Public Policy

  • January 21, 2026

    Senate Agriculture Unveils Crypto Bill Without Dem Backing

    The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee released the text of a proposal to expand the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's authority over crypto Wednesday evening, despite failing to reach a bipartisan agreement on the text ahead of a markup slated for next week.

  • January 21, 2026

    BP Says Wash. Residents' 'Noxious Odors' Class Claims Stink

    A BP unit facing a proposed class action over oil refinery fumes urged a Washington federal judge to flush the suit, arguing that the plaintiffs' proposed class definition is flawed because individual residents would be affected differently based on wind direction, distance from the facility and other factors.

  • January 21, 2026

    Court Rejects Sanctions In Venezuelan Oil Defamation Case

    A Florida federal judge on Wednesday declined to sanction a director of a Venezuelan state-owned oil company, finding no conflict of interest by his attorneys at Diaz Reus LLP in a now-dismissed suit accusing the director and others of engaging in a campaign to smear Venezuelan civic leaders.

  • January 21, 2026

    8th Circ. Temporarily Lifts Restrictions On ICE In Minnesota

    The Eighth Circuit on Wednesday issued an administrative stay temporarily lifting a district court injunction blocking federal immigration agents from retaliating against or detaining peaceful protesters without probable cause during federal immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities area.

  • January 21, 2026

    Texas AG Launches Investigation Into Vaccine Incentives

    The Texas attorney general launched what it characterized as a sweeping, multi-industry investigation into financial incentives for medical providers to recommend childhood vaccines, saying providers regularly dish out vaccines that "are not proven to be safe or necessary."

  • January 21, 2026

    10th Circ. Says Detectives Must Face Suit For Hiding Evidence

    The Tenth Circuit on Wednesday ruled that a pair of detectives who helped wrongfully convict a man of murder are not shielded by qualified immunity from a civil suit by the man's family.

  • January 21, 2026

    5th Circ. Leans Toward Vacating Airline Fees Disclosure Rule

    The full Fifth Circuit wanted to know Wednesday why it shouldn't just do away with a Biden-era rule requiring airlines to more clearly disclose add-on fees upfront, saying that the government seemed to be arguing that the court should just vacate the rule.

  • January 21, 2026

    Midwives Challenge Miss. Practice Limits In Antitrust Suit

    The American College of Nurse-Midwives launched a suit seeking to permanently block Mississippi rules requiring certified nurse-midwives to obtain collaboration agreements with physicians, arguing the rules unlawfully restrict competition and exacerbate public health challenges in the state.

  • January 21, 2026

    Ex-Military Heads Back Sen. Kelly In Suit Against Hegseth

    Dozens of former military leaders have backed U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., in challenging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's bid to reduce his Navy rank, saying Kelly's punishment for "accurate statements of military law" discourages veterans from exercising their own First Amendment rights.

  • January 21, 2026

    4th Circ. Says Judge Wrongly Blocked Trump Grant Freeze

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday wiped out a federal district judge's order restoring 32 congressionally funded grants frozen by the Trump administration, saying it's a contractual matter for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims to decide.

  • January 21, 2026

    Feds Say Medicare Steering Case Meets FCA Legal Bar

    The government said Wednesday that its False Claims Act complaint accusing insurers and brokers of participating in a kickback scheme to steer customers to Medicare Advantage plans doesn't conflict with a First Circuit decision last year setting out the standard for such cases.  

  • January 21, 2026

    Ga. Justices Deny Atty's Reprimand Bid After Jan. 6 Actions

    A public reprimand may not be enough to discipline an attorney who was convicted and later pardoned of a felony and several misdemeanor federal offenses in connection with his participation in events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the Georgia Supreme Court said Wednesday.

  • January 21, 2026

    FTC Must 'Scale A Slick Wall' To Revive Meta Suit

    The Federal Trade Commission set itself up for a tough fight to overturn a D.C. federal judge's rejection of its lawsuit accusing Meta of monopolizing personal social media through its purchases of WhatsApp and Instagram.

  • January 21, 2026

    Feds Back Freight Broker In High Court Negligence Case

    The federal government urged the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday to hold that federal law unequivocally shields freight brokers from state-based negligence and personal injury claims, throwing its support behind broker and logistics giant C.H. Robinson in a closely watched case.

  • January 21, 2026

    Apple Workers In Wash. Sue Over Limits On Moonlighting

    Apple Inc. has broken a Washington state moonlighting law by prohibiting dozens of lower-wage workers from taking second jobs to supplement their incomes, according to a former employee's proposed class action against the company.

  • January 21, 2026

    Calif. GOP Asks Justices To Block New Congressional Map

    California Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and block the state's new, voter-approved congressional districts before they can be used in this year's midterm election, arguing that the redrawn map constitutes illegal racial gerrymandering with Democratic officials "maximizing Latino voting strength."

