Public Policy

  • August 21, 2026

    9th Circ. Rules Workers' Vaccine Bias Suit Must Go To Trial

    The Ninth Circuit ruled Friday that a jury must decide workers' religious-discrimination claims against the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, finding the lower court erred in concluding the agency accommodated the workers' religious-exemption requests from a COVID-19 vaccine mandate by offering them limited reassignment options.

  • August 21, 2026

    Split DC Circ. Nixes Damages Over Project Veritas Sting Video

    A split D.C. Circuit panel sided Friday with the founder and former CEO of conservative activist media group Project Veritas, reversing $130,000 in damages stemming from the group's sting operation on the liberal consulting firm Democracy Partners.

  • August 21, 2026

    Texas Hemp Cos. Bring New Challenge To Delta-8 Rules

    A group of companies in the hemp industry asked a Texas state court to pare back Department of State Health Services actions that curb delta-8 in hemp, taking another swing at agency rules after the Texas Supreme Court rejected a similar case.

  • August 21, 2026

    Wash. AG Pauses OG Case As 9th Circ. Weighs Preemption

    Washington's attorney general and its gambling commissioners have agreed to hold off on enforcing the state's gambling laws against prediction market platform OG, run by the North American Derivatives Exchange, while the Ninth Circuit decides related appeals that could resolve the underlying legal dispute.

  • August 21, 2026

    Vandy Law Grad Can Keep Hidden-Evidence Suit Against Attys

    A Connecticut federal judge ruled Friday that a Vanderbilt Law School graduate can continue a suit against the town of Westport and two attorneys who defended him in a criminal case when he was a teen and, he claims, helped cover up critical information — causing him to be incarcerated.

  • August 21, 2026

    9th Circ. Tosses Calif. Ghost Gun Suit Over Standing

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Friday vacated a lower court ruling that struck down part of a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ghost gun regulation, finding California and the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence lacked standing to sue on the grounds that the regulation did not go far enough in defining various "ghost gun" parts.

  • August 21, 2026

    New SBA Rule May Send Applicants Back To Square One

    The U.S. Small Business Administration's new rule redefining eligibility for the agency's contracting program for disadvantaged small businesses is prompting those with pending applications to consider scrapping them and starting over, and future applicants now face a new and largely untested evidentiary standard.

  • August 21, 2026

    Kalshi Wants Wash. Ban Axed After State 'Blessed' Competitor

    Kalshi has urged a Washington state court to reconsider a recent order blocking the company from offering event contracts to the state's residents in most of its prediction market categories, raising equitable findings concerns and pointing to Washington's recent "blessing" of event contracts offered by one of Kalshi's competitors.

  • August 21, 2026

    Divided 2nd Circ. Backs DQ Of Acting NDNY US Attorney

    The Second Circuit on Friday upheld a lower court's decision that found the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, John Sarcone III, was unlawfully serving in his position when he obtained grand jury subpoenas of the New York attorney general's office.

  • August 21, 2026

    Mich. Homeowners Say Grid Overseer Exceeded Its Power

    A Michigan couple on Friday urged a federal judge to keep their lawsuit against state utility regulators alive, arguing a state-approved mandate should not give power companies a "blank check" to enter private property and cut down trees without an easement.

  • August 21, 2026

    Albertsons Twists Record In Opioid Trial Motion, Wash. Says

    Washington state is urging a Seattle judge to reject Albertsons' latest dismissal bid in a suit accusing the grocery giant of fueling the state's opioid epidemic, arguing the motion rehashes failed arguments and distorts evidence presented over the past five weeks in an ongoing bench trial.

  • August 21, 2026

    Verdict Bars Ex-Fla. Rep's 'Sham' Contract Claim, Oil Co. Says

    The U.S. affiliate of Venezuela's state oil company urged a New York federal court Friday to toss a former Florida congressman's counterclaim alleging he's still owed $30 million under a consulting contract, saying his conviction on charges of failing to register as a foreign agent shows the agreement was a "sham."

  • August 21, 2026

    Trump Seeks Justices' Review Of DEI Grant Termination Case

    The Trump administration is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit decision requiring the federal government to reinstate research grants that were terminated due to presidential orders against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

  • August 21, 2026

    Uber, DoorDash Lose Most Of NYC Tip Prompt Suit

    A New York federal judge kept alive DoorDash and Uber's compelled-speech challenge to New York City laws requiring delivery platforms to display a tipping prompt at or before checkout that includes an option of at least 10%, but tossed their remaining five claims.

