Public Policy

  • July 10, 2026

    What To Know About New US Atty For Texas' Southern District

    Aaron Reitz, who was previously a top deputy to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and served in the U.S. Department of Justice before a failed bid for state attorney general, is now U.S. attorney for the Lone Star State's Southern District.

  • July 10, 2026

    Iran War Has 'Severely Disrupted' Fertilizer Trade, WTO Says

    The war in Iran has "severely disrupted" trade in fertilizers like urea and phosphate, raising concerns that agricultural yields could fall and food prices could rise, the World Trade Organization said Friday.

  • July 10, 2026

    White House Accuses Dems Of Sitting On SEC, CFTC Noms

    The White House claims that it is waiting on word from Senate Democrats before it can fill longstanding vacancies at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, saying it has asked for a list of names and one has not been provided.

  • July 10, 2026

    Mass. Pot Repeal Measure Faces Signature Integrity Challenge

    Massachusetts cannabis business interests have filed a legal objection, challenging the integrity of signatures gathered in favor of putting a petition to repeal retail marijuana legalization before voters this fall.

  • July 10, 2026

    US-Canada Stalemate Expected To Hold Amid USMCA Review

    The trade stalemate between the U.S. and Canada is likely to continue through a drawn-out review process for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, though companies will benefit from an underlying level of stability as the deal remains in effect, trade lawyers said.

  • July 10, 2026

    Estate Says Scant Record Sinks IRS' $3.8M Win In Tax Row

    The estate of a deceased man does not owe the Internal Revenue Service $3.8 million in wage-related penalties, the estate told a North Carolina federal court, saying the government's effort to place a lien on his properties is based on a "fundamentally incomplete" record.

  • July 10, 2026

    4 Takeaways From Probe Of Feb. 2025 Calif. Bar Exam Fiasco

    Poor implementation of the February 2025 California Bar Exam resulted in millions of dollars in extra costs and negatively affected "a significant portion" of test-takers, according to a new report by the California State Auditor.

  • July 10, 2026

    8th Circ. Says SD Tribe Waited Too Long On School Debt Fight

    A panel of the Eighth Circuit has rejected a South Dakota tribe's appeal in a dispute with the U.S. Interior Department over millions of dollars of allegedly over-collected school funding debt, saying the tribe had ample opportunity to challenge the agency's findings yet chose not to do so.

  • July 10, 2026

    Housing Bill Becomes Law Without Trump's Backing

    A bipartisan bill to promote more housing supply and limit Wall Street firms from investing in single-family homes became law Saturday by default after President Donald Trump withheld his signature but did not veto the measure.

  • July 10, 2026

    Conservative Investors Ask To Drop Airbnb Investor Suit

    Two right-leaning institutional shareholders who alleged Airbnb wrongly excluded shareholder proposals from proxy materials have asked a Delaware federal court to dismiss their dispute.

  • July 09, 2026

    DC Circ. Says It Won't Block FCC OK Of Nexstar-Tegna Deal

    The D.C. Circuit said Thursday it is not going to block the Federal Communications Commission's approval of Nexstar's $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna while everyone from satellite companies to cable groups to state enforcers sue to stop the merger they say will harm competition.

  • July 09, 2026

    2nd Circ. Won't Halt Payout Of Trump's $5M To E. Jean Carroll

    The Second Circuit refused to halt an order requiring Donald Trump to pay a $5 million jury verdict finding he sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll, while the New York district judge who issued the order explained it was time for Trump "to 'do equity'" and pay up.

  • July 09, 2026

    State Of 2026 Energy Dealmaking: Midyear Report

    The war in Iran is the most influential development that has shaped energy dealmaking so far in 2026, and that figures to still be the case in the second half of the year. Other factors include data center demands and tax credits. Here, attorneys outline to Law360 the trends that are defining energy transactions this year.

  • July 09, 2026

    FCC, IHeart Reach Deal Over 'Showola' Investigation

    The Federal Communications Commission and iHeartMedia have reached a deal resolving the commission's investigation into whether the radio station giant gave musicians additional airplay on its stations in exchange for them performing at its live concerts or festivals, the FCC announced Thursday.

