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Appellate

  • August 13, 2025

    Mich. Tribe Asks High Court To Undo Great Lakes Fishing Pact

    A Michigan tribe is asking the Supreme Court to overturn a Sixth Circuit decision to uphold a 2023 decree governing fishery management in the Great Lakes, saying the document was negotiated over its objections, restricts its treaty rights and will micromanage the waters for the next quarter-century.

  • August 13, 2025

    6th Circ. Clarifies Class Cert. Standard In FirstEnergy Suit

    A class of FirstEnergy investors suing in the wake of a $1 billion bribery scandal should not have been certified, the Sixth Circuit ruled Wednesday, saying the district court applied the wrong standard, but indicated the class could be recertified on remand.

  • August 13, 2025

    4th, 11th Circs. Shoot Down Local Gov't Cell Tower Denials

    Both the Fourth and the Eleventh Circuits issued decisions Wednesday allowing cell tower companies to move forward with projects over the objections of local governments that denied them permission.

  • August 13, 2025

    Ga. Defends Polling Place Food And Water Ban At 11th Circ.

    The state of Georgia urged the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to restore a ban on handing out food and water to voters in line after it was partially blocked by a federal district judge, telling a panel that the First Amendment controversy over the restriction shouldn't outweigh the state's interest in maintaining order at polling places.

  • August 13, 2025

    Mich. Panel Says Teen's 67-Year Term 'Does Not Pass Muster'

    A Michigan man who was sentenced to at least 67 years in prison for crimes allegedly committed when he was 17 will be resentenced after a state appeals court ruled the punishment was unconstitutionally long.

  • August 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Greenlights Expansive Use Of Discovery Statute

    The Ninth Circuit ruled for the first time that documents produced under a foreign discovery statute may be used in proceedings other than those identified in a petition, affirming an Oregon federal court decision in an acrimonious dispute over control of a Luxembourg-based investment fund.

  • August 13, 2025

    2nd Circ. Affirms Indemnity Ruling In Still-Pending Injury Row

    A New York federal court didn't err in declaring that a subcontractor's insurer had a duty to indemnify a property owner in a worker's construction injury lawsuit that is still pending, the Second Circuit affirmed Wednesday, even though the underlying court later found the original indemnity agreement invalid.

  • August 13, 2025

    Edible Arrangements Asks 11th Circ. To Revive Trademark Suit

    Attorneys for Edible Arrangements on Wednesday urged the Eleventh Circuit to overturn the dismissal of its trademark infringement suit against 1-800-Flowers, arguing a lower court wrongly found the action was barred by a prior settlement between the parties related to similar conduct.

  • August 13, 2025

    Trump Admin Bid To Kill SSA Data Suit Ruled Premature

    The Trump administration can't fight an injunction in Maryland federal court and the Fourth Circuit simultaneously, a Maryland federal judge said Wednesday, tabling the administration's dismissal bid while the Fourth Circuit considers whether to lift a ban on the Department of Government Efficiency accessing unredacted Social Security data.

  • August 13, 2025

    8th Circ. Revives Ark. Ban On Youth Gender-Affirming Care

    A split Eighth Circuit en banc panel revived an Arkansas state law banning gender-affirming care for minors, finding that a district court erred in blocking the law because it does not discriminate based on sex but instead classifies based only on age and medical procedure.

  • August 13, 2025

    DC Circ. Greenlights Trump's Freeze On Foreign Aid

    A divided D.C. Circuit on Wednesday lifted an injunction requiring the Trump administration to release funding for foreign aid work done before Feb. 13, with a dissenting judge saying the decision lets the administration sidestep judicial review of unconstitutional actions.

  • August 13, 2025

    10th Circ. Orders Redo Of 14-Year Fentanyl Sentence

    The 10th Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a man's criminal conviction for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl but ordered a Wyoming federal court to redo his sentencing, saying in a published opinion that the lower court relied on unreliable hearsay from a confidential source.

  • August 13, 2025

    Wash. Court Allows Vacated Conviction DNA To Prove Rape

    A Washington state appeals court on Wednesday affirmed a sentence of up to life in prison for a man convicted of rape, finding the state could use DNA taken from him in connection with a vacated drug conviction to match forensic evidence because state law permitted testing any sample in possession to solve crimes.

  • August 13, 2025

    Fla. Court Rules 50% Property Transfer Resets Tax Cap

    A Florida appeals court ruled Wednesday that the transfer of 50% ownership of a commercial property constituted a change of ownership under state law, making the property ineligible for the 10% annual cap on any increase in assessed value for property tax purposes.

  • August 13, 2025

    Cannabis' Social Equity Efforts In Doubt After 2nd Circ. Ruling

    A Second Circuit decision Tuesday, finding that the Constitution's dormant commerce clause applies to the federally illegal marijuana industry, further constricts states' ability to implement programs intended to award so-called social equity licenses favoring those harmed by past cannabis prohibition, experts told Law360.

  • August 13, 2025

    High Court Asked To Review Marking Tape Patent Fight

    The inventor of a patent covering a type of marking tape wants the U.S. Supreme Court to take up his challenge to a Federal Circuit ruling that the patent is invalid, saying issues related to jurisdiction need the high court's attention.

  • August 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Review $23M GEO Detainee Pay Ruling

    A deeply divided Ninth Circuit on Wednesday denied private detention operator GEO Group's request to review the appellate court's decision upholding $23 million in judgments against the company over its failure to pay detainees minimum wage for work behind bars.

