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Appellate
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September 08, 2025
Unions Knock 'Flawed' 4th Circ. Injunction Take In DOGE Row
A split Fourth Circuit panel's decision to vacate an injunction targeting the Department of Government Efficiency created a flawed framework for evaluating whether an injunction is appropriate, a coalition of unions argued Monday, asking the full Fourth Circuit to override the majority's "sharp departure from established precedents."
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September 08, 2025
Mayo Clinic Beats Suit Over Fatal Brain Hemorrhage
A Minnesota state appeals court ruled Monday that a lower court was within its rights to exclude an expert witness who couldn't identify a causal link between a pain medication the Mayo Clinic gave an amputation patient and a subsequent fatal brain hemorrhage.
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September 08, 2025
DC Circ. Probes Sovereign Immunity In Nazi Art Case
The D.C. Circuit on Monday grappled with whether claims asserted by the descendants of Hungarian Jewish art collectors over artwork stolen during the German occupation of Hungary are barred under sovereign immunity, focusing on how to delineate an "occupation."
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September 08, 2025
Atty In Judge Newman Suspension Feud Moves To DOJ
An attorney who has been representing Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman in the legal battle over her suspension has jumped from the New Civil Liberties Alliance to work at the U.S. Department of Justice.
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September 08, 2025
Barrett Talks Dobbs, Court's Role In New Book
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett defends her vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and declare there's no constitutional right to abortion in her new memoir, which also provides unique insight into her view of the judiciary's role in American democracy and her approach to interpreting law.
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September 08, 2025
11th Circ. Grants Cop Immunity Over Repeat 911 Caller Arrest
An Eleventh Circuit panel has ruled that a pair of cops are shielded by qualified immunity for arresting a woman who repeatedly called 911 to report gunfire in her neighborhood despite knowing that the guns were being fired on a legal shooting range.
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September 08, 2025
Securities Class Actions Had A Late Summer Appellate Bloom
While the later summer months are often a quiet time for the nation's courts, the federal appellate courts were hard at work this past July and August issuing important rulings on class certification standards for shareholder lawsuits and handing down split-panel decisions over the future of disclosure litigation.
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September 08, 2025
11th Circ. Says Cos.' 20-Year Contract Fight Properly Ended
The Eleventh Circuit won't revive fastener and components supplier Whitesell Corp.'s contract fight with household appliance maker Electrolux and a lawn and garden equipment-maker spinoff company, saying it will not disturb various court rulings that led to a nearly $9 million jury verdict after 20 years of litigation.
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September 08, 2025
9th Circ. Upholds Dismissal Of 'Penny Dreadful' IP Suit
The Ninth Circuit on Monday affirmed a lower court's decision to dismiss a suit brought by a woman who claimed her writings on an online role-playing forum were used to create a character in the Showtime series "Penny Dreadful," saying the resemblance between her characters and Showtime's wasn't obvious enough to preclude coincidence.
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September 08, 2025
Grassley Blocked On Quick US Attorney Confirmations
Senate Judiciary Committee chair Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tried Monday to quickly confirm 10 nominees for U.S. attorneys, but was blocked by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
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September 08, 2025
Phillips 66 Faces Retrial After 'Improper' Infringement Theory
The Federal Circuit on Monday ordered a new trial over allegations that Phillips 66 infringed Magēmā Technology's oil refinery patents, saying in a precedential opinion that a Texas federal court wrongfully concluded that Phillips' noninfringement theory was harmless, as it had also found the theory "improper and prejudicial."
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September 08, 2025
Biz Groups Ask Justices To Shield Freight Brokers From Suits
Business and trucking trade groups asked the U.S. Supreme Court to smooth out splintered circuit court rulings that have exposed freight brokers to patchwork liability for state-based negligence claims, saying there could be lasting disruptions to the supply chain if the justices don't intervene.
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September 08, 2025
Exxon, BP, Others Keep Dismissal Of Pa. Benzene Suit
A Pennsylvania appeals court on Monday refused to reinstate a woman's suit alleging that products from Exxon Mobil Corp., BP Products North America Inc. and others exposed her husband to benzene, leading to his death, ruling the trial court rightly found that North Carolina is the far better venue.
