Expert Analysis

• USPTO's AI Tool Redefines Design Patent Landscape

  

  The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's newly introduced DesignVision tool for artificial intelligence-powered image searching represents a dramatic shift in how design patent applications are examined, necessitating new strategies for patent practitioners, says Matthew Epstein at Dinsmore.

• Legal Jeopardy Looms Over Trump's Trade Negotiation Plans

  

  Even as the Trump administration announces one trade deal after another, the legal authority of the executive branch to impose tariffs under consensual arrangements with leading trading partners is just as debatable as the unilateral imposition of U.S. tariffs under the president's executive orders, says Jeffrey Bialos at Eversheds Sutherland.

• Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: August Lessons

  

  In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses key takeaways from federal appellate decisions involving topics including antitrust, immigration, consumer fraud, birthright citizenship under the Fourteenth Amendment, and product defects.

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  Hiking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  On the trail, I have thought often about the parallels between hiking and high-stakes patent litigation, and why strategizing, preparation, perseverance and joy are important skills for success in both endeavors, says Barbara Fiacco at Foley Hoag.

• Regulating Online Activity After Porn Site Age Check Ruling

  

  A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding an age verification requirement for accessing online adult sexual content applied a lenient rational basis standard, raising questions for how state and federal courts will determine what kinds of laws regulating online activity will satisfy this standard going forward, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

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  Law School's Missed Lessons: Negotiation Skills

  

  I took one negotiation course in law school, but most of the techniques I rely on today I learned in practice, where I've discovered that the process is less about tricks or tactics, and more about clarity, preparation and communication, says Grant Schrantz at Haug Barron.

• Taxpayers Face Tough Choices Under NJ's New Nexus Rules

  

  Though New Jersey’s new rules expanding the commercial nexus that triggers state taxation are likely to be challenged, businesses still need to carefully consider whether it’s best to minimize potential tax by reducing online customer support services or maintain their current instate services and begin paying tax, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

• AG Watch: Texas Embraces The MAHA Movement

  

  Attorneys at Kelley Drye examine Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's actions related to the federal Make America Healthy Again movement, and how these actions hinge on representations or omissions by the target companies as opposed to specific analyses of the potential health risks.

• Opinion

  Bar Exam Reform Must Expand Beyond A Single Updated Test

  

  Recently released information about the National Conference of Bar Examiners’ new NextGen Uniform Bar Exam highlights why a single test is not ideal for measuring newly licensed lawyers’ competency, demonstrating the need for collaborative development, implementation and reform processes, says Gregory Bordelon at Suffolk University.

• Location Data And Online Tracking Trends To Watch

  

  Regulators and class action plaintiffs are increasingly targeting companies' use of online tracking technologies and geolocation data in both privacy enforcement and litigation, so organizations should view compliance as a dynamic, cross-functional responsibility as scrutiny becomes increasingly aggressive and multifaceted, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

• A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

  

  As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

• The Evolving Legal Landscape For THC-Infused Beverages

  

  A recent Eighth Circuit ruling, holding that states may restrict the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products without violating federal law, combined with ongoing regulatory uncertainty at both the federal and state levels, could alter the trajectory of the THC-infused beverage market, say attorneys at Pashman Stein.

• Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

  

  As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

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  Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Pressing and framing plants that I grow has shown me that pursuing an endeavor that brings you joy can lead to surprising benefits for a legal career, including mental clarity, perspective and even a bit of humility, says Douglas Selph at Morris Manning.

• Del. Dispatch: Conflicted Transactions And New Safe Harbors

  

  Two recent Delaware Court of Chancery decisions involving conflicted transactions underscore that the new safe harbors established by the Delaware General Corporation Law amendments passed in March, going forward, provide a far easier route to business judgment review of conflicted transactions than were previously available, say attorneys at Fried Frank.