally funded benefit programs to immigration status verification requirements.

  • September 22, 2026

    DOJ Says Fired NCUA Members Aren't Like Fed Officials

    The U.S. Department of Justice is urging the D.C. Circuit to reverse a district court order reinstating ousted National Credit Union Administration board members, arguing Congress didn't impose presidential removal restrictions on the NCUA and that the agency isn't analogous to the Federal Reserve.

  • September 22, 2026

    Telecom Looks To Retire Legacy Phone Lines In NH, Maine

    A regional telecom provider has asked the Federal Communications Commission to approve a technology transition that would let the company switch out legacy systems for internet protocol networks in Maine and New Hampshire.

  • September 22, 2026

    Ga. Leaders Push For Nonpartisan Probate Elections

    Current and former Georgia officials on Tuesday threw their support behind a proposed constitutional amendment that would require probate judges to be elected in nonpartisan elections across the state, saying judges should be assessed on skill instead of politics.

  • September 22, 2026

    Del. High Court Upholds Permanent Absentee Voting Law

    The Delaware Supreme Court has preserved the state's permanent absentee voting law, rejecting two state Senate candidates' argument that the system violates the Delaware Constitution by allowing voters to automatically receive absentee ballots in future elections without reestablishing their eligibility each time.

  • September 22, 2026

    Ex-Charlotte Councilwoman Gets 10 Months For COVID Fraud

    A former city council member in Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in federal prison on one count of wire fraud conspiracy after prosecutors said she submitted sham applications for COVID-19 relief funds with her two daughters.

  • September 22, 2026

    Guatemalan Children's Removal Rights Suit Stays Alive

    A D.C. federal judge on Monday left intact most claims challenging attempts by immigration officials to deport unaccompanied Guatemalan children in federal custody, noting the "hasty attempt" by the government to remove the children without due process or counsel.

  • September 22, 2026

    Blue States Expand Fight Over Trump Offshore Wind Buyouts

    Democratic-led states on Tuesday stepped up their fight against the Trump administration's buyouts of U.S. offshore wind leases, filing a trio of lawsuits that seek to undo payments to developers for abandoning projects on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

  • September 22, 2026

    Commerce On The Lookout For Polysilicon Stockpiling

    The U.S. Department of Commerce is looking to prevent the stockpiling of imported polysilicon and derivative products ahead of tariffs and price floors that will come into effect in December, it said in new rules Tuesday.

  • September 22, 2026

    Law Firm Says Illinois Tollway Owes Limo-Crash Defense Fees

    The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority is being sued in Illinois state court by a Chicago law firm claiming the agency has failed to pay attorney fees for its defense in litigation over a catastrophic 2016 limousine crash.

  • September 22, 2026

    Oil Cos. Escape Mich. Climate Change Antitrust Suit

    A federal judge on Tuesday nixed a lawsuit from Michigan accusing global oil and gas giants of conspiring for decades to delay the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, ruling the allegations do not amount to valid antitrust claims.

  • September 22, 2026

    Commerce Sets Zero-Tariff Rules For Specialty Drugs

    Nuclear medicine and animal healthcare drugs are some of the products that will qualify for a zero rate when tariffs on imported pharmaceuticals take effect at the end of the month, according to a notice issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security.

  • September 22, 2026

    DC Judge Tosses Okla. Tribes' Gaming Compact Challenge

    A D.C. district court judge has handed the federal government a summary judgment win in a challenge by four tribes in a long-running dispute over gaming compacts, finding that the Indigenous nations failed to show they have standing.

  • September 22, 2026

    HVAC Contractor Accused Of $8M 'Mass Save' Rebate Fraud

    A group of utility companies that participate in a Massachusetts energy-efficiency incentive program have alleged in state court that an HVAC contractor defrauded the program out of around $8 million through various schemes, including claiming rebates for heat pumps that were never installed.

  • September 22, 2026

    Dispensary's Tax Deduction Properly Nixed, IRS Tells 9th Circ.

    The U.S. Tax Court correctly ruled that a San Francisco marijuana dispensary's expenses found to be tied to trafficking in controlled substances aren't deductible, the IRS told the Ninth Circuit, saying such a deduction shouldn't be allowed in determining an amount to settle the business's $3 million tax debt.

  • September 22, 2026

    Gun Industry Says Conn. Pistol Ban Violates 2nd Amendment

    A firearm industry trade association, a gunmaker and a retailer have pushed back on a Connecticut state law banning pistols that can be converted into fully automatic weapons, launching a federal lawsuit that largely mirrors a challenge Glock brought the same day.

  • September 22, 2026

    Asylum-Seekers Win Class Cert. For Third-Country Challenge

    A D.C. federal judge certified a class of noncitizens challenging the Trump administration's use of international agreements to remove asylum-seekers from the U.S. to third countries, rejecting government arguments that the class couldn't pass muster.

  • September 22, 2026

    8th Circ. Questions Iowa's Bid To Unblock Parts Of PBM Law

    The Eighth Circuit on Tuesday appeared skeptical of the state of Iowa's bid to have the appellate court unblock parts of its law limiting pharmacy benefit managers' power to set drug prices, with multiple judges questioning different aspects of the state's standing and federal preemption analysis.

