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Appellate

  • June 20, 2025

    8th Circ. Sends SEC's $12M Dealer Suit Back To District Court

    The Eighth Circuit on Friday granted a request from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to remand a $12 million unregistered dealer judgment the agency won against financial firm Carebourn Capital LP back to the district court, despite Carebourn's bid to keep the matter in the federal appeals court.

  • June 20, 2025

    Fla. Panel Reverses Life Sentence In Carjacking Case

    A Florida appellate court reversed a life sentence for a man convicted of felony battery and carjacking, saying the lower court wrongly believed it didn't have the discretion to impose a lighter punishment.

  • June 20, 2025

    EPA Told To Explain Its Crop-Based Fuel Standards

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday returned a mixed opinion on challenges from green groups to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2023-2025 renewable fuel standards, upholding the agency's volume-setting process but ruling that its climate change analysis was arbitrary and capricious under the Clean Air Act.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Backs 'Legitimate' Bar Membership Admission Rules

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday tossed a challenge to local rules in district courts in the circuit requiring lawyers to be bar members in the state where the court is located in order to seek general admission, saying admission rules aren't unconstitutional and there are several "legitimate reasons" for the rule.

  • June 20, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Revives MSN Challenge To Bausch IBS Drug Patent

    The Federal Circuit has instructed the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to take another crack at evaluating the validity of a drug patent owned by Bausch Health Ireland Ltd., holding that the PTAB's initial decision lacked the detail needed to determine whether it was right or wrong.

  • June 20, 2025

    2nd Circ. Affirms End Of NFL Meta Pixel Code Privacy Suit

    The Second Circuit on Friday declined to revive a New York federal lawsuit against the NFL over its use of Meta's tracking pixel on its website, finding an ordinary person would not be able to decipher the information collected.

  • June 20, 2025

    Board Says Cuban Parole Bid Can't End Removal Case

    The Board of Immigration Appeals held Friday that an immigration judge should not have terminated a noncitizen's removal proceedings so he could seek to adjust status under the Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act, saying the individual's eligibility was too speculative to warrant termination.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Finds Calif. One-Gun-A-Month Law Unconstitutional

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday struck down California's so-called one-gun-a-month law, finding that it violates the Second Amendment by categorically preventing state residents from buying more than one firearm every 30 days.

  • June 20, 2025

    Off The Bench: Lakers Sale, NASCAR Antitrust, NIL Appeals

    In this week's Off The Bench, the Lakers fetch a $10 billion valuation as a new owner takes control of the franchise, a federal judge urges litigants in the NASCAR antitrust brawl to settle, and appeals pile up against the NCAA's landmark $2.78 billion athlete compensation settlement.

  • June 20, 2025

    Wash. Municipal Judge Fights State Board's Removal Petition

    A suspended Washington municipal court judge has urged the state Supreme Court to reject a judicial board's recommendation that she be removed from the bench for allegedly mistreating staff and attorneys, saying she has been unfairly punished for her former attorney's actions "in a racially charged environment."

  • June 20, 2025

    DC Circ. Revives Challenge To Noncitizen Voting Law

    A D.C. Circuit panel on Friday reopened a lawsuit challenging a Washington, D.C., law that permits noncitizen Washingtonians to vote in local elections, saying the suit's claims of vote dilution were enough to establish standing.

  • June 20, 2025

    Texas Panel Blocks San Antonio's Abortion Travel Funding

    A Texas appellate court blocked the city of San Antonio from going forward with a program that included funding for out-of-state travel for abortions, finding that the state has the right to challenge the program even though the funding has not yet been spent.

  • June 20, 2025

    Tech Firm Says AI Case Puts Patent Law At 'Breaking Point'

    An analytics firm has told the Federal Circuit that a case involving machine learning patents pushes patent eligibility jurisprudence to "its breaking point," asking for the full circuit to hear the case after a panel ruled that its patents for using machine learning to schedule TV broadcasts were invalid.

  • June 20, 2025

    Texas Justices Pass On USA Today, Tax Firm Defamation Fight

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday declined to take up a venue dispute in a defamation suit against USA Today over a 2021 investigative series into tax services and technology company Ryan LLC.

  • June 20, 2025

    New Trial Ordered Over $25M Fee Split In Verizon Injury Case

    A New Jersey appellate panel has ordered a new jury trial to decide how to split a $25 million fee award stemming from a $125 million personal injury settlement with Verizon, finding several errors in a previous lower court bench trial.

  • June 20, 2025

    DC Circ. Rejects Chicago Suburbs' Rail Merger Challenge

    A D.C. Circuit panel has rejected a petition from Chicago suburbs that are challenging the approval of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd.'s $31 billion merger with Kansas City Southern Railway Co., finding that regulators addressed the environmental and other concerns the communities raised.

  • June 20, 2025

    Liberty Mutual Off Hook For Tow Charge After Fatal Crash

    Liberty Mutual is not responsible for $118,290 a Massachusetts towing company tried to collect in storage charges for a vehicle that was evidence in a fatal car accident, the state's highest court concluded Friday.

  • June 20, 2025

    3rd Circ. Deems Immunity Defense Premature For Jailers

    The Third Circuit has ruled that a lower court properly kept Bucks County, Pennsylvania, corrections officers in a lawsuit accusing them of repeatedly pepper-spraying and restraining a mentally ill pretrial detainee, holding that more information was needed before a final determination could be made on immunity.