  • July 09, 2026

    Judge Skeptical On Restraining Order In Affirming Care Case

    A D.C. federal judge appeared skeptical Thursday that a Federal Trade Commission case against a gender-affirming care organization must be halted while the group wages a separate case against the commission's investigation into the organization.

  • July 09, 2026

    Exxon, Chevron Can't Exit Climate Suit Over Wash. Heat Death

    A Washington state judge said Wednesday that Exxon, Chevron and other oil giants must face a lawsuit over a death in a 2021 heat wave, distinguishing the case from other climate torts brought by cities and rejecting the companies' contention that the family of Juliana Leon is seeking to regulate global greenhouse gas emissions.

  • July 09, 2026

    7th Circ. Upholds Ill. Ban On AR-15s, High-Capacity Magazines

    The Seventh Circuit on Thursday upheld an Illinois state law banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, reversing a lower court that deemed it unconstitutional and holding that restrictions on highly lethal, military-style weapons are "consistent with the principles that underpin our nation's tradition of firearm regulation."

  • July 09, 2026

    Judge Urged To Deny Transfer Of SpaceX Land-Swap Suit

    Environmental groups urged a D.C. federal judge to reject an attempt by SpaceX and the federal government to transfer the groups' lawsuit challenging a land-exchange deal to Texas, saying the deal was reviewed and approved by officials and lawmakers in D.C.

  • July 09, 2026

    FCC Doesn't Need New Tools To Curb Robocalls, Org. Says

    The Federal Communications Commission should cut down on robocalls not by making it harder for service providers to obtain new numbers, but by leveraging its control of the phone number assigning system to force them to use the anti-spoofing tools the agency already provides.

  • July 09, 2026

    FCC Puts Voice Provider On Robocall Compliance Plan

    A company that provides cloud-based call center software and voice services is in hot water with the Federal Communications Commission over its robocall database paperwork, but it has worked out a deal with the agency that will allow it to avoid a fine.

  • July 09, 2026

    Minn. Says Social Media Giants Are Emulating Big Tobacco

    Minnesota officials are looking to shut down a social media trade group's bid to block a state law requiring mental health warnings at the login page, telling a federal court that such a notice is constitutionally permitted commercial speech regulation, not that different from tobacco warnings.

  • July 09, 2026

    Biggest NCAA Issues To Watch In 2nd Half Of 2026

    The NCAA's recent change in traditional eligibility limits, amid ongoing state and federal lawsuits from athletes seeking compensation, continues to dominate the college sports landscape as the second half of 2026 begins.

  • July 09, 2026

    6 Questions For NGSO Satellite Advocate David Redl

    Non-geostationary orbit satellites are at the forefront of the new space race, and David Redl, the executive director of the new SpaceConnect Association, wants to make sure decision-makers on the national and global scenes craft policies that match the industry's frenetic pace.

  • July 09, 2026

    Feds Say Justices' Ruling Can Affect ICE Profiling Suit

    A California federal judge overseeing claims that federal immigration agents indiscriminately target Latinos in Southern California asked the parties during a Thursday hearing to brief her on the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Mullin v. Doe ruling, which the government said could doom plaintiffs' equal protection claim.

  • July 09, 2026

    Mass. Justices Affirm Posttrial Forensic Exam Of Cellphones

    Massachusetts' highest court said Thursday that a man convicted of murder may seek posttrial access to cellphones to look for potential evidence in support of a new trial, explaining that a 2012 statute expanding access to forensic testing for biological material also applies to digital and electronic evidence.

Expert Analysis

  • What Jury Holdouts Can Teach Trial Lawyers About Strategy

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    Though a hung jury can be a disappointment, a psychological understanding of jury holdouts can help trial lawyers shape their damages arguments and understand leadership and group composition as a function of jury selection, says Clint Townson at Townson Litigation.

