Public Policy

  • June 06, 2024

    NC Dems Want Constitutional Right To Public Records

    Democrats in the North Carolina General Assembly have proposed sister bills to amend the state constitution by establishing a right of access to public records and meetings.

  • June 06, 2024

    Election Officials Blasted For Not Stopping Suspended Judge

    A Michigan state judge has said that election officials had abdicated their responsibility to keep "patently ineligible" candidates off the ballot, ordering them to stop former Detroit Judge Kahlilia Davis from running again after the state Supreme Court suspended her for six years for misconduct.

  • June 06, 2024

    Some Colo. Justices Call For Nixing Peremptory Strikes

    Three Colorado Supreme Court justices said this week that eliminating peremptory challenges would help remove "the taint of impermissible discrimination" from the jury selection process, writing in two cases involving the dismissal of Black jurors that the strikes often facilitate racism that can be near impossible for a court to address.

  • June 06, 2024

    Fla. Justices Won't Undo DeSantis' Suspension Of Prosecutor

    State prosecutor Monique Worrell lost her bid to be reinstated to her post in the Ninth Judicial Circuit after a split Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order suspending her passed muster.

  • June 06, 2024

    EPA To Reevaluate Widely Used Toxic Chemical Under TSCA

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a rule to limit the use of a chemical found in hundreds of products from paint to cleaning products that has been linked to miscarriages, reduced male fertility and other health issues.

  • June 06, 2024

    Judge Who Took Israel Trip Recuses Self From Gaza Case

    A Ninth Circuit judge on Thursday recused himself from a case over the Biden administration's support for Israel's military efforts in Gaza, suggesting he disagreed with Palestinian rights activists' claim that a sponsored trip to Israel disqualified him but nevertheless would step aside "out of an abundance of caution."

  • June 06, 2024

    Former New Jersey AG Recalls 'Gross' Meeting With Menendez

    A U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission official took the stand in the bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez on Thursday, testifying that he shut down "gross" inquiries by the congressman while the official was serving as New Jersey's attorney general.

  • June 06, 2024

    Bannon Ordered To Start Prison Term By July 1

    Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon was ordered Thursday in D.C. federal court to surrender and begin his four-month prison sentence for defying a congressional subpoena by July 1, after losing his appeal in the D.C. Circuit.

  • June 06, 2024

    Mass. Pot Regulators Hear Pleas To Address Islands' Shortage

    Massachusetts cannabis regulators on Thursday acknowledged they have "some work to do" during a meeting and listening session on Martha's Vineyard, where enforcement of a federal ban on transporting the drug over water is wreaking havoc on the island's supply chain.

  • June 06, 2024

    'Brussels Effect' Of EU's AI Act Is Uncertain, Legal Pros Say

    BigLaw attorneys advising international clients on the European Union's AI Act tell Law360 there are significant uncertainties over vague terms in the 458-page statute, how its steep eight-figure fines will be enforced, and whether it will set a new standard globally as part of the "Brussels effect."

  • June 06, 2024

    Justices Say Feds Liable For Tribes' Healthcare Admin Costs

    A split U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday held that the federal government is required to reimburse two Native American tribes millions of dollars in administrative healthcare costs, saying the spending is necessary for the communities to operate programs assumed from the Indian Health Service.

  • June 05, 2024

    Texas AG Sets Up New Team To Enforce Data Privacy Laws

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is "doubling down" on efforts to curb companies' misuse of residents' personal information by establishing a new team dedicated to enforcing the state's data protections, including a comprehensive consumer data privacy law that's set to take effect next month. 

  • June 05, 2024

    Tokenizing Real Assets Touches Crypto Concerns, Reps Say

    Putting stocks and other real-world assets on the blockchain is markedly different from issuing cryptocurrencies, but federal lawmakers on Wednesday showed that the debate about how to regulate so-called tokenization is decidedly similar when it comes to weighing its potential efficiencies against threats to privacy and consumer protection.

  • June 05, 2024

    BIA Escapes Washington Ranch's $48M Wildfire Suit

    A federal judge in Washington state on Wednesday tossed a ranch's $48 million negligence lawsuit alleging the Bureau of Indian Affairs is liable for damages from a 2020 wildfire, ruling that agreements between the bureau and a Native American tribe did not spell out a specific firefighting duty.

  • June 05, 2024

    Catholic Broadcasters Angry Over FCC 'Gender Ideology' Rule

    The Catholic Radio Association is up in arms over the Federal Communications Commission's new workforce diversity reporting mandates that will require broadcasters to report how many nonbinary people they employ, telling the agency they're being forced to record something that "does not comport to reality."

  • June 05, 2024

    Scrutinize Gag Order On Trump's Twitter DMs, X Tells Justices

    X Corp. is pressing the U.S. Supreme Court to review a court order allowing special counsel Jack Smith to obtain messages from Donald Trump's account on the social media platform while barring X from alerting the former president beforehand.

  • June 05, 2024

    Bank Group Takes Fight Over FDIC Fee Letter To 8th Circ.

    A Minnesota bank industry group is appealing its federal district court loss in litigation over Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation guidance proscribing non-sufficient funds fees, or NSF fees, the organization said Wednesday.

  • June 05, 2024

    State-Funded Preschools In Colo. Can't Bar LGBTQ+ Kids

    A Colorado federal judge has granted Catholic preschools a narrow injunction blocking the state from requiring that they allow students to enroll without regard for their religious affiliation in order to receive funding from a universal preschool program but upheld the state's nondiscrimination requirements regarding LGBTQ+ students.

  • June 05, 2024

    Citibank Can't Avoid Paying $6M Wash. Biz Tax

    Washington's high court won't spare Citibank from a $6 million business tax bill, declining to revisit a ruling that the bank's money-making activities amounted to a physical presence in the state despite not having any local branches open at the time.

