Public Policy

  • July 08, 2025

    Trade Court Judge Sworn In As USDA Deputy Secretary

    Judge Stephen A. Vaden of the U.S. Court of International Trade has resigned from his judgeship to join the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the second-in-command.

  • July 08, 2025

    EU Gives Final Go-Ahead For Bulgaria To Switch To Euro

    The Council of the European Union gave its final approval Tuesday for Bulgaria to transition to using the euro next year, with the bloc saying the change will give Bulgarians "real, everyday benefits" like easier cross-border payments and greater access to foreign investment.

  • July 07, 2025

    Fla. Panel Upholds Tossing Suit To Unseat Miami Official

    A Florida state appellate court on Monday declined to reinstate a lawsuit two property developers filed in their effort to forcibly remove a Miami commissioner via the city's charter after a federal jury ruled he was liable for violating civil rights, saying the developers lacked standing. 

  • July 07, 2025

    FTC Wants More Time To Present Case Against Amazon Prime

    The Federal Trade Commission asked a Washington federal judge for 10 days to put on its case-in-chief against Amazon over alleged deceptive practices that trick customers into automatically renewing Prime subscriptions, arguing the evidence at the upcoming trial would be "voluminous and complex," and lengthening the trial won't prejudice Amazon.

  • July 07, 2025

    DC Judge Nixes Challenge To Immigrant Legal Services Cuts

    A D.C. federal judge said nonprofit groups failed to show that the Trump administration acted beyond its authority when it decided to end or take over Justice Department programs that previously tapped them to provide legal services to immigrants.

  • July 07, 2025

    'Social Contracts' Over Ownership Rules A Bad Idea, FCC Told

    The free-market advocacy group Free State Foundation is lobbying against a proposal to revive "social contracts" in television broadcasting regulation, saying the move would effectively impose government rate regulation disguised as "voluntary" agreements.

  • July 07, 2025

    AGs Urge Texas Ad Tech Judge Not To Delay Google Trial

    An attorney for the Texas-led coalition of attorneys general targeting Google's advertising placement technology business urged a Texas federal judge Monday not to delay the upcoming jury trial, arguing there's no need to worry about potential inconsistencies with a Justice Department case in Virginia.

  • July 07, 2025

    Gun Rights Groups Sue To Overturn National Firearms Act

    Multiple gun rights advocacy groups asked a Texas federal court to throw out most of the National Firearms Act, saying that because the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reduced the tax for certain controlled firearms to $0, the NFA could no longer pass a constitutional smell test.

  • July 07, 2025

    Conn. Can't Pause Tribal Land Acquisitions, Court Told

    The U.S. Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Indian Affairs on Monday urged a Connecticut federal judge not to renew a stay on the acquisition of state land into trust for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, arguing that the state has not met the bar for blocking agency action.

  • July 07, 2025

    11th Circ. Backs Fla. County In Firing Over Anti-Gay Blog

    The Eleventh Circuit has affirmed a lower court decision tossing a lawsuit brought by a former Miami-Dade County communications aide who was fired for authoring a transphobic and anti-gay blog post, ruling the county's interest in effectively fulfilling its responsibilities outweighed the aide's free speech rights.

  • July 07, 2025

    Hartford Says No Coverage For General Store's GIPA Row

    A Hartford unit told an Illinois federal court that it does not owe a general store coverage for claims that the company violated the state's genetic information privacy law by conditioning employment on disclosing genetic information.

  • July 07, 2025

    Trump Orders Treasury To Restrain Solar, Wind Tax Credits

    President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. Treasury Department on Monday to begin carrying out cuts and restrictions to the solar and wind production and investment tax credits that were mandated in the budget bill Trump signed Friday.

  • July 07, 2025

    Biggest Illinois Decisions Of 2025 So Far: A Midyear Report

    State and federal courts have handed down rulings in Illinois cases so far this year that have clarified standing for data breach actions in the state's courts, affirmed coverage for attorney fees and costs paid as part of a settlement, and deemed insufficient a jury instruction frequently given in Illinois personal injury cases. Here's a breakdown of some of the biggest decisions courts have handed down in Illinois cases so far in 2025.

