Public Policy

  • September 11, 2026

    Ore. Court OKs Recouping Tax After Farm Break Revoked

    A county assessor in Oregon was right to recoup property taxes for past years after revoking a tax break for farm use, the state tax court ruled, finding the land failed to meet past income requirements for the designation.

  • September 11, 2026

    DC Circ. Nixes Energy Dept.'s Order To Keep Coal Plant Open

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday wiped out a U.S. Department of Energy order to keep open a Michigan coal-fired power plant slated for retirement, saying it represents an unjustified expansion of the agency's emergency authority under the Federal Power Act.

  • September 10, 2026

    Zuckerberg Testifies List Of Kid-Glove Users Not A Problem

    Mark Zuckerberg strenuously disputed in testimony seen Thursday by a New Mexico jury that Facebook's internal list of parties whose content receives special treatment undercuts the company's public declarations that policy-violating content must be taken down without exception.

  • September 10, 2026

    Feds Sued To Block Armed ICE Agents From Polling Locations

    Advocacy groups Thursday sued the Trump administration in D.C. federal court to stop the deployment of armed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling locations during the midterm elections, arguing the government cannot "cast the pall of federal force over the ballot box" to intimidate voters or disrupt the elections.

  • September 10, 2026

    Senate Panel To Consider Nominee For 3rd FCC Republican

    U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, announced Thursday that a hearing will be held Sept. 17 for the nomination of Danielle Thumann Severs to the Federal Communications Commission.

  • September 10, 2026

    9/11 Guantánamo Detentions Mirror Mass Deportation Agenda

    On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, legal experts examine how the Trump administration’s approach to detaining migrants at Guantánamo Bay rises from the same legal structures and rhetoric that allowed the detention of suspected terrorists there.

  • September 10, 2026

    SpaceXAI Says Alleged Grok Child Porn Maker Must Indemnify It

    SpaceXAI LLC on Thursday accused a Pennsylvania man of using its artificial intelligence tool Grok to generate child sexual abuse material, telling a Texas federal court that the man breached the terms of service agreement and must indemnify the company.

  • September 10, 2026

    Calif. Enacts Laws To Curb Addictive Feeds, AI Risks For Kids

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed more than a dozen kids online safety bills into law Thursday, expanding student data privacy laws while barring social media companies from offering teens personalized accounts with addictive features and requiring artificial intelligence companies to implement guardrails to prevent teen suicide and self-harm.

  • September 10, 2026

    24 States Ink Deal With Feds In AmeriCorps Budget Cuts Case

    Two dozen states and the District of Columbia have reached a settlement with the Trump administration to stop the federal government from abruptly slashing funding for the national volunteer agency AmeriCorps in the future, the coalition of states announced Thursday.

  • September 10, 2026

    DOL Rule Opens Job Services To Outsourcing, Union Says

    The U.S. Department of Labor misread a Depression-era law when it began allowing private contractors to run a network of public employment offices, a civil servants' union argued in a lawsuit filed Thursday, asking the D.C. federal court to strike down the agency's change in protocol.

  • September 10, 2026

    FERC Chair Maintains Push To Fast-Track Gas Pipeline Work

    Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Laura Swett on Thursday lauded the agency's efforts to speed up permitting of gas infrastructure, and emphasized that projects that won't have major impacts on pipeline operations or ratepayers shouldn't be subject to unnecessary additional scrutiny.

  • September 10, 2026

    RJ Reynolds Wants In On Suit Over FDA Vape Review Rule

    Vape and nicotine pouch subsidiaries owned by Altria and R.J. Reynolds are looking to upend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's premarket authorization rule, claiming the agency is breaking the law by dragging out product reviews well past the statutory deadline, which delays their goods by years while illegal Chinese products flood the market.

  • September 10, 2026

    Regulators Expand Examination Cycle For More Banks

    Nearly 200 banks may receive some relief from annual regulatory exams under a new interagency rule published Thursday that amends the eligibility requirements for an 18-month on-site examination cycle, instead of 12 months.

