Public Policy

December 19, 2025
NLRB To Get Quorum Back As Senate Confirms Two Trump Picks

The National Labor Relations Board is set to end 2025 with a quorum after the U.S. Senate confirmed the president's picks to fill two vacancies as part of a bloc of nominees for jobs across the government.
December 18, 2025
The Biggest Rulings From A Busy Year At The 1st Circ.

The nation's smallest federal appellate panel punched above its weight in 2025, grappling with numerous suits against the Trump administration, high-profile criminal appeals, a $34 million legal fee bid and a hotly contested kickback law.
December 18, 2025
Eli Lilly Workers Say Justices Needn't Mull Collective Standard

Eli Lilly workers on Wednesday pressed the U.S. Supreme Court not to disturb a Seventh Circuit decision establishing a new, more flexible standard for certifying collective actions, arguing that there's no "urgent" need for the high court to weigh in on the dispute.
December 18, 2025
DC Circ. Wonders If Noncitizen Registration Is New Rule

The D.C. Circuit pushed back Thursday morning on the idea that the Trump administration created a new rule by requiring all noncitizens to register with the federal government under threat of federal prosecution, suggesting it might just be enforcing federal immigration law.
December 18, 2025
Senate Package Includes US Attorney, DC Judge Confirmations

The Senate confirmed 13 U.S. attorneys and three local judges for the District of Columbia as part of a nominations package confirmed 53-43 along party lines on Thursday.
December 18, 2025
Anti-Fluoride Win Merits $9.5M In Fees From EPA, Judge Told

Anti-fluoridation groups urged a California federal judge in a hearing Thursday to grant them $9.5 million in attorney fees for winning a 2024 decision that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "optimal" fluoride level for drinking water poses an unreasonable risk of lowering children's IQ.
December 18, 2025
Arkansas Social Media Safety Law Temporarily Blocked

Arkansas cannot enforce a state law that bans social media platforms from using algorithms that could cause a user to kill themselves, buy drugs, become addicted to social media or develop an eating disorder, a federal district judge has ruled.
December 18, 2025
DC Circ. Judges Push Back On Navarro's Immunity Claims

Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro found little sympathy for a bid to vacate his 2023 contempt of Congress conviction at the D.C. Circuit on Thursday, with a panel of judges repeatedly rebuffing the argument that he had an implied privilege claim.
December 18, 2025
FERC Orders PJM To Craft Data Center-Focused Grid Policies

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday took a step to tackle the electricity impacts of data center and artificial intelligence growth, ordering the nation's largest grid operator to create policies for co-locating large electricity users at power plants within its footprint.
December 18, 2025
Trump Order Rallies Cannabis Industry, Advocates Want More

The executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Thursday, marking the most substantial shift in federal cannabis policy in over half a century, is expected to have favorable ramifications for the marijuana industry even as it falls short of decriminalizing the drug or resolving the many tensions between federal and state law.
December 18, 2025
School District Asks High Court To Stop Officials' Depositions

A Texas school district has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to let two district officials avoid sitting for depositions in a case alleging the district discriminated against Black students who wore their hair in locs, saying the officials are legislators and cannot be compelled to testify barring an extraordinary exception.
December 18, 2025
Trump's Picks To Lead FDIC, CFTC Win Senate Approval

The U.S. Senate on Thursday signed off on two more of President Donald Trump's picks for top financial regulator jobs, confirming Travis Hill and Michael Selig as chairs of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, respectively.
December 18, 2025
NY Regulators Back Dispensary Against Local Zoning

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management is putting its weight behind a Long Island dispensary's bid seeking to invalidate a township's zoning ordinance requiring such businesses to secure special permissions before operating, saying the local regulations are preempted by state cannabis law.
January 02, 2026
Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice Cases To Watch In 2026

