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Public Policy

  • July 15, 2025

    5th Circ. Says Media Matters Can Challenge X Suit Venue

    The Fifth Circuit gave left-leaning watchdog Media Matters for America another shot at transferring a business disparagement lawsuit launched by X Corp. to California, saying Tuesday the Texas federal judge overseeing the case didn't do an adequate venue analysis.

  • July 15, 2025

    High Court Term Yields Gains For Criminal Defendants

    The U.S. Supreme Court addressed several contentious issues this term, with the conservative majority prevailing in numerous high-profile cases. Yet, in a notable trend, the court also issued multiple rulings favorable to criminal defendants, including expanding prisoners' rights in civil lawsuits and reinforcing due process protections in capital cases.

  • July 15, 2025

    NYC's Suit Against Flavored E-Cig Sellers Can Continue

    A Manhattan federal judge on Monday rejected a bid by eight vape wholesalers to toss an action brought by New York City alleging the companies flooded the city with flavored e-cigarettes in violation of federal, state and local law.

  • July 15, 2025

    Michigan Cases To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2025

    Michigan's courts are gearing up for a busy second half of the year, with high-profile prosecutions of Chinese scientists accused of smuggling, the state's top court tackling arbitration and automotive contracts, and revisions to the professional conduct rules for lawyers and judges all on deck.

  • July 15, 2025

    Bankruptcy Experts Call For Reset On Sub V, Student Debt

    A group of judges and bankruptcy experts told a congressional panel Tuesday that a reset is needed for the eligibility cap for Subchapter V bankruptcies and the standards for discharging student loan debt.

  • July 15, 2025

    Judge Lays Out New Framework For Refugee Admissions

    A Washington federal judge established a framework for determining which refugees should be admitted to the country, despite President Donald Trump's executive order dismantling the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program.

  • July 15, 2025

    Ex-Prosecutor With IP Roots Tapped To Lead NJ Watchdog

    The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation has appointed Bruce P. Keller, a former Debevoise & Plimpton LLP intellectual property partner who went on to fight the appeal of two "Bridgegate" figures as a federal prosecutor, as its new executive director following months of leadership controversy.

  • July 15, 2025

    Advocates Turn To Florida High Court For Bondi Ethics Probe

    A group of attorneys, law professors and former judges asked the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday to order the Florida Bar to investigate U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for alleged unethical conduct.

  • July 15, 2025

    Agents Say Arrest Orders Came From Top In Free Speech Trial

    Four current or former Homeland Security Investigations supervising agents told a Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday that orders to locate and arrest student activists whose legal status in the United States had been revoked came from higher-ups, including via memos directly from the State Department — an unusual procedure for an agency that typically deals with criminal activity.

  • July 15, 2025

    Denver Defends Affordable Housing Fees, Citing Alternatives

    The city of Denver has urged a Colorado federal court to toss a homebuilder's suit challenging the constitutionality of an affordable housing fee for new development, arguing the developer's claims overlook a clause that allows it to construct affordable housing as an alternative.

  • July 15, 2025

    Funding 'Crisis' Jeopardizes Indigent Defense, Judiciary Says

    The judiciary rang the alarm on Tuesday that funding has been exhausted for the private attorneys who represent indigent federal criminal defendants, and this predicament is expected to last for three months.

  • July 15, 2025

    Calif. Legislature OKs Retroactive Solar Property Exclusion

    California would allow the purchaser of a new property a three-year window to apply for a property tax exclusion for solar energy systems under a bill passed by the state Senate and sent to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom for approval.

  • July 15, 2025

    Law Curbing Arbitration Keeps AutoNation Bias Suit In Court

    AutoNation Inc. can't arbitrate a former sales associate's lawsuit claiming supervisors treated her differently because she's an older Black woman and made sexual comments in the workplace, a California state appeals court ruled, saying her case is shielded by a federal law prohibiting mandatory arbitration of sex harassment cases.

