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Environmental
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September 04, 2025
Feds Sue SoCal Edison Over Eaton, Fairview Wildfires
The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday sued Southern California Edison, seeking a combined $77 million in a pair of lawsuits alleging that its negligence in maintaining its infrastructure caused the catastrophic Eaton wildfire in January and devastating Fairview fire in 2022.
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September 04, 2025
Unions Defend Challenge To Federal Work Safety Agency Cuts
Unions representing nurses, teachers, miners and factory workers have asked a Washington, D.C., federal judge to preserve their challenge to the Trump administration's cuts to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, saying they have standing to sue because they "rely on NIOSH's lifesaving work."
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September 04, 2025
Wash. Justices To Review Voter Measure Backing Natural Gas
The Washington State Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on a dispute over a law approved by voters that prevents local governments and code officials in the state from passing rules restricting or discouraging the use of natural gas.
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September 04, 2025
Cube Highways Trust Mulls $600M IPO, Plus More Rumors
Indian infrastructure investment trust Cube Highways Trust is considering a $600 million initial public offering, premium diaper brand Coterie is in talks to be acquired by consumer goods business Mammoth Brands, and European antitrust regulators have reportedly paused their investigation into ADNOC's $17.1 billion acquisition of German chemicals producer Covestro.
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September 03, 2025
Ga. County Can't Recoup Bio-Lab Emergency Response Costs
A Georgia federal judge said a metro Atlanta county can't recover its emergency services expenses in responding to the massive Bio-Lab chemical plant fire last year, but left the door open for the county to win damages from the resulting economic fallout of the disaster.
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September 03, 2025
How Morgan & Morgan Got Ousted As Top Federal Tort Filer
Heavyweight injury firm Morgan & Morgan PA was ousted from the top spot for most federal court filings in the past three years thanks to more than 2,000 individual cases filed in Mississippi over drinking water there, according to a new analysis by Lex Machina, whose rich trend data also shows how other firms fared over the same period.
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September 03, 2025
DOI Casino Approval Overturned For Ignoring Tribal Input
The U.S. Department of the Interior went beyond its authority and failed to properly consult with another local tribe when it approved the Koi Nation's plan to build a casino on newly acquired trust land, a California federal judge has ruled.
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September 03, 2025
Ex-Latham Atty Who Quit Over Trump Deal Joins Stoel Rives
Former BigLaw associate Sam Wong, who publicly quit Latham & Watkins LLP earlier this year in response to a deal it reached with the Trump administration to avoid executive orders targeting the firm, said he has joined Stoel Rives LLP, where he will be advising clients on energy projects, regulatory matters and more.Â
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September 03, 2025
Feds Move To Sink Mass. Offshore Wind Farm Approval
The federal government said Wednesday it will yank approval for a Massachusetts offshore wind farm 20 miles south of Martha's Vineyard, the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to stymie U.S. offshore wind development.
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September 03, 2025
Enviro Groups Urge 11th Circ. To Keep Detention Center Shut
Seven environmental groups filed an amicus brief Tuesday in the appeal of an order shutting down an Everglades immigration detention center, arguing that the district court was right to enjoin the center because the federal government failed to fulfill its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act.
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September 03, 2025
9th Circ. Upholds Ruling Against Wash. Tribe's Fishing Claims
A Ninth Circuit panel Wednesday affirmed a lower court's ruling that determined a Washington tribe fell short of its evidentiary burden to establish that a 19th century treaty included its customary fishing grounds near the Puget Sound after vacating the dispute for further review last year.
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September 03, 2025
4th Circ. Says Md. Immunity Doesn't Apply In Tugboat Case
The Fourth Circuit said Wednesday that a tugboat owner's petition seeking to limit its liability over a 2015 accident involving Maryland's Nanticoke River Memorial Bridge does not infringe on the state's sovereign immunity, so it can proceed in the district court.
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September 03, 2025
Feds Seek $140M Fine For Mich. Energy Co. Over Air Pollution
The federal government on Tuesday advocated for $140 million in penalties for a Michigan energy company the government alleges shares responsibility for air pollution resulting from coke production, while the energy company maintained it tried to comply with the state-issued permit, in briefs filed this week ahead of a bench trial later this month.
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September 03, 2025
9th Circ. Saves Tribes' Cultural Superfund Claims Against Teck
The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday revived the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation's natural resource damages claims against Teck Cominco Metals Ltd. for the company's alleged pollution of the Columbia River.
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September 03, 2025
Wash. Court Pressed To Immediately End EV Funding Freeze
Clean energy advocates have urged a Washington federal judge to wipe out the Trump administration's decision to freeze funding for new electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, saying the government can't be allowed to drag its feet on a pledge to restore funding.
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September 03, 2025
EPA Withdraws Slaughterhouse Water Pollution Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday withdrew a Biden-era proposal that would have imposed stricter water discharge regulations on meat and poultry slaughtering, processing and rendering facilities across the country.
