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Appellate

  • September 10, 2025

    Mass. Justices Reject Former State Senator's Immunity Claim

    Massachusetts' highest court ruled Wednesday that a former state senator is not immune from prosecution for using his State House staff to work on his reelection campaigns in 2018 and 2020.

  • September 10, 2025

    $7M Ida Damage Case Settles Amid 5th Circ. Arbitration Fight

    A New Orleans property owner and its insurers have resolved a dispute over coverage for a $7 million Hurricane Ida damage claim, amid a fight over whether the matter belonged in arbitration, the parties told the Fifth Circuit.

  • September 10, 2025

    DC Circ. Temporarily Reinstates Copyright Head After Firing

    The fired head of the U.S. Copyright Office has regained her position for the time being after a split D.C. Circuit faulted a lower court's analysis of whether she would be harmed if she didn't get her job back while fighting the Trump administration's dismissal of her.

  • September 09, 2025

    Barrett Says High Court Must 'Show Its Work' To Gain Trust

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett suggested Tuesday the best way for the court to respond to charges that it's issuing politically motivated rulings is by showing its work, adding that displaying an honest effort to follow the law could help revive the public's trust in the institution.

  • September 09, 2025

    2nd Circ. Won't Nix Vimeo IP Loss But Clears Path For Appeal

    The Second Circuit Tuesday mostly rejected Capitol Records' bid to revisit its loss to Vimeo over lip-dub videos set to copyrighted songs, removing a footnote that could've blocked an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but leaving intact their finding that the record labels waived a key liability theory.

  • September 09, 2025

    4th Circ. Debates Whether 'Silence' In 340B Empowers States

    Two states told a Fourth Circuit panel on Tuesday that "silence" in the law governing the federal government's drug discount program permits state enforcers to step in and regulate the delivery of those drugs to their communities.

  • September 09, 2025

    5th Circ. Says ConocoPhillips Can Arbitrate FLSA Suit

    The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday ruled that a former ConocoPhillips safety consultant must arbitrate claims in his proposed collective action that accuses the oil and natural gas company of not paying overtime wages, saying in an unpublished opinion that the consultant entered into an agreement that incorporated an arbitration provision.

  • September 09, 2025

    Investor Tells Texas Justices UDF Claims Aren't Derivative

    The Texas Supreme Court on Tuesday pressed an alternative investment firm to explain how its suit against an adviser to a fund at the center of a $100 million, decadelong Ponzi scheme would not be classified as a derivative action, asking what distinct injury allows the firm to sue individually.

  • September 09, 2025

    DC Circ. Talks 'Hypos' On Maritime Refusal To Deal Challenge

    The D.C. Circuit is set to decide whether a rule that the Federal Maritime Commission passed to deal with COVID-19 supply line shortages allows the agency to engage in illegal rate-setting after spending part of its morning hammering the parties with hypotheticals.

  • September 09, 2025

    6th Circ. Revives Prisoner's Claim Over 'Cold Fan' Punishment

    The Sixth Circuit on Tuesday partially revived a civil rights lawsuit brought by an incarcerated person in Michigan, finding that his First Amendment rights were violated and he was retaliated against for complaining about an industrial fan that blew excessively cold air into his cell.

  • September 09, 2025

    7th Circ. Doubts Proof In Chicago Cop's COVID-19 Death Case

    A Seventh Circuit panel seemed unconvinced Tuesday that a Chicago police officer's widow has enough evidence to go to trial on claims that he contracted COVID-19 and died days later because his superiors never responded to his work accommodation request.

  • September 09, 2025

    Wash. Appeals Court Won't Revive Phish Concert Assault Suit

    A Washington state appeals court declined Tuesday to renew two concert attendees' personal injury suit against Phish and Live Nation after they were injured by rocks during a 2018 show, finding they failed to show the band and venue manager could have foreseen the "random attacks."

  • September 09, 2025

    NFL Insists Ex-Raiders Coach Case Belongs In Arbitration

    The NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell have urged the Nevada Supreme Court to reconsider its decision to keep out of arbitration a lawsuit filed by former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden accusing the league of character assassination, arguing that the current ruling "would have destabilizing consequences" for contract negotiations in a number of industries.