  • July 07, 2025

    Refugee Admission Compliance Plan Is Needed, Judge Says

    A Washington federal judge signaled Monday that he's not inclined to disturb an injunction requiring the government to admit a small class of refugees, despite President Donald Trump's travel ban and recent U.S. Supreme Court precedent curtailing the availability of nationwide injunctions.

  • July 07, 2025

    Personal Injury & Med Mal Cases To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2025

    The social media addiction multidistrict litigation against the biggest tech companies and a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding state medical malpractice lawsuit requirements are among the cases injury and malpractice attorneys will be following closely in the second half of 2025.

  • July 07, 2025

    Pregnant Doc, Medical Orgs. Sue To Block RFK's Vax Directive

    A pregnant doctor who fears she will be denied a COVID-19 vaccination, along with a coalition of medical associations, sued Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Massachusetts federal court on Monday challenging his directive recommending against the shot for pregnant women and children.

  • July 07, 2025

    Planned Parenthood Wins Block of 'Catastrophic' Defunding

    A Massachusetts federal judge late Monday agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration's plans to prohibit Planned Parenthood health centers from receiving Medicaid reimbursements, issuing a temporary restraining order just hours after Planned Parenthood sued, saying the consequences would be "catastrophic."

  • July 07, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Ponders If PTAB Developments Save 'Veto' Rule Suit

    A Federal Circuit judge wondered Monday if developments concerning the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director's discretionary denial process could breathe new life into advocacy groups' fight for a "veto" for small business patent owners defending themselves at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. 

  • July 07, 2025

    Feds Tell 9th Circ. Ayahuasca Church Not Owed $2M In Fees

    Federal officials told the Ninth Circuit on Monday that a Phoenix-based church that reached an agreement with the government to use the psychedelic ayahuasca in religious ceremonies was not entitled to more than $2 million in attorney fees.

  • July 07, 2025

    Colo. Church, Town Settle Zoning Dispute Over Homeless Aid

    Castle Rock, Colorado, and a church located within the town have agreed to dismiss a suit that challenged the use of zoning regulations to prevent the church from allowing homeless families to park RVs and trailers in its parking lot.

  • July 07, 2025

    Alaskan Tribe's Immunity Upheld In Anchorage Casino Fight

    A federal court judge on Monday denied a bid by a group of Anchorage, Alaska, residents to reconsider a ruling that found the Native Village of Eklutna is immune from the residents' lawsuit seeking to block a casino development, saying their arguments are no more than a disagreement with the court's analysis.

  • July 07, 2025

    Ex-Officer Sues Ga. City Over Police Dept.'s Alleged Bias

    The city of South Fulton, Georgia, has been sued in federal court by a former South Fulton Police Department officer who alleges she and other white employees were routinely discriminated against because of their race, and that she was fired as a result.

  • July 07, 2025

    ​​​​​​​Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

    The Federal Communications Commission heard from advocates more than 100 times in June on issues including Alaska high-speed connectivity, cable rates, FCC rules covering pole attachments for broadband equipment, rural network deployment and more.

  • July 07, 2025

    EPA, Enviro Orgs. Fight Over 'Big Bill's' Impact On Funding Case

    Green groups fighting to reclaim grant funding frozen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency asked the D.C. Circuit on Monday to reject the agency's argument that Congress's recent tax and policy bill means their lawsuit should be dismissed.

  • July 07, 2025

    8th Circ. Won't Rehear ND Tribe's Voting Rights Dispute

    The Eighth Circuit won't rehear a bid by two North Dakota tribes to overturn its decision that vacated their challenge to two of the state's voting laws after the panel found that provisions of the Voting Rights Act don't give private citizens the right to sue over dilution claims.

Expert Analysis

  • FMLA Expansion Sees State Progress Despite Federal Barriers

    Author Photo

    Recent legislative efforts to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act reflect workers' growing demand for work-life balance, but as federal proposals continue to face significant hurdles, states have stepped in, creating a labyrinth of leave laws and compliance headaches for multistate employers, say attorneys at FordHarrison.