  • 'Mobile' Sources For On-Site Generation May Be A Risky Bet

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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering treating large on-site generators used at data centers as mobile rather than stationary sources under the Clean Air Act, a significant policy change that would leave developers that adopt this solution at risk of regulatory reversals, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • AI Investment Advice May Fail Investor Protection Rules

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    Based on an ongoing study of artificial intelligence platforms' investment advice given to retail investors, direct access to AI may not yield recommendations for typical households that are suitable under relevant securities rules, raising new and important issues in the regulation of financial markets, says Bruce Carlin at Rice University.

  • Startup Founder Disputes Increasingly Turn On Governance

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    Recent Delaware developments suggest that as courts place increasing emphasis on board process, independence and oversight in founder-led startups, the growing intersection of governance, technology risk and investor oversight is accelerating both the emergence and escalation of founder disputes, says mediator Frank Burke.

  • 3 AI Adoption Mistakes GCs Should Avoid

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    The pressure in-house legal teams face to quickly adopt artificial intelligence tools, combined with budget constraints and the need to evaluate a crowded market of options, sets the stage for implementation mistakes that are often difficult to undo, says former 23andMe general counsel Guy Chayoun.

  • Series

    Playing Basketball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My grandfather used to say "I wear your jersey" as shorthand for wholly committing to support someone with loyalty and integrity — ideals that have shaped my life on the basketball court and in legal practice, says Tracy Schimelfenig at Schimelfenig Legal.

  • AG Watch: Reconciling 2 Maryland Data Privacy Statutes

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    In-house counsel should map the interplay between the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act's strictly necessary standard to deliver a requested service, and the Protection From Predatory Pricing Act's exemption of consent-based pricing within loyalty programs, before the state attorney general begins enforcement on the latter in October, says Erek Barron at Mintz.

  • EPA Listing Signals New Scrutiny Of Drugs In Drinking Water

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    The recent publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's latest draft drinking water contaminant list highlights pharmaceuticals as a category of concern, marking the start of a process that could shape future research priorities, monitoring requirements, and federal and state actions, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • New Cuba Sanctions Raise Risks For Foreign Banks, Cos.

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    President Donald Trump's bold move leveling secondary sanctions against Cuba expands enforcement risk for foreign banks and companies with no U.S. nexus, signaling that non-U.S. businesses should reassess related transactions, counterparties and exposure as regulators test this broader authority, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • SEC Clarifies 'Baby Shelf' Restrictions For Small Cos.

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    For smaller public companies looking to access the capital markets, the so-called baby shelf requirements can be a significant limitation, but recent guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission helps to alleviate the effect of subsequent baby shelf restrictions on an at-the-market facility, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • Nexstar Offers A Cautionary Tale On State-Level Deal Scrutiny

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    State-enforcement challenges to the $6.2 billion Nexstar-Tegna merger remind legal practitioners that federal approval isn't always sufficient to deliver certainty on closing, integration and timetable assumptions, says Brett Story at Britehorn Securities.

  • How 'Bundling' Enforcement Is Parsing Efficiency, Access

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    Recent antitrust enforcement actions have taken a selective view of companies' bundling of products or services — challenging it when it shuts out rivals, but tolerating it when it creates efficient scale — making the real test now less about lower prices than about whether competition is being blocked, says attorney Alan Kusinitz.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Georgia Court Has Business On Its Mind

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    Thanks to recent legislation, the Georgia State-wide Business Court will soon offer business litigants greater access to the court than ever before, further enhancing the court's emphasis on efficiency, predictability and accessibility for sophisticated commercial disputes, says former GSBC judge Walt Davis at Jones Day.

  • How Treasury's Stablecoin Test Will Shape State Oversight

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    The Treasury Department's recently proposed principles for judging whether state stablecoin regimes are "substantially similar" to the federal framework signal that issuers should expect stricter benchmarking against the bank agencies' standards, limited state flexibility and heightened pressure to reassess compliance as rules take shape, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • Opinion

    USPTO Must Address The Right Question In Sanofi Case

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    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Appeals Review Panel's questions in Ex parte Baurin indicate recognition of broader doctrinal issues, but rather than approaching from separate angles, the panel should concentrate on a single fundamental question about obviousness-type double patenting, says Jeremy Lowe at Spencer Fane.

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