  • August 21, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Tosses Suit Over 'Misleading' Patent Language

    The Federal Circuit on Friday affirmed a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit brought by inventor advocacy groups challenging what they called misleading language on patent covers, saying the groups had not shown a threat of future injury.

  • August 21, 2026

    DC Circ. Voids Block On OMB Funding Freeze

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday vacated a district judge's block on the Trump administration's pause on a wide array of federal grants, loans and financial assistance, ruling that the Office of Management and Budget's rescission of the memorandum rendered the lawsuit moot.

  • August 21, 2026

    NJ Medicaid Fee Law Barred By ERISA, Trade Groups Argue

    A coalition of restaurant, retail and hotel industry groups has urged a New Jersey federal court to strike down a state law requiring businesses to pay a fine when their employees are enrolled in the state Medicaid program, arguing the statute conflicts with federal benefits law.

  • August 21, 2026

    TikTok Inks $400M Deal With DOJ To End Kids' Privacy Suit

    TikTok has agreed to pay $400 million to resolve the U.S. Department of Justice's claims that the short-form video platform illegally collected personal information from kids under 13, marking one of the largest recoveries ever obtained under the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, the feds said Friday.

  • August 21, 2026

    2nd Circ. Backs NY Water Permit For Pipeline Project

    The Second Circuit on Friday upheld New York's issuance of a Clean Water Act permit for a controversial Williams Cos. pipeline upgrade, saying state environmental regulators justified their about-face from previous permit denials over pollution concerns.

  • August 21, 2026

    Mass. Eyes More Time For 'Greenwash' Records Response

    Massachusetts environmental regulators asked a judge for another two weeks to search for potentially responsive records sought by a lawyer representing Exxon Mobil in the state's "greenwashing" lawsuit.

  • August 21, 2026

    Meta Tells DC Circ. To Reject FTC Appeal

    Meta Platforms Inc. urged the D.C. Circuit not to revive the Federal Trade Commission's monopolization lawsuit targeting its purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram, arguing Thursday that a D.C. federal judge correctly held that in the here and now, competition from TikTok and YouTube means it "has no monopoly."

  • August 21, 2026

    The Race Is On To Confirm Trump's Judges By Year-End

    President Donald Trump nominated 11 judges this past week, meaning 19 nominees are now in the pipeline. But how many can the Senate confirm before the end of the year, given that it will mostly be absent and consumed by the midterm election? 

  • August 21, 2026

    Illinois-Led States Win TRO To Block DOT Bid For CDL Data

    A Virginia federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from obtaining a database containing information on 17 million commercial driver's license holders, ruling in favor of 21 states that allege it unlawfully demanded the records for immigration enforcement.

  • August 21, 2026

    Trump Admin Moves Toward Nixing ABA's Accreditor Status

    The Department of Education has made a preliminary finding that the American Bar Association is not in compliance with the department's regulations and standards as an accreditor of law schools, a move that comes as the ABA seeks to modify or repeal standards related to diversity, equity and inclusion in an attempt to preserve its accreditor status.

  • August 21, 2026

    Trump Says Pardon Atty Ed Martin Leaving For Midterms

    U.S. pardon attorney Ed Martin will be leaving the administration to work on the midterm elections, President Donald Trump announced on Friday.

Expert Analysis

  • Appellate Vape Rulings May Expand State Regulation Powers

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    Two recent federal appeals courts decisions rejecting Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act preemption challenges to state electronic nicotine delivery systems directory laws signal an emerging appellate consensus that could significantly expand states' power to regulate vaping product sales where federal enforcement falls short, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Parsing Gov't Scrutiny Of Lending To Unauthorized Workers

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    Attorneys at Mayer Brown explain guidance recently issued by three banking regulators that addresses risks associated with lending to so-called non-work authorized individuals and discuss what the regulatory update could mean for fintech companies.

  • Discovery Into Insurers' AI Use Should Stay Proportional

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    As insurers increasingly use artificial intelligence to make claim decisions, plaintiffs in first-party coverage litigation should seek discovery that tracks how materially the automated system influenced the challenged decision, not whether the insurer used AI somewhere in its operations, says attorney Joe Zaid.

  • How FCC Covered List Blitz Is Sidelining Commerce Dept.

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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