  • January 21, 2026

    Netflix's $83B Warner Bros. Deal Draws DOJ Scrutiny

    Warner Bros. Discovery has disclosed that Netflix's proposed $82.7 billion purchase of the entertainment giant is now under an antitrust microscope, after the U.S. Department of Justice kicked off an in-depth probe that keeps the deal from closing for the time being.

  • January 21, 2026

    FCC Warns Shows To Follow Political 'Equal Opportunity' Reg

    The Federal Communications Commission cautioned TV broadcasters Wednesday that no exemption has been found that would let talk shows get around the agency's political equal opportunity rules.

  • January 21, 2026

    Former Ga. State Rep. Cops To COVID Loan Fraud

    A former Georgia Democratic lawmaker pled guilty Wednesday to charges that she fraudulently obtained pandemic-era unemployment benefits, the Department of Justice said.

  • January 21, 2026

    CFIUS Review Could Delay IRobot Ch. 11 Deal, DOJ Warns

    The Department of Justice has notified the Delaware bankruptcy court that an evaluation of Roomba maker iRobot's proposed Chapter 11 plan transactions by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. could postpone those deals on the eve of a plan confirmation hearing.

  • January 21, 2026

    Dem States Warn Harvard Visa Ban Could Ripple Nationwide

    A coalition of Democratic-led states told the First Circuit that the Trump administration's bid to bar Harvard University from admitting foreign students exemplifies its larger attempt to use immigration enforcement to retaliate against disfavored higher education institutions.

  • January 21, 2026

    Okla. Tribes Challenge Bid To Dismiss Hunting Rights Suit

    Three tribal nations are fighting a motion by Oklahoma to dismiss their challenge that looks to block the prosecution of Native Americans for hunting and fishing on tribal lands, telling the court that the state's Ex parte Young doctrine arguments are "not colorable."

  • January 21, 2026

    Trump Backs Off Tariffs Over Greenland With Deal In Works

    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he will back down from tariff threats on European countries in an effort to acquire Greenland after reaching an agreement on a framework for a deal involving U.S. security interests in the Arctic region.

  • January 21, 2026

    Senate Panel To Examine Upcoming FirstNet Renewal

    A U.S. Senate subcommittee will take a close look next week at legislative plans to renew the First Responder Network Authority, which currently has a long-standing public-private partnership with AT&T.

  • January 21, 2026

    EU Lawmakers Refer South America Trade Deal To ECJ

    The European Parliament narrowly voted Wednesday to refer the European Union's pending trade deal with four South American countries to the European Court of Justice, delaying a vote on ratifying the pact.

Expert Analysis

  • 2025 Brought A New Paradigm For Federal Banking Regulation

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Reviewing 2025's State And Federal AI Regulations

    Author Photo

    In light of increasing state and federal action to oversee the use of artificial intelligence, companies that develop or deploy the technology should keep abreast of current and forthcoming AI laws and consider their applicability to their business activities, says Jessica Brigman at Spencer Fane.

  • Software Patents May Face New Eligibility Scrutiny

    Author Photo

    November guidance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, along with recent litigation trends from the Federal Circuit, may encourage new challenges in the USPTO and district courts to artificial intelligence and software patents that rely on generic computing functions without concrete details, say attorneys at Venable.

  • What Trump Order Limiting State AI Regs Means For Insurers

    Author Photo

    Last week's executive order seeking to preclude states from regulating artificial intelligence will likely have minimal impact on insurers, but the order and related congressional activities may portend a federal expectation of consistent state oversight of insurers' AI use, says Kathleen Birrane at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    A Uniform Federal Rule Would Curb Gen AI Missteps In Court

    Author Photo

    To address the patchwork of courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence, curbing abuses and relieving the burden on judges, the federal judiciary should consider amending its civil procedure rules to require litigants to certify they’ve reviewed legal filings for accuracy, say attorneys at Shook Hardy.

  • Investment Advisers Should Stay Apprised Of New AI Risks

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently issued annual examination priorities reiterate a host of regulatory implications for investment advisers using artificial intelligence tools, highlighting that meaningful ongoing due diligence can help mitigate both operational and regulatory surprises amid AI's rapid evolution, says Christopher Mills at Sidley.

  • New Rule Shows NRC Willing To Move Fast To Reform Regs

    Author Photo

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to forgo public comment and immediately rescind certain rules governing adjudicatory procedures, federal tort claims and disclosure of licensee information signals the agency's intent to accelerate the regulatory streamlining efforts ordered by the president this spring, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • AG Watch: Texas Junk Fee Deal Shows Enforcement Priorities

    Author Photo

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's recent $9.5 million settlement with online travel agency website Booking Holdings for so-called junk fee practices follows a larger trend of state attorneys general who have taken similar action and demonstrates the significant penalties that can follow such allegations, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

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.