Multidistrict litigation against the biggest tech companies over purported social media addiction and a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding state medical malpractice lawsuit requirements are among those that injury and malpractice attorneys will be following closely in 2026.
December 18, 2025
Pennsylvania Says DOJ Not Authorized To Get Voter Data

Pennsylvania shouldn't have to give the U.S. Department of Justice its voters' driver's license numbers and partial Social Security numbers because that data is not necessary for enforcing the federal laws the DOJ cited in its demand, according to a brief seeking dismissal of the DOJ's lawsuit.
December 18, 2025
Top Trade Secrets Decisions Of 2025

The Ninth Circuit clarified the rules of engagement in trade secrets disputes with guidance on when confidential information must be precisely detailed during litigation, and jurors delivered a $200 million verdict against Walmart over product freshness technology. Here are Law360's picks for the biggest trade secrets decisions of 2025.
December 18, 2025
9th Circ. Revives National Forest Road Injury Claim

A timber worker who suffered injuries when his excavator slid off a Washington road under the control of the U.S. Forest Service will get the opportunity to take his claims to trial, the Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday, saying a jury needs to decide whether the worker's employer or the federal government was responsible for the road's upkeep.
December 18, 2025
Fed. Circ. Axes Appeal Of $8M Bond Under Idaho 'Troll' Law

The Federal Circuit on Thursday dismissed an appeal by patent assertion entities challenging an $8 million bond imposed on them in an infringement case against Micron Technology, ruling that the order under an Idaho state law discouraging "bad faith" patent litigation is not an appealable final decision.
December 18, 2025
FCC Reworks Reg Framework For Low Power TV

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday created a new regulatory framework in hopes of advancing the low-power TV industry.
December 18, 2025
UC Researchers Near Reinstating $7B In DOE Grants

A California federal judge said Thursday she's inclined to grant a preliminary injunction ordering the Trump administration to reinstate $7 billion in Department of Energy grants awarded to researchers, saying they were canceled with form letters similar to those she's previously found to violate the Administrative Procedure Act.
December 18, 2025
Fla. High Court Says $5B Bond Deal Can't Be Set Aside

Florida's Supreme Court agreed Thursday that counties and tax collectors could not reopen a bond validation judgment issuing $5 billion in bonds for renewable energy and hurricane mitigation projects, ruling that state law makes clear that if bonds are validated and there is no appeal, the judgment is final.
December 18, 2025
EU Approves Bakery Biz Deal With Plant Sales

European enforcers approved Belgian food group Vandemoortele's proposed acquisition of Délifrance SA from French grain cooperative Vivescia, conditioned on the sale of two production facilities for frozen dough products.
December 18, 2025
Wash. Justices Say Open Gov't Law Covers Seattle Contractor

The Washington State Supreme Court has reinstated a citizen suit seeking information related to downtown Seattle's Metropolitan Improvement District, recognizing in a Thursday opinion that the district's private nonprofit management entity DBIA Services is analogous to a government agency and thus subject to the state's public records law.
December 18, 2025
Ex-Connecticut Utility Regulator Fined Amid Records Brawl

Connecticut's Freedom of Information Commission voted unanimously to fine the former chair of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority for the state agency's failure to comply with record requests from an Eversource subsidiary that has accused her of using her position illegally.
December 18, 2025
IRS Guidance Discriminates Against Wind, Solar, Groups Say

Several groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the city of San Francisco, asked a D.C. federal court Thursday to block the Internal Revenue Service from instituting new tax credit rules that they say illegally discriminate against wind and solar projects.

Editor's Picks

Trump's Legal Battles

States, federal employee unions, various advocacy groups and several individuals have filed over 220 lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's implementation of executive orders and other initiatives. Law360 has created a database of those lawsuits, separated into categories based on their subject matter.