  • August 13, 2025

    Fla. Court Affirms New Trial Over Boxer's Parking Brawl

    A Florida appeals court Wednesday affirmed a decision to grant plaintiffs who sued pro boxer Shakur Stevenson over a parking garage brawl a new trial because of comments made by Stevenson's counsel during closing argument that impugned the credibility of the plaintiffs' lawyers.

  • August 13, 2025

    Decision In $50B Yukos Case Raises Interesting Question

    The D.C. Circuit's decision last week reviving Russia's bid to escape litigation to enforce $50 billion in arbitral awards has raised what experts say remains a "very open" question — are U.S. courts obligated to defer to foreign courts that affirm an arbitral award issued under their law?

  • August 13, 2025

    11th Circ. Revives ILA Members' Nepotism Suit Against Union

    The Eleventh Circuit revived a duty of fair representation suit from members of an International Longshoremen's Association affiliate Wednesday, finding those members plausibly alleged that the local engaged in nepotism by giving hiring priority to union leaders' family and friends.

  • August 13, 2025

    5th Circ. Again Reverses Class Cert. In Kids' Medicaid Suit

    The Fifth Circuit again on Tuesday instructed a Louisiana court to narrow the definition of a class of patients who allege that the state's health department has failed to provide mental health services for Medicaid-eligible children.

  • August 13, 2025

    2nd Circ. Upholds Ban On Certain SALT Cap Workarounds

    An Internal Revenue Service rule prohibiting charitable donation workarounds to the federal cap on state and local tax deductions will remain in place, a Second Circuit panel said Wednesday, affirming a district court determination that upheld the agency's ban on the programs.

  • August 13, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Says Apple Must Face Vibration Patent Suit

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday revived claims from Taction Technology Inc. against Apple Inc. of alleged infringement of vibration technology patents, saying a district judge was wrong to disqualify testimony from Taction's expert.

  • August 13, 2025

    High Court May Take Up Ban On Under-21 Handgun Purchases

    The U.S. Supreme Court has been asked to decide whether Congress is violating the Constitution by banning the sale of handguns to people under 21 years old, and it has given the government extra time to give its thoughts on what the justices should do.

  • August 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Revive JB Hunt Drivers' Pay Plan Challenge

    J.B. Hunt can keep its win in a proposed class action that accused it of failing to pay its California drivers for all hours worked, the Ninth Circuit ruled, upholding a lower court's judgment that the company's wage scheme complies with state labor law.

Expert Analysis

  • Examining TCPA Jurisprudence A Year After Loper Bright

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    One year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, lower court decisions demonstrate that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act will continue to evolve as long-standing interpretations of the act are analyzed with a fresh lens, says Aaron Gallardo at Kilpatrick.

  • Gauging The Risky Business Of Business Risk Disclosures

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    With the recent rise of securities fraud actions based on external events — like a data breach or environmental disaster — that drive down stock prices, risk disclosures have become more of a sword for the plaintiffs bar than a shield for public companies, now the subject of a growing circuit split, say attorneys at A&O Shearman.

  • How Justices' Ruling Limits Options To Challenge DHS Orders

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    In Riley v. Bondi, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that a 30-day deadline for challenging deportation orders begins when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issues a final administrative review order, opening the door for the government to effectively bar circuit court review in future similar cases, says Kevin Gregg at Kurzban Kurzban.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Purdue Case Could Transform Patent Obviousness Analyses

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    If accepted for review by the U.S. Supreme Court, Purdue Pharma v. Accord Healthcare — concerning whether Purdue's abuse-deterrent opioid formulation patents were invalid as obvious — could significantly shift how courts weigh secondary considerations in patent obviousness analyses, say attorneys at Lathrop.

  • NM Cyber Ruling Will Spur Litigation As Coverage Remedy

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    In Kane v. Beazley, the New Mexico Court of Appeals recently found that a cyber liability provision insuring security breaches included coverage for funds transfer fraud, implicitly and incorrectly motivating policyholders to commence litigation to avoid contractual limitations on cyber coverages, say attorneys at Zelle.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • Texas' Cactus Ruling Clarifies 'Produced Water' Rules

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    The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating, holding that mineral interest lessees have the rights to water extracted alongside oil and gas, should benefit industry players by clarifying the rules — but it leaves important questions about royalties unresolved, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • 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.

  • How High Court Ruling Can Aid Judgment Enforcement In US

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    In CC/Devas (Mauritius) v. Antrix, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that only two steps are required to keep a foreign sovereign in federal court, making it a little easier for investors to successfully bring foreign states and sovereign-owned and -controlled entities into U.S. courts, says Kristie Blase at Felicello Law.

  • What High Court's Tenn. Trans Care Ruling Means Nationally

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti, upholding a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors, is fairly limited in scope and closely tailored to the specific language of Tennessee's law, but it may have implications for challenges to similar laws in other states, say attorneys at Hall Render.

  • Justices Rewrite Rules For Challenging Enviro Agency Actions

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    Three recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings — Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, Oklahoma v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and EPA v. Calumet Shreveport Refining — form a jurisprudential watershed in administrative and environmental law, affirming statutory standing and venue provisions as the backbone of coherent judicial review, say attorneys at GableGotwals.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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