  • June 05, 2024

    Chamber Says New Docs Show Transparency Issues At USTR

    The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is expressing transparency concerns about certain policy decisions after documents provided under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that Biden trade officials are utilizing a "deferential and highly coordinated approach" in their relationship with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

  • June 05, 2024

    VA Asks To Appeal Refusal To Toss Systemic Discrimination Suit

    The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs wants a Connecticut federal judge to green light an immediate appeal of his decision declining to dismiss systemic discrimination claims by a Black Marine Corps veteran, saying the Federal Tort Claims Act is an improper route for relief.

  • June 05, 2024

    Panel To Pick Venue For FCC Net Neutrality Challenges

    The federal courts are poised to randomly pick which circuit court will initially hear more than half a dozen legal challenges to the Federal Communications Commission's recently adopted net neutrality rules.

  • June 05, 2024

    Lawmakers Endorse Solar-Cell Duty Petition As Curb To China

    Bipartisan lawmakers told the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. International Trade Commission Tuesday that new duties on solar-cell imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam could help thwart China's global solar supply-chain domination.

  • June 05, 2024

    USPTO Fee Hike Finds Ally In Google, But Others Have Gripes

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's plan to increase many patent-related fees beginning next year has received support from Google, but dozens of other comments came from patent litigators of all stripes who argue that the proposal is a bad idea.

  • June 05, 2024

    Google Cleared From Suit Over Animal Abuse YouTube Videos

    A California appeals panel has tossed a nonprofit's suit alleging that Google LLC breached its contract by allowing animal abuse videos on YouTube, saying Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act blocks all its claims.

Expert Analysis

  • Breaking Down EPA's Rule On PFAS In Drinking Water

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    Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the first enforceable federal drinking water regulation for PFAS, which, along with reporting and compliance requirements for regulated entities, will have a number of indirect effects, including increased cleanup costs and the possible expansion of existing Superfund sites, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Potential Unintended Consequences Of NY Sovereign Debt Bill

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    New York lawmakers recently proposed a law to create a framework for restructuring sovereign debt, but there are concerns that the bill will increase financing costs and that it attempts to solve problems that have largely been dealt with by collective action clauses, say Jeffrey Rothleder and Tara Peramatukorn at Squire Patton.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

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    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • Expect An Increase In Robinson-Patman Act Enforcement

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    Recent actions by the Federal Trade Commission and prominent lawmakers should be viewed as a harbinger of renewed scrutiny of price discrimination in all industries and a sign that Robinson-Patman Act investigations and enforcement actions are likely to see an uptick, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • The Drawbacks Of Banking Regulators' Merger Review Plans

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    Recent proposals for bank merger review criteria by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. share common pitfalls: increased likelihood of delays, uncertainties, and new hurdles to transactions that could impede the long-term safety and soundness of the banks involved, say attorneys at WilmerHale.

  • Opinion

    The FTC's Noncompete Rule Is Likely Dead On Arrival

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    The Federal Trade Commission's April 23 noncompete ban ignores the consequences to the employees it claims to help — but the rule is unlikely to go into effect provided the ideological makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court remains the same, say Erik Weibust and Stuart Gerson at Epstein Becker.

  • Wave Of Final Rules Reflects Race Against CRA Deadline

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    The flurry of final rules now leaping off the Federal Register press — some of which will affect entire industries and millions of Americans — shows President Joe Biden's determination to protect his regulatory legacy from reversal by the next Congress, given the impending statutory look-back period under the Congressional Review Act, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Unpacking The Bill To Extend TCJA's Biz-Friendly Tax Breaks

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    Attorneys at Skadden examine how a bipartisan bill currently being considered by the U.S. Senate to save the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's tax breaks for research and development costs, and other expiring business-friendly provisions, would affect taxpayers.

  • 'Beauty From Within' Trend Poses Regulatory Risks For Cos.

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    Companies capitalizing on the current trend in oral supplements touting cosmetic benefits must note that a product claim that would be acceptable for an externally applied cosmetic may draw much stronger scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when applied to a supplement, say Natalie Rainer and Katherine Staba at K&L Gates.

  • Perspectives

    Criminal Defendants Should Have Access To Foreign Evidence

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    A New Jersey federal court recently ordered prosecutors to obtain evidence from India on behalf of the former Cognizant Technology executives they’re prosecuting — a precedent that other courts should follow to make cross-border evidentiary requests more fair and efficient, say Kaylana Mueller-Hsia and Rebecca Wexler at UC Berkeley School of Law.

  • How Cos. Can Prep For New Calif. Privacy Regulations

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    The California Privacy Protection Agency has been very active in the first quarter of 2024 and continues to exercise its rulemaking authority with proposed draft regulations, so retailers should prepare for California Consumer Privacy Act enforcement and figure out how best to comply, say attorneys at Dentons.

  • Fed. Circ. Defines Foreign IP Damages, Raises New Questions

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    In Brumfield v. IBG, the Federal Circuit recently clarified which standard determines the extraterritoriality of the patent statute after the U.S. Supreme Court's WesternGeco decision, opening a new avenue of damages for foreign activities resulting from certain domestic activities while also creating some thorny questions, say Amol Parikh and Ian Howard at McDermott.

  • EPA Chemical Safety Rule Raises Questions About Authority

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    Stakeholders should consider the practical and economic costs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recently finalized rule imposing novel board reporting regulations for certain chemical plants and refineries, which signals that the agency may seek a role in regulating corporate governance, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Bracing For The CFPB's War On Mortgage Fees

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau homes in on the legality of certain residential mortgage fees, the industry should consult the bureau's steady stream of consumer lending guidance for hints on its priorities, say Nanci Weissgold and Melissa Malpass at Alston & Bird.

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