  • September 09, 2025

    Colo. Justices Rule Interest Not Covered By $1M Med Mal Cap

    The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that the state's $1 million cap on medical malpractice damages doesn't encompass certain interest awards when the so-called good cause exception applies, in a suit accusing a doctor of causing a baby's severe brain injury.

  • September 09, 2025

    11th Circ. Won't Rehear Bakery's $15.6M Union Pension Row

    An Eleventh Circuit panel is standing by its decision to make a wholesale bakery pay up to $15.6 million after withdrawing from a union pension fund, saying Tuesday that it won't rehear the case.

  • September 09, 2025

    5th Circ. Says Jarkesy Doesn't Doom OCC Enforcement Action

    A Fifth Circuit panel has upheld industry bans and $250,000 fines against two former top executives of a failed Texas bank, rejecting their bid to overturn an Office of the Comptroller of the Currency enforcement order, finding that the OCC's in-house proceedings and ordered sanctions did not violate the executives' constitutional right to a jury trial.

  • September 09, 2025

    Atty Flashes Weed In NC High Court To Challenge Odor Test

    A defense attorney on Tuesday pulled out a bag of weed in front of North Carolina's seven justices and a courtroom full of sheriffs to illustrate the outcome of letting officers conduct warrantless searches based on the smell of pot alone, saying such a test doesn't work in the age of legalized hemp.

  • September 09, 2025

    Mich. Appeals Court Unsure It Can Force Through Stalled Bills

    A Michigan state appeals court panel wrestled Tuesday with whether courts have the power to compel members of the state's House of Representatives to deliver to the governor legislation that was passed last year by their political opponents.

  • September 09, 2025

    7 Enviro Cases To Watch At The Supreme Court

    The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a slew of environmental cases for the coming term, including jurisdiction disputes in pipeline and pollution cases, a challenge to a Washington state climate change law and Monsanto's bid to undo a $1.2 million weed killer cancer award.

  • September 09, 2025

    Pa. Panel Won't Nix Hospice Co. COVID Infection Suit

    A Pennsylvania Superior Court on Tuesday refused to throw out a suit by an elderly couple alleging a physical therapist and her employer negligently infected them with COVID-19, finding the claims are not blocked by federal health emergency laws.

  • September 09, 2025

    7th Circ. Questions Decertifying Amazon Makeup Try-On Class

    Two judges on a Seventh Circuit panel seemed skeptical Tuesday that individual location questions or the risk of a substantial damages award require reversing a district court decision certifying a 160,000-member class in a biometric privacy suit targeting a virtual makeup try-on feature in Amazon's app.

  • September 09, 2025

    Calif. Bashes EPA's Effort To Toss Truck Emissions Petitions

    California, along with a group of states and cities, urged the Ninth Circuit on Monday to reject the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's motion to dismiss petitions challenging Clean Air Act waivers allowing the Golden State to make its own truck emissions standards, saying separate litigation should first play out.

  • September 09, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs Texas University In Medical Leave Suit

    The Fifth Circuit upheld Texas Christian University's win over a former employee's lawsuit claiming she was fired for taking medical leave, saying she failed to show she was eligible for federally protected time off to take care of her mental health.

  • September 09, 2025

    Omni Must Pay Atty Fees Over 'Troubling' Conduct In FCA Suit

    A Massachusetts federal judge has ordered a medical practice to pay legal fees to a lab it accused of False Claims Act violations, ruling its claims were "clearly vexatious" because the provider knowingly ordered medically unnecessary tests to support its suit.

  • September 09, 2025

    Wash. Justices Doubt Amazon's Stance On Chemical Suicides

    Washington Supreme Court justices hinted on Tuesday at reviving a series of lawsuits against Amazon for allowing online sales of a chemical used in suicides, suggesting the plaintiff families' cases are strengthened by the alleged promotion of a suicide manual on the product page for sodium nitrite.