  • June 20, 2025

    Textron Says NC Biz Certificate Doesn't Signal Jurisdiction

    Textron Inc. has made a final plea for the North Carolina Court of Appeals to expel it from a products liability lawsuit stemming from a private plane crash, denouncing its opponent's claim that the conglomerate can be "hauled" into court in the Tar Heel State merely because it's registered to do business there.

  • June 20, 2025

    1st Circ. Blocks Swiss Arbitration Of Au Pair Wage Claims

    A Massachusetts-based au pair agency cannot enforce a Swiss arbitration requirement included in a contract that childcare workers signed with a separate European company, the First Circuit has determined.

  • June 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Allows Trump To Federalize National Guard In LA

    The Ninth Circuit ruled that President Donald Trump can federalize the California National Guard while the state's lawsuit challenging his mobilization of the troops in Los Angeles plays out, saying the president likely acted under statutory authority that Congress granted.

  • June 20, 2025

    Top Court Limits Sentencing Factors For Release Violations

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday limited what factors district judges may consider when sentencing defendants for violating the terms of supervised release, vacating the Sixth Circuit's findings that allowed lower courts to undertake the same analysis for revocation proceedings as primary sentencings.

  • June 20, 2025

    Justices Let E-Cig Retailers Join Challenge To FDA Prohibition

    The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that e-cigarette retailers can challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's denial of product marketing applications, finding manufacturers aren't the only entities that can be adversely affected by the agency's decisions.

  • June 20, 2025

    Supreme Court Affirms Anti-Terror Law

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday unanimously affirmed the constitutionality of a 2019 law ending a jurisdictional hurdle for lawsuits stemming from terrorist attacks in Israel and the Palestinian territories, holding that the law's personal jurisdiction provision does not violate the Fifth Amendment.

  • June 20, 2025

    High Court Says FCC Orders Not Above District Court Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled that district courts should be allowed to question the slate of regulations that the Federal Communications Commission has issued under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, further constricting the power of federal agencies to interpret laws.

Expert Analysis

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Spearin, Overpayments, Jurisdiction

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    Edward Arnold at Seyfarth examines three recent decisions addressing the limits of the Spearin doctrine in design-build contracts, the government's ability to recoup overpayments after a termination for convenience, and the Contract Disputes Act's strict and nonwaivable jurisdictional rules.

  • What Calif. Appeals Split Means For Litigating PAGA Claims

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    After two recent California state appeals court rulings diverged on whether a former employee with untimely individual claims under the Private Attorneys General Act can maintain a representative action, practitioners' strategic agility will be key to managing risk and achieving favorable outcomes in PAGA litigation, say attorneys at Buchalter.

  • Series

    Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.

  • NY Case Shows How LLC Agreements Can Be Amended

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    The New York Court of Appeals in Behler v. Tao recently held that a merger clause contained in an amended limited liability company agreement superseded and extinguished an alleged oral agreement between the parties, highlighting the importance of determining early how and when an LLC agreement may be amended, says Kerrin Klein at Olshan Frome.

  • If Justices Accept, Maxwell Case May Clarify Meaning Of 'US'

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    If the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to take up Ghislaine Maxwell’s appeal, it could clarify the meaning of “United States” in the context of plea agreements, and a plain language interpretation of the term would offer criminal defendants fairness and finality, say attorneys at Kudman Trachten.

  • The State Of Play In Copyright Protection For Floor Plans

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    With questions over copyright protections for floor plans potentially teed up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, attorneys in the real estate industry should take steps to clarify and strengthen clients' rights and reduce the risk of litigation, says Dylan I. Scher at Quinn Emanuel.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

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    New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Opinion

    Legacy Of 3 Justices Should Guide Transgender Rights Ruling

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    Three Republican-appointed U.S. Supreme Court justices — Anthony Kennedy, Sandra Day O'Connor and David Souter — gave rise to a jurisprudence of personal liberty that courts today invoke to protect gender-affirming care, and with the court now poised to decide U.S. v. Skrmetti, it must follow the path that they set, says Greg Fosheim at McDermott.

  • How IPR Estoppel Ruling May Clash With PTAB Landscape

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    Though the Federal Circuit's narrowing of inter partes review estoppel in Ingenico v. Ioengine might encourage more petitions, tougher standards for discretionary denial established by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office could be a counterbalancing factor, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • Texas Ruling Emphasizes Limits Of Franchisors' Liability

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    The Texas Supreme Court's recent ruling in Massage Heights Franchising v. Hagman, holding that a franchisor was not liable to a customer for the actions of a franchisee's employee, helps clarify the relative roles and responsibilities of the parties in such situations — and the limits of franchisors' duty of care, say attorneys at Polsinelli.

  • How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

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    As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • Justices' Charter School Tie Delays Church-State Reckoning

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent deadlock in Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board v. Drummond, blocking the creation of the nation’s first religious charter school, preserved the separation of church and state for now, but offered little reassurance about its continued viability, says Jeffrey Sultanik at Fox Rothschild.

  • When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility

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    As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.

  • Florida Case Could Redefine Construction Defect Damages

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    If a Florida appellate court overturns the trial court in a pending construction contract dispute, the state could experience a seismic shift in construction defect damages, effectively leaving homeowners and developers with an incomplete remedy, says Andrew Gold at Akerman.

  • 2 NY Rulings May Stem Foreign Co. Derivative Suits

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    In recent decades, shareholders have challenged the internal affairs doctrine by bringing a series of derivative actions in New York state court on behalf of foreign corporations, but the New York Court of Appeals' recent rulings in Ezrasons v. Rudd and Haussmann v. Baumann should slow that trend, say attorneys at Cleary.

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