  • How Political Divisions Are Stalling Pa. Energy Development

    Author Photo

    Despite possessing the nation's second-largest natural gas reserves and a legacy of energy infrastructure, Pennsylvania faces a fragmented and politically charged path to developing the energy resources it will need in the future, thanks to legislative gridlock, divided public opinion and competing energy interests, says Andrew Levine at Stradley Ronon.

  • 3rd-Party Audit Tactics To Improve Export Control Compliance

    Author Photo

    Companies should take a strategic approach to third-party audits in response to the Trump administration's ramp-up of export control enforcement with steps that strengthen their ability to identify the control weaknesses of distributors, dealers and resellers, say Michael Huneke at Hughes Hubbard, and John Rademacher and Abby Williams at Secretariat Advisors.

  • A Look At Trump Admin's Shifting Strategies To Curtail CFPB

    Author Photo

    The Trump administration has so far carried out its goal of minimizing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's authority and footprint via an individualized approach comprising rule rollbacks, litigation moves and administrative tools, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Evading DOJ Crosshairs As Data Security Open Season Starts

    Author Photo

    As the U.S. Department of Justice begins enforcing its new data security program — aimed at preventing foreign adversaries from accessing government-related and personal sensitive data — U.S. companies will need to understand the program’s contours and potential pitfalls to avoid potential civil liability or criminal scrutiny, say attorneys at Cohen & Gresser.

  • How Trump's Trade Policies Are Shaping Foreign Investment

    Author Photo

    Five months into the Trump administration, investors are beginning to see the concrete effects of the president’s America First Investment Policy as it presents new opportunities for clearing transactions more quickly, while sustaining risk aversion related to Chinese trade and potentially creating different political risks, say attorneys at Covington.

  • How Trump Admin Treasury Policies Are Reaching Banks

    Author Photo

    The Treasury Department has emerged as an important facilitator of the Trump administration's financial policies affecting banks, which are now facing deregulation domestically and the use of international economic authorities in cross-border trade and investment, say attorneys at Davis Polk.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • FTC Focus: Enforcers Study AI Innovation And Entrenchment

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission and other regulators setting their sights on the burgeoning artificial intelligence ecosystem are considering how the government should approach innovation in tech markets that tend, almost inevitably, toward concentration, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • High Court ACA Ruling May Harm Preventative Care

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood last week, ruling that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary has authority over an Affordable Care Act preventive care task force, risks harming the credibility of the task force and could open the door to politicians dictating clinical recommendations, says Michael Kolber at Manatt.

  • Policy Shifts Bring New Anti-Money Laundering Challenges

    Author Photo

    In the second half of 2025, the U.S. anti-money laundering regulatory landscape is poised for decisive shifts in enforcement priorities, compliance expectations and legislative developments — so investment advisers and other financial institutions should take steps to prepare for potential new obligations and areas of risk, say attorneys at Linklaters.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

    Author Photo

    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Kousisis Concurrence Maps FCA Defense To Anti-DEI Suits

    Author Photo

    Justice Clarence Thomas' recent concurrence in Kousisis v. U.S. lays out how federal funding recipients could use the high standard for materiality in government fraud cases to fight the U.S. Justice Department’s threatened False Claims Act suits against payees deviating from the administration’s anti-DEI policies, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Despite Dark Clouds, Outlook For US Solar Has Bright Spots

    Author Photo

    While tariff, tax policy and bankruptcy news seemingly portends unending challenges for the U.S. solar energy industry, signs of continued growth in solar generating capacity and domestic solar manufacturing suggest that there is a path forward, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Assessing New Changes To Texas Officer Exculpation Law

    Author Photo

    Consistent with Texas' recent modernization of its corporate law, the recently passed S.B. 2411 allows officer exculpation, streamlines certificate of formation amendments, authorizes representatives to act on shareholders' behalf in mergers and makes other changes aimed toward companies seeking a more codified, statutory model of corporate governance, say attorneys at Bracewell.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here