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September 03, 2025
Calif. Senate Panel OKs Property Tax Break For Tribes
Native American tribes in California would be eligible for open space exemptions to property taxes under legislation approved by a state Senate panel that's heading for a final vote.
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September 02, 2025
DC Circ. Says EPA Can Freeze Climate Grant Funds
A D.C. Circuit panel vacated an injunction on Tuesday ordering Citibank to relinquish grant funding frozen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, finding green groups are not likely to succeed on the merits of their "essentially contractual" claims.
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September 02, 2025
Two Unions Fight Trump Order Ending Labor Rights
Unions representing thousands of employees of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Weather Service challenged in a lawsuit Tuesday in D.C. federal court an executive order by President Donald Trump ending their collective bargaining agreements.Â
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September 02, 2025
11th Circ. Affirms Slashing Ex-Braves' $47M Easement Break
A $47 million conservation easement deduction for a partnership founded by two former Atlanta Braves players was overvalued, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tuesday, saying none of the partnership's arguments undermined the U.S. Tax Court's finding that the easement property was worth far less than it claimed.
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September 02, 2025
Dow Faces Investor Suit Over Tariff-Related Disclosures
Raw materials supplier Dow Chemical Co. has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging its decision to reduce shareholder payouts earlier this year contradicted its earlier claims of its ability to withstand economic uncertainty, including tariffs.
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September 02, 2025
Judge Dumps Challenge To Portland Fuel Terminal Ban
An Oregon federal judge on Tuesday tossed a lawsuit challenging a ban on new oil and gas terminals in Portland, Oregon, agreeing that the state of Montana and fuel industry groups failed to show that the ordinance is unconstitutional.
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September 02, 2025
FERC Faces 4th Circ. Heat Over Grid Policy Revamp
A coalition of utilities and Republican-led states have told the Fourth Circuit that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent overhaul of its regional transmission policy exceeds its authority, while consumer and clean energy advocates said that the agency didn't go far enough.
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September 02, 2025
Md. Says Liability Shield Doesn't Apply To Dali Ship Manager
The state of Maryland, injured plaintiffs and other claimants have told a federal judge that the manager of the container ship that slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge last year cannot invoke a nearly two centuries old maritime law to limit its liability for the wreck.
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September 02, 2025
Plains Takes Majority Stake In EPIC Crude In $1.57B Deal
Plains All American Pipeline said Tuesday that a subsidiary has agreed to acquire a 55% non-operated stake in EPIC Crude Holdings LP, owner of the EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline, from subsidiaries of Diamondback Energy and Kinetik Holdings in a deal valued at about $1.57 billion, including roughly $600 million of debt.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients
Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.
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Justices' NRC Ruling Raises New Regulatory Questions
In Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court avoided ruling on the NRC's authority to license private, temporary nuclear waste storage facilities — and this failure to reach the merits question creates new regulatory uncertainty where none had existed for decades, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
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3 Judicial Approaches To Applying Loper Bright, 1 Year Later
In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in its Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision, a few patterns have emerged in lower courts’ application of the precedent to determine whether agency actions are lawful, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.
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Bill Leaves Renewable Cos. In Dark On Farmland Reporting
A U.S. Senate bill to update disclosure requirements for foreign control of U.S. farmland does not provide much-needed guidance on how to report renewable energy development on agricultural property, leaving significant compliance risks for project developers, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.
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Series
Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm
My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.
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Opinion
Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System
The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.
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3 Juror Psychology Principles For Expert Witness Testimony
Expert witnesses can sometimes fall into traps when trying to teach juries complex topics by failing to consider the psychology of juror comprehension, but attorneys can help witnesses avoid these pitfalls with a deeper understanding of cognitive lag, chunking and learning styles, says Steve Wood at Courtroom Sciences.
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In NRC Ruling, Justices Affirm Hearing Process Still Matters
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas safeguards the fairness, clarity and predictability of the regulatory system by affirming that to challenge an agency's decision in court, litigants must first meaningfully participate in the hearing process that Congress and the agency have established, says Jonathan Rund at the Nuclear Energy Institute.
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Series
Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer
To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.
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How Energy Cos. Can Prepare For Potential Tax Credit Cuts
The Senate Finance Committee's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill act would create a steep phaseout of renewable energy tax credits, which should prompt companies to take several actions, including conduct a project review to discern which could begin construction before the end of the year, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths
Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
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Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing
Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
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9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard
District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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Future Of Enviro Crimes Under Trump's Federal Regs Order
President Donald Trump's recent executive order about fighting overcriminalization in federal regulations creates new advocacy opportunities for defense counsel to argue that particular environmental crime investigations and matters ought to be limited or declined based on the policy priorities reflected in the order, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Series
Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer
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.