  • September 10, 2026

    Feds' Cut To NY Funding In CDL Fight Justified, 2nd Circ. Told

    The Trump administration has told the Second Circuit that it's well within its rights to penalize New York by withholding $74 million in highway funds over the state's failure to revoke commercial driver's licenses that were issued to ineligible foreign drivers.

  • September 10, 2026

    OpenAI Faces Senate Probe Into Hugging Face Breach

    Members of a U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs subcommittee Wednesday sent letters to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seeking answers about the company's artificial intelligence models breaching Hugging Face's security. 

  • September 10, 2026

    DC Circ. Upholds SEC Denial Of Whistleblower Award

    The D.C. Circuit ruled Wednesday that a man who tipped off a journalist about a possible foreign bribery scheme is not entitled to a whistleblower award because he waited until a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation was well under way to present the same information to the agency.

  • September 10, 2026

    Mich. Tribes, Enviro Groups Challenge Line 5 Tunnel Permits

    Four Michigan Tribal Nations and four environmental groups on Thursday separately challenged state permits for Enbridge Energy LP's proposed Line 5 tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac, seeking to overturn approvals facing renewed scrutiny after a Michigan Supreme Court ruling required broader environmental review of the project.

  • September 10, 2026

    6 Major Insurance Bills On Newsom's Desk In Calif. 

    California lawmakers approved significant insurance bills in recent weeks, including legislation designed to establish standards for insurers handling smoke damage claims, increase claims handling transparency, and penalize insurers for untimely payments. Here, Law360 overviews six of the biggest insurance-related bills this session.

  • September 10, 2026

    6th Circ. Nixes $31.8M Pot Farm Judgment Against Curaleaf

    The Sixth Circuit on Thursday reversed a $31.8 million jury judgment against cannabis giant Curaleaf, saying the federal illegality of cannabis precluded federal courts from enforcing contracts that require parties to commit federal crimes.

  • September 10, 2026

    DOJ Says Records Act Chills 'Candid' White House Advice

    The Justice Department urged the D.C. Circuit to vacate a lower court's order requiring the White House to comply with the Presidential Records Act, arguing in a new brief that the 1978 statute intrudes on executive power by requiring preservation of a wide range of documents.

  • September 10, 2026

    Latest Crypto Bill Draft Updates DeFi Rules But Not Ethics

    Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., on Thursday shared an updated draft of the Clarity Act that tweaked the crypto market structure bill's provisions around decentralized finance but left unaltered ethics language critical to winning Democrat support ahead of next week's cloture vote.

  • September 10, 2026

    Fed Colluded With Wall Street On New Capital Rules, Suit Says

    The Federal Reserve Board and its vice chair for supervision, Michelle Bowman, were sued on Thursday by Wall Street reform group Better Markets Inc., which alleges Bowman secretly met with the heads of Wall Street giants to manipulate the newly proposed U.S. bank capital rules.

  • September 10, 2026

    4th Circ. Calls No-Bond Detention Policy 'Stain' On The Nation

    The Fourth Circuit on Thursday became the ninth appellate court to declare illegal the Trump administration's detention of immigrants without bond, calling the mass detention a "stain" on the nation and comparing it to the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

  • September 10, 2026

    SEC Must Police Some Event Contracts: Citadel Securities

    Citadel Securities told federal derivatives and securities regulators that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should take the lead on oversight of event contracts and other wagers when they're linked to public companies or equities.

  • September 10, 2026

    Catholic Charity Fights Bid To Toss Funding Cut Suit

    A Catholic charity said its opposition to abortion and contraception led Michigan to unconstitutionally terminate its decade-long role as a state-designated service provider for women suffering from substance abuse, and it urged a federal judge to reject the state's request to dismiss a civil rights suit filed by the organization.

Expert Analysis

  • How FCC Covered List Blitz Is Sidelining Commerce Dept.

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

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.