  • July 15, 2025

    PVC Pipe Buyers Seek Initial OK Of $6M Deal In Antitrust Row

    Counsel for two classes of purchasers of polyvinyl chloride pipe urged an Illinois federal judge Tuesday to grant preliminary approval to two $3 million settlements resolving their antitrust claims against an analytics service allegedly used in a conspiracy by PVC pipe makers to inflate the price of their products.

  • July 15, 2025

    Jeanine Pirro's $11M Net Worth Revealed In Disclosure

    Former judge and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, nominee for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, has a net worth of over $11 million, according to a financial disclosure obtained by ¼«ËÙÈü³µ on Monday.

  • July 15, 2025

    Baker Donelson Merges Policy Group With Its Advisory Firm

    Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC announced Tuesday that it has merged its public policy practice with its subsidiary, The Daschle Group, to form a bipartisan strategic consulting firm staffed with 20 attorneys and non-attorney professionals.

  • July 15, 2025

    DC Circ. Backs Dismissal Of Green Orgs' Drilling Permit Suit

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday rejected environmental groups' challenge to the approvals of thousands of federally approved oil and gas drilling permits in New Mexico and Wyoming, finding that a lower court was right to find they lacked standing.

  • July 15, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says Risk Of Harm Justifies Disarming Pot User

    The Third Circuit has found that illegal drug users, including cannabis users, can be disarmed if their use is determined to increase the risk that they could pose a physical danger while possessing a gun, while finding that individual inquiry is necessary.

  • July 15, 2025

    Pa. Senate Bill Seeks To End School District Property Taxes

    Pennsylvania would propose an amendment to the state constitution to eliminate school districts' authority to levy or collect property taxes after June 30, 2029, under a bill introduced in the state Senate.

  • July 15, 2025

    Small Carriers Caught Off Guard By Demand-Free T-Mobile OK

    Rural wireless carriers appeared stunned by the feds' recent decision to let T-Mobile absorb most of UScellular without setting new requirements meant to protect their service areas, but they aren't the only ones dismayed by the turn of events.

  • July 15, 2025

    UnitedHealth, Optum Accused Of Pregnancy Discrimination

    Optum Care Inc. and parent company UnitedHealth Group fired a care team supervisor while she was on maternity leave without a tangible reason, according to a suit lodged in California state court.

  • July 14, 2025

    4th Circ. Halts End To Afghan Protected Status Amid Appeal

    The Fourth Circuit has agreed to temporarily block the Trump administration from ending temporary protected status for Afghans while immigrant rights advocates appeal a lower court's order denying summary judgment in their favor, according to an order issued Monday.

  • July 14, 2025

    FCC Greenlights Bell Canada's $3.65B Ziply Fiber Deal

    The Federal Communications Commission on Monday granted its approval to Canadian communications company BCE Inc.'s planned acquisition of U.S. internet provider Ziply Fiber for about CA$5 billion ($3.65 billion).

  • July 14, 2025

    Regulators Outline Crypto 'Safekeeping' Guidelines For Banks

    Federal regulators said Monday that banks are free to offer cryptocurrency "safekeeping" services but should be mindful of the risks involved, stressing the need for strong cybersecurity and clear customer agreements, among other considerations.

  • July 14, 2025

    States Blast Trump Admin Over $6.8B Education Fund Freeze

    A coalition of states sued the Trump administration Monday over its decision to freeze $6.8 billion in congressionally appropriated educational program funding, leaving schools scrambling ahead of the new school year, the same day the U.S. Supreme Court allowed mass U.S. Department of Education layoffs to move forward.

Expert Analysis

  • How Political Divisions Are Stalling Pa. Energy Development

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    Despite possessing the nation's second-largest natural gas reserves and a legacy of energy infrastructure, Pennsylvania faces a fragmented and politically charged path to developing the energy resources it will need in the future, thanks to legislative gridlock, divided public opinion and competing energy interests, says Andrew Levine at Stradley Ronon.

