ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ

Public Policy

  • September 10, 2025

    Wis. Judicial Commission Sued Over Confidentiality Rules

    Two conservative groups have sued the Wisconsin Judicial Commission over its policy of keeping all judicial misconduct complaints strictly confidential, claiming the policy violates the First Amendment and has stymied discussion of a complaint against a sitting state judge.

  • September 10, 2025

    NC Justices Debate 2-Second Reaction Time In Crash Suit

    The North Carolina Supreme Court grappled Wednesday with whether two seconds was enough time for a town utility worker to both register and react to the fact that he was about to hit a pedestrian with his work truck.

  • September 10, 2025

    SEC Taps Gibson Atty To Head Corporation Finance Division

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday named the co-chair of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP's securities regulation practice as the new leader of its Division of Corporation Finance, which is responsible for writing rules and providing guidance to publicly traded companies on shareholder disclosure matters, among other things.

  • September 10, 2025

    Ore. County Failed To Tell Biz It Lost Tax Break, Court Says

    An Oregon meat processor was justified in failing to timely appeal property assessments because it was never notified in writing by a county assessor of its exclusion from an enterprise zone tax incentive program, the state tax court ruled.

  • 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

    AT&T Gave Prosecutor's Data To Trump-Tied Attys, Suit Says

    Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor who exited the Georgia election interference case against President Donald Trump after his romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was revealed, has accused AT&T of unlawfully releasing "breathtaking" amounts of his personal cellphone data to defendants in the case.

  • September 10, 2025

    NTIA Poised To Release First Spectrum Under New Budget Act

    The Trump administration said Wednesday it will make a chunk of spectrum used for weather monitoring available for commercial use, the first such transfer of the airwaves since Congress passed this summer's sweeping budget package.

  • 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

    Fed Reserve Gov. Cook Wins Removal Reprieve For Now

    Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook, for now, can stay on the Fed's board while she challenges President Donald Trump's attempt to strip her of her position, a D.C. federal judge ruled late Tuesday, saying Cook has "made a strong showing" that her purported removal was likely illegal.

  • September 09, 2025

    Conservative Groups Warn Against Value-Based 'Patent Tax'

    More than three dozen conservative groups Tuesday urged the U.S. Department of Commerce to refrain from considering charging patent owners a novel "patent tax" based on the value of their patents, warning that such a levy would harm innovation in the U.S., especially for emerging technologies.

  • 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

    Calif. AG Sues Over 'Uninhabitable,' 'Inhumane' LA Jails

    California Attorney General Rob Bonta has sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department over the "inhumane" and "uninhabitable" conditions at county jails, pointing to an increase in in-custody deaths and facilities that allegedly lack adequate plumbing, sanitation and temperature control.

  • September 09, 2025

    DOD's Cybersecurity Rule May Help Fend Off FCA Claims

    The U.S. Department of Defense's requirement for certain contractors to have a third-party assessor review their cybersecurity compliance, implemented in a final rule Tuesday, could help contractors protect themselves from False Claims Act enforcement.

  • 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

    FCC OKs Waivers For Smart House Locks

    The Federal Communications Commission agreed Tuesday to make some exceptions to its rules for ultra-wideband devices — specifically a requirement that they be handheld — so a pair of companies can ensure their smart locks have the agency's seal of approval.

  • September 09, 2025

    Hemp Interests Drop Challenge To Louisiana THC Law

    A cannabis industry group and a wholesaler have asked a Louisiana federal judge to dismiss their lawsuit seeking to block the state from imposing new restrictions on consumables infused with hemp-derived THC.

  • September 09, 2025

    FDIC Eases Standards For Lifting Cease-And-Desist Orders

    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is giving banks a quicker potential path out of its doghouse, rolling out a policy change that allows more flexibility to close out enforcement orders before firms have finished satisfying all their terms.

  • September 09, 2025

    Calif. Bar Seeks Justices' Clarity In Eastman Disbarment Case

    The State Bar of California asked the state's justices to affirm recommendations to disbar Donald Trump's onetime attorney John Eastman, who helped plan and promote the then-presidential candidate's strategy to overturn the 2020 election, but also review what it says are two legal errors that could "significantly impact future cases."

  • September 09, 2025

    Trump Admin Blocked From Boston Hospital Trans Care Docs

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration's bid to gain access to a wide array of documents related to gender-affirming care at Boston Children's Hospital, finding that the request is a veiled attempt to limit such care in the state.