  • September 22, 2026

    EU, Philippines Reach Preliminary Free Trade Deal

    The European Union and the Philippines have reached a "substantial agreement" on a free trade deal that would mutually reduce or remove tariffs on 97% of trade between them, the bloc announced Tuesday.

  • September 21, 2026

    Glock Says Conn. Ban On 'Convertible Pistols' Is Too Vague

    A new Connecticut state law banning pistols that can be "readily converted" into fully automatic weapons should not apply to guns produced by Glock Inc. and, if it does, the statute is unconstitutionally vague, the company said in a federal lawsuit Monday.

  • September 21, 2026

    Insider Critiques Of Meta Came From Ignorance, Jury Told

    A Meta vice president testified before a New Mexico state jury Monday that, "with all due respect," criticisms of the company's data handling from investigation partner Gibson Dunn and from then-Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg were born of a lack of understanding.

Expert Analysis

  • The State Of Prediction Market Litigation After 9th Circ. Ruling

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    The Ninth Circuit's recent decision in Kalshi v. Assad gives state regulators significant appellate backing to enforce state gaming laws over prediction markets, creating a direct split with the Third Circuit that will likely lead to Supreme Court review of the question, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • CISA Town Halls Signal Key Cyber Rule Changes Ahead

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    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency recently held a series of town halls to gather additional stakeholder input on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, offering potential insights into how the agency may address key issues in a forthcoming final rule, say attorneys at Covington.

  • 11th Circ. FCA Qui Tam Revival Queues Up Next Challenges

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    Though the Eleventh Circuit on Sept. 1 upheld the constitutionality of the False Claims Act's qui tam provision, it will probably face continued litigation since the appellate court declined to rule on other constitutional challenges and the decision will likely be petitioned to the U.S. Supreme Court, say attorneys at Sheppard.

  • Home Equity Products Face Expanding Regulatory Patchwork

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    Home equity investment providers, which have recently come under scrutiny from regulators and industry groups, face meaningful burdens as the U.S. Senate and a growing number of states take divergent regulatory approaches, with no uniform standard likely anytime soon, say attorneys at Bradley.

  • How Orbital Data Centers May Test NEPA's Reach

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    With environmental and scientific groups recently pushing back against the Federal Communications Commission's proposal to exempt massive data center satellite constellations from review under the National Environmental Policy Act, the question of whether NEPA even applies to projects in space turns on three closely related issues, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • How Subchapter V Bill May Change Restructuring Analysis

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    While a recently passed Senate bill would expand the pool of businesses eligible to use the streamlined Subchapter V process, its more significant influence may be on how distressed businesses and their lenders evaluate restructuring alternatives long before a bankruptcy petition is filed, says Robert Charbonneau at Agentis.

  • Series

    Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Illinois BNPL Law Casts Wide Net Over Loan Providers

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    A new Illinois law's broad definition of buy now, pay later providers under its new dedicated licensing and supervisory regime notably imposes conduct standards similar to other consumer credit regimes and aggressively looks through a wide range of business activities and arrangements, say attorneys at Ashurst Perkins.

  • BIA Ruling Calls For Analyzing Advance Parole Travel's Risks

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    The Board of Immigration Appeals’ recent policy reversal, holding that a temporary trip abroad pursuant to advance parole counts as a departure under the Immigration and Nationality Act, means counsel should assess their clients' immigration history and potential risks of travel before they depart, says attorney Richard Herman.

  • What Cos. Should Know About DOE Energy Dominance Loans

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    With the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Dominance Financing set to become a vital resource for funding U.S. energy and critical minerals projects, interested companies must understand the terms of potential loans and take into account the applicable financial, technical, legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • How Jackson Walker Settlement Will Affect Conflict Checks

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    Jackson Walker's recently filed $15 million settlement with the U.S. Trustee is effectively a contract between one firm and the government that will nevertheless serve as a template of conflict disclosure practices for all firms practicing in the bankruptcy courts, says attorney Ken Rosen.

  • Scope Issues For Cos. To Consider Ahead Of Cyber Rules

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    As the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency finalizes its proposed Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act rules, organizations can take steps to navigate the uncertainty that stems from inconsistent critical infrastructure sector definitions and overlapping sector boundaries, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • DOJ Fraud Declination Highlights Self-Disclosure Tradeoffs

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    As exemplified by the U.S. Department of Justice's declination of charges against Campus Eye Management under its new corporate enforcement policy, self-disclosure can be an attractive option for healthcare companies navigating criminal exposure, but should be weighed against potential costs, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Nonbank Lenders Should Watch In 'Open Banking' Redo

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    Nonbank mortgage lenders should prepare for several key changes in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's anticipated open banking rule rewrite that could reshape verification costs, vendor relationships and loan workflows, says Kara Ward at Baker Donelson.

  • SEC's Long-Awaited Crypto Rule Is 1st Piece Of Larger Puzzle

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently proposed crypto rule provides issuers with a workable exempt offering framework but leaves holder-side questions for forthcoming rules, meaning compliance officers and counsel will have to work from an incomplete picture for now, says Josh Burton at Silver Regulatory Associates.

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