  • 3rd-Party Audit Tactics To Improve Export Control Compliance

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    Companies should take a strategic approach to third-party audits in response to the Trump administration's ramp-up of export control enforcement with steps that strengthen their ability to identify the control weaknesses of distributors, dealers and resellers, say Michael Huneke at Hughes Hubbard, and John Rademacher and Abby Williams at Secretariat Advisors.

  • A Look At Trump Admin's Shifting Strategies To Curtail CFPB

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    The Trump administration has so far carried out its goal of minimizing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's authority and footprint via an individualized approach comprising rule rollbacks, litigation moves and administrative tools, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • Evading DOJ Crosshairs As Data Security Open Season Starts

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    As the U.S. Department of Justice begins enforcing its new data security program — aimed at preventing foreign adversaries from accessing government-related and personal sensitive data — U.S. companies will need to understand the program’s contours and potential pitfalls to avoid potential civil liability or criminal scrutiny, say attorneys at Cohen & Gresser.

  • How Trump's Trade Policies Are Shaping Foreign Investment

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    Five months into the Trump administration, investors are beginning to see the concrete effects of the president’s America First Investment Policy as it presents new opportunities for clearing transactions more quickly, while sustaining risk aversion related to Chinese trade and potentially creating different political risks, say attorneys at Covington.

  • How Trump Admin Treasury Policies Are Reaching Banks

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    The Treasury Department has emerged as an important facilitator of the Trump administration's financial policies affecting banks, which are now facing deregulation domestically and the use of international economic authorities in cross-border trade and investment, say attorneys at Davis Polk.

  • Series

    My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.

  • FTC Focus: Enforcers Study AI Innovation And Entrenchment

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    The Federal Trade Commission and other regulators setting their sights on the burgeoning artificial intelligence ecosystem are considering how the government should approach innovation in tech markets that tend, almost inevitably, toward concentration, say attorneys at Proskauer.

  • High Court ACA Ruling May Harm Preventative Care

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Kennedy v. Braidwood last week, ruling that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary has authority over an Affordable Care Act preventive care task force, risks harming the credibility of the task force and could open the door to politicians dictating clinical recommendations, says Michael Kolber at Manatt.

  • Policy Shifts Bring New Anti-Money Laundering Challenges

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    In the second half of 2025, the U.S. anti-money laundering regulatory landscape is poised for decisive shifts in enforcement priorities, compliance expectations and legislative developments — so investment advisers and other financial institutions should take steps to prepare for potential new obligations and areas of risk, say attorneys at Linklaters.

  • 8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

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    Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.

  • Kousisis Concurrence Maps FCA Defense To Anti-DEI Suits

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    Justice Clarence Thomas' recent concurrence in Kousisis v. U.S. lays out how federal funding recipients could use the high standard for materiality in government fraud cases to fight the U.S. Justice Department’s threatened False Claims Act suits against payees deviating from the administration’s anti-DEI policies, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Despite Dark Clouds, Outlook For US Solar Has Bright Spots

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    While tariff, tax policy and bankruptcy news seemingly portends unending challenges for the U.S. solar energy industry, signs of continued growth in solar generating capacity and domestic solar manufacturing suggest that there is a path forward, say attorneys at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Assessing New Changes To Texas Officer Exculpation Law

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    Consistent with Texas' recent modernization of its corporate law, the recently passed S.B. 2411 allows officer exculpation, streamlines certificate of formation amendments, authorizes representatives to act on shareholders' behalf in mergers and makes other changes aimed toward companies seeking a more codified, statutory model of corporate governance, say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • How Ending OFCCP Will Affect Affirmative Action Obligations

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    As President Donald Trump's administration plans to eliminate the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces federal contractor antidiscrimination compliance and affirmative action program obligations, contractors should consider the best compliance approaches available to them, especially given the False Claims Act implications, say attorneys at Ogletree.

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