Expert Analysis

  • M&A Ruling Reinforces High Bar For Aiding, Abetting Claims

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    The Delaware Supreme Court's recent decision in In re: Columbia Pipeline may slow the filing of aiding and abetting claims against third-party buyers in situations where buyers negotiate aggressively, putting buy-side dealmakers' minds at ease that they likely won't be liable for seeking the best possible deal, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • What To Expect As Calif. Justices Weigh Arbitration Fee Law

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    If the California Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in Hohenshelt v. Superior Court holds that the Federal Arbitration Act does not preempt the California Arbitration Act's strict fee deadlines, employers and businesses could lose the right to arbitrate over minor procedural delays, say attorneys at Bird Marella.

  • 2 Circuit Court Rulings Offer A Class Certification Primer

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    Two recent decisions from the Third and Sixth Circuits provide guidance on the rigorous analysis of predominance that courts might require for class certification, and insights into how defendants might oppose or narrow potential class actions, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Supreme Court's Criminal Law Decisions: The Term In Review

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    Though the U.S. Supreme Court’s criminal law decisions in its recently concluded term proved underwhelming by many measures, their opinions revealed trends in how the justices approach criminal cases and offered reminders for practitioners, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    The Legal Education Status Quo Is No Longer Tenable

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    As underscored by the fallout from California’s February bar exam, legal education and licensure are tethered to outdated systems, and the industry must implement several key reforms to remain relevant and responsive to 21st century legal needs, says Matthew Nehmer at The Colleges of Law.

  • 2nd Circ. Reinforces Consensus On Vacating Foreign Awards

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    In Molecular Dynamics v. Spectrum Dynamics Medical, the Second Circuit recently affirmed that federal district courts do not possess subject matter jurisdiction to vacate foreign arbitral awards, strengthening this consensus across the circuits most active in recognition and enforcement actions, says Ed Mullins at Reed Smith.

  • What Dismissal Rulings May Mean For ERISA Forfeiture Cases

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    Following an influx of Employee Retirement Income Security Act class actions challenging the long-standing practice of plan sponsors using plan forfeitures to offset employer contributions, recent motion to dismiss rulings and a U.S. Department of Labor amicus brief may encourage more courts to reject plaintiffs' forfeiture theories, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Justices' Age Verification Ruling May Lead To More State Laws

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton ruling, permitting a Texas law requiring certain websites to verify users’ ages, significantly expands states' ability to regulate minors’ social media access, further complicating the patchwork of internet privacy laws, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Relevance Redactions

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    In recent cases addressing redactions that parties sought to apply based on the relevance of information — as opposed to considerations of privilege — courts have generally limited a party’s ability to withhold nonresponsive or irrelevant material, providing a few lessons for discovery strategy, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Opinion

    Section 1983 Has Promise After End Of Nationwide Injunctions

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    After the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down the practice of nationwide injunctions in Trump v. Casa, Section 1983 civil rights suits can provide a better pathway to hold the government accountable — but this will require reforms to qualified immunity, says Marc Levin at the Council on Criminal Justice.

  • Reel Justice: 'Oh, Hi!' Teaches Attys To Return To The Statute

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    The new dark comedy film “Oh, Hi!” — depicting a romantic vacation that turns into an inadvertent kidnapping — should remind criminal practitioners to always reread the statute to avoid assumptions, meet their ethical duties and finesse their trial strategy, says Veronica Finkelstein at Wilmington University School of Law.

  • Patent Ambiguity Persists After Justices Nix Eligibility Appeal

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    The Supreme Court recently declined to revisit the contentious framework governing patent eligibility by denying certiorari in Audio Evolution Diagnostics v. U.S., suggesting a necessary recalibration of both patent application and litigation strategies, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Justices' Decision Axing Retiree's ADA Claim Offers Clarity

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's holding in Stanley v. City of Sanford that protections under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act don't extend to retirees potentially limits liability by giving employers additional support to challenge complaints, and highlights the need for proactive policy management to mitigate risk, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • Fed. Circ. In June: Transitional Phrases In Patent Claims

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    The Federal Circuit's recent decision in Eye Therapies v. Slayback Pharma takes on the rarely addressed topic of transitional phrases in patent claims, providing some useful lessons regarding restating claim language and broadly distinguishing prior art, say attorneys at Knobbe Martens.

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