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September 08, 2025
Del. Gov. Defends Corp. Law Overhaul In Pending Appeal
Delaware's governor has weighed in strongly against a state Supreme Court challenge to legislation approved earlier this year barring damages or "equitable" relief for some controlling stockholder or going-private deals, arguing that nothing in the measure unconstitutionally limits court powers.
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September 08, 2025
Caltrans Escapes $3.8M Verdict Over Bicyclist's Injuries
The California Department of Transportation successfully overturned a $3.8 million jury verdict in a case involving a bicycle accident on a bridge in Santa Barbara that caused a man's severe injuries, as an appeals court ruled Monday that the trial court improperly excluded Caltrans' witnesses as a discovery sanction.
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September 08, 2025
Trump Returns To High Court In Foreign Aid Freeze Dispute
President Donald Trump asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to pause a lower court's order requiring the administration to release roughly $4 billion in frozen foreign aid, claiming the ruling interferes with his attempt to lawfully rescind the funding.
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September 08, 2025
Pa. Top Court Snapshot: Clickwrap Agreements, Mail-In Votes
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will return from its summer break with a couple of familiar issues, including the heavily litigated issue of discarding undated mail-in ballots and a much-anticipated review of common "clickwrap" agreements for apps and websites. Here are some of the cases the state's justices will hear in their Sept. 9-11 session.
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September 08, 2025
NJ Justices Question Parole Board Rule's Constitutionality
The New Jersey Supreme Court suggested Monday that a state Parole Board regulation posed a due process problem by categorically barring prison inmates from accessing their psychological evaluations even if the board applies the rule in a manner that it says is constitutional.
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September 08, 2025
9th Circ. Denies CoStar's Bid To Rehear Antitrust Ruling
A Ninth Circuit panel rejected a call to revisit the court's June decision reviving claims alleging that real estate information service CoStar monopolizes several commercial real estate listing markets through exclusive deals with brokers and technological barriers for competitors.
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September 08, 2025
Class Actions May Be The New Injunction Bid, And Next Target
In the two months since the Supreme Court hobbled universal injunctions, lawyers and trial judges have pivoted to adjust to a new litigation landscape, with class actions playing a larger role in lawsuits seeking to stop presidential policies. That, in turn, could put the tactic in the administration's crosshairs.
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September 08, 2025
Bessent Says US Will Refund Revenue If Justices Nix Tariffs
If the U.S. Supreme Court decides President Donald Trump lacked authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the U.S. government will refund revenue it has collected with tariffs under that law, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
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September 08, 2025
9th Circ. Backs Trump Donor's Tax, Foreign Agent Convictions
A venture capitalist whose 12-year prison term for evading taxes and making illegal campaign contributions through foreign clients was commuted by President Donald Trump did not plead guilty to the crimes involuntarily, the Ninth Circuit found in affirming his convictions, rejecting his claim that his attorney hid information from him.
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September 08, 2025
5th Circ. Reinstates $2.4M Award In Hair Product Co.'s IP Suit
The Fifth Circuit has restored a $2.4 million jury award to a hair product company in its trademark infringement trial win over a rival, ruling a district court judge was wrong to throw out the verdict and the company had shown evidence the infringement hurt its business.
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September 08, 2025
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court
Last week at the Delaware Court of Chancery, a bankruptcy administrator for a generic drugmaker formerly known as Teligent was told he can proceed with duty of oversight claims against most former officers and directors of the company, who the administrator said was complicit in the company's collapse. In an opinion, the Court of Chancery cites its 1996 decision In re Caremark International Inc. Derivative Litigation, which refined director duties of care and oversight.
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September 08, 2025
Conn. Tax Atty Wants Full Appeals Court To Rethink Her Firing
Connecticut's former tax legal director has asked the full Connecticut Appellate Court to reconsider an appellate panel's ruling that found her firing was proper after she used her work computer to send unauthorized draft legislation to a lobbyist, arguing that as a case of first impression it is important for the full court to weigh in.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Learning From Failure
While law school often focuses on the importance of precision, correctness and perfection, mistakes are inevitable in real-world practice — but failure is not the opposite of progress, and real talent comes from the ability to recover, rethink and reshape, says Brooke Pauley at Tucker Ellis.