Expert Analysis

Opinion

Justices Should Clarify Loper Bright Doctrine Via Patent Case

The U.S. Supreme Court should use the Lynk Labs v. Samsung patent case to provide urgently needed guidance on how last year’s Loper Bright decision should be applied to real-world questions of agency authority in the post-Chevron world, says Timothy Hsieh at Oklahoma City University School of Law.
How OECD Tax Update Tackles Mobile Workforce Complexity

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s recently updated model tax convention — a recalibration of international tax principles in response to an increasingly mobile workforce — should prompt companies to reevaluate cross-border operations, transfer pricing policies and tax controversy strategies, say attorneys at Eversheds.
Reviewing 2025's Most Pertinent Wiretap Developments

2025 was a remarkable year in the world of web tracking wiretapping litigation, not only for the increased caseload but also because of numerous developing theories of liability, with disputes expected to continue unabated in 2026, say attorneys at Squire Patton.
2025 Legal Milestones That Will Shape Psychedelics Sector

As 2025 draws to a close, psychedelic drug development stands at an inflection point, experiencing unprecedented momentum through recent sweeping regulatory changes and landmark clinical milestones, amid rapidly evolving regulatory expectations, say Odette Hauke at Odette Alina LLC and Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell.
M&A Midmarket Shows Resilience Amid 2025 Challenges

Midmarket mergers and acquisitions showed a slight decline in volume but climbed in value for much of 2025, particularly in the private equity space, indicating that the middle market M&A environment is cautious but steady heading into 2026, say attorneys at Stoel Rives.
Del. Dispatch: Key 2025 Corporate Cases And Trends To Know

The Delaware corporate legal landscape saw notable changes in 2025, spurred by amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law, ubiquitous artificial intelligence fervor, boardroom discussion around DExit, record shareholder activism activity and an arguably more expansive view of potential Caremark liability, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
Series

Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.
2025 Brought A New Paradigm For Federal Banking Regulation

A series of thematic shifts defined banking regulation in 2025, including a fundamental reform of prudential supervision, a strategic easing of capital constraints, steps to streamline merger reviews, and a new framework for fair access and entrants seeking to offer banking services, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
What 2025 Transpo And Logistics Legal Trends Mean For 2026

2025 was challenging for the transportation and logistics sector, with emergent trends including dramatic federal policy shifts, developments in tort risk, and a host of mergers and acquisitions — but a review of these themes offers a useful playbook for where the industry is headed in 2026, says Jonathan Todd at Benesch.
How Cos. Can Roll With NY's New Algorithmic Pricing Rules

Despite uncertainty from New York’s new ban on artificial intelligence and computer algorithms for setting rents, and efforts to further restrict individualizing prices based on consumers' personal data, property managers, software providers and merchants can take several steps to stay compliant, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.
2025 State AI Laws Expand Liability, Raise Insurance Risks

As 2025 nears its end, claims professionals should be aware of trends in state legislation addressing artificial intelligence use, as insurance claims based on some of these liability-expanding statutes are a certainty, say attorneys at Wiley.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Practical Problem Solving

Issue-spotting skills are well honed in law school, but practicing attorneys must also identify clients’ problems and true goals, and then be able to provide solutions, says Mary Kate Hogan at Quarles & Brady.
Crypto In 2025: From Federal Deregulation To State Action

The cryptocurrency enforcement landscape evolved in 2025, marked by federal deregulatory trends and active state attorney general enforcement, creating both opportunity and risk for businesses navigating the digital asset market, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.
How CFTC Enforcement Shifted In 2025 And What's Next

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission pivoted sharply under acting Chairman Caroline Pham in 2025, resulting in a pared-back enforcement docket, sweeping policy changes intended to provide greater transparency, and a renewed focus on fraud prevention and maintaining market integrity for the CFTC's core markets, say attorneys at Moore & Van Allen.
Learning From 2025 FCA Trends Targeting PE In Healthcare

False Claims Act enforcement trends and legislative developments from this year signal intensifying state and federal scrutiny of private equity's growing footprint in healthcare, and the urgency of compliance, says Lisa Re at Arnold & Porter.