  • September 09, 2025

    OCC Taps Cravath Atty As Principal Deputy Chief Counsel

    A former Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP corporate attorney has been tapped to serve as the principal deputy chief counsel of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, while a longtime agency official has been promoted to oversee its newly elevated chartering and licensing process, the regulator said Tuesday.

  • 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

    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.

Expert Analysis

  • A Simple Way Courts Can Help Attys Avoid AI Hallucinations

    Author Photo

    As attorneys increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence for legal research, courts should consider expanding online quality control programs to flag potential hallucinations — permitting counsel to correct mistakes and sparing judges the burden of imposing sanctions, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl and Connors.

  • Strategies For ICE Agent Misconduct Suits In The 11th Circ.

    Author Photo

    Attorneys have numerous pathways to pursue misconduct claims against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the Eleventh Circuit, and they need not wait for the court to correct its misinterpretation of a Federal Tort Claims Act exception, says Lauren Bonds at the National Police Accountability Project.

  • Opinion

    SEC Should Restore Its 2020 Proxy Adviser Rule

    Author Photo

    Due to concerns over proxy advisers' accuracy, reliability and transparency, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission should reinstate its 2020 rule designed to suppress the influence that they wield in shareholder voting, says Kyle Isakower at the American Council for Capital Formation.

  • DOJ Consumer Branch's End Leaves FDA Litigation Questions

    Author Photo

    With the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Justice's Consumer Protection Branch set to occur by Sept. 30, companies must carefully monitor how responsibility is reallocated for civil and criminal enforcement cases related to products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, say attorneys at Foley & Lardner.

  • Surveying The Changing Overdraft Fee Landscape

    Author Photo

    Despite recent federal moves that undermine consumer overdraft fee protections, last year’s increase in fee charges suggests banks will face continued scrutiny via litigation and state regulation, says Amanda Kurzendoerfer at Bates White.

  • Handling Sanctions Risk Cartel Control Brings To Mexico Port

    Author Photo

    Companies operating in or trading with Mexico should take steps to mitigate heightened exposure triggered by routine port transactions following the U.S. Treasury’s recent unequivocal statement that a foreign terrorist organization controls the port of Manzanillo, says Jeremy Paner at Hughes Hubbard.

  • The Road Ahead For Digital Assets Looks Promising

    Author Photo

    With new legislation expected to accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology, and with regulators taking a markedly more permissive approach to digital assets, the convergence of traditional finance and decentralized finance is closer than ever, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Asbestos Trusts And Tort Litigation Are Still Not Aligned

    Author Photo

    A recent ruling by a New York state court in James Petro v. Aerco International highlights the inefficiencies that still exist in asbestos litigation — especially regarding the continued lack of coordination between the asbestos tort system and the well-funded asbestos trust compensation system, says Peter Kelso at Roux.

  • Opinion

    Closing The Chemical Safety Board Is A Mistake

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which investigates the root causes of major chemical incidents, provides an essential component of worker and community safety and should not be defunded, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

  • The Evolving Legal Landscape For THC-Infused Beverages

    Author Photo

    A recent Eighth Circuit ruling, holding that states may restrict the sale of intoxicating hemp-derived products without violating federal law, combined with ongoing regulatory uncertainty at both the federal and state levels, could alter the trajectory of the THC-infused beverage market, say attorneys at Pashman Stein.

  • New NY Residential Real Estate Rules May Be Overbroad

    Author Photo

    New legislation imposing a 90-day-waiting period and tax deduction restrictions on certain New York real estate investors may have broad effects and unintended consequences, creating impediments for a wide range of corporate and other transactions, says Libin Zhang at Fried Frank.

  • Cos. Must Tailor Due Diligence As Trafficking Risks Increase

    Author Photo

    As legislators, prosecutors and plaintiffs attorneys increasingly focus on labor and sex trafficking throughout the U.S., companies must tailor their due diligence strategies to protect against forced labor trafficking risks in their supply chains, say attorneys at Steptoe.

  • Series

    Creating Botanical Art Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Opinion

    PFAS Reg Reversal Defies Water Statute, Increasing Risks

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent moves delaying the deadlines to comply with PFAS drinking water limits, and rolling back other chemical regulations, violate the Safe Drinking