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Eye Drop Ruling Clarifies Importance Of Patent Phrasing
The Federal Circuit's recent ruling in Eye Therapies v. Slayback, rejecting the Patent Trial and Appeal Board's interpretation of "consisting essentially of," highlights the importance of using clear and consistent terms throughout a patent's filing history to shield it against future challenges, says Liliana Di Nola-Baron at Panitch Schwarze.
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Midyear Rewind: How Courts Are Reshaping VPPA Standards
The first half of 2025 saw a series of cases interpreting the Video Privacy Protection Act as applied to website tracking technologies, including three appellate rulings deepening circuit splits on what qualifies as personally identifiable information and who qualifies as a consumer under the statute, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.
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How Justices' Ruling On NEPA Reviews Is Playing Out
Since the U.S. Supreme Court's May decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, narrowing the scope of agencies' required reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, the effects of the ruling are starting to become visible in the actions of lower courts and the agencies themselves, say attorneys at Saul Ewing.
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Series
Adapting To Private Practice: From ATF Director To BigLaw
As a two-time boomerang partner, returning to BigLaw after stints as a U.S. attorney and the director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, people ask me how I know when to move on, but there’s no single answer — just clearly set your priorities, says Steven Dettelbach at BakerHostetler.
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Reverse Bias Rulings Offer Warning About DEI Quotas
Several recent holdings confirm that targeted or quota-based diversity programs can substantiate reverse discrimination claims, especially when coupled with an adverse action, so employers should exercise caution before implementing such policies in order to mitigate litigation risk, says Noah Bunzl at Tarter Krinsky.
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4th Circ. Favors Plain Meaning In Bump-Up D&O Ruling
The Fourth Circuit's latest denial of indemnity coverage in Towers Watson v. National Union Fire Insurance and its previous ruling in this case lay out a pragmatic approach to bump-up provisions that avoids hypertechnical constructions to limit the effect of a policy's plain meaning, say attorneys at Kennedys.
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A Look At Key 5th Circ. White Collar Rulings So Far This Year
In the first half of 2025, the Fifth Circuit has decided numerous cases of particular import to white collar practitioners, which collectively underscore the critical importance of meticulous recordbuilding, procedural compliance and strategic litigation choices at every stage of a case, says Joe Magliolo at Jackson Walker.
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High Court Cert Spotlights Varying Tests For Federal Removal
A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to review Chevron v. Plaquemines Parish, a case involving the federal officer removal statute, highlights three other recent circuit court decisions raising federal removal questions, and serves as a reminder that defendants are the masters of removal actions, says Varun Aery at Hollingsworth.
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Rule 23 Class Certification Matters In Settlements, Too
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in Trump v. CASA Inc. highlighted requirements for certifying classes for litigation in federal court, but counsel must also understand how Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure may affect certifying classes for settlement purposes, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Contract Disputes Recap: Privity, Pressure, Procedural Traps
Three recent decisions from the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims offer fresh lessons for contractors navigating the procedural edge of Contract Disputes Act litigation, says Zachary Jacobson at Seyfarth.
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Series
Playing Baseball Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Playing baseball in college, and now Wiffle ball in a local league, has taught me that teamwork, mental endurance and emotional intelligence are not only important to success in the sport, but also to success as a trial attorney, says Kevan Dorsey at Swift Currie.
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3rd Circ. Bias Ruling Offers Safety Policy Exception Lessons
The Third Circuit's decision in Smith v. City of Atlantic City, partially reinstating a religious bias suit over a policy requiring firefighters to be clean-shaven, cautions employers on the legal risk of including practical or discretionary exceptions in safety procedures, say Joseph Quinn and Mark Schaeffer at Cozen O'Connor.
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APA Relief May Blunt Justices' Universal Injunction Ruling
The Administrative Procedure Act’s avenue for universal preliminary relief seems to hold the most promise for neutralizing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA to limit federal district courts' nationally applicable orders, say attorneys at Crowell.
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Opinion
Prosecutors' Duty To Justice Sometimes Demands Mea Culpa
Two recent cases — U.S. v. Lucas and U.S. v. Echavarria — demonstrate that prosecutors’ special ethical duty to seek justice can sometimes be in tension with other obligations and incentives, but it nonetheless requires them to concede their mistakes in the interests of justice, say Eastern District of Texas law clerk Ian Stephens and Texas A&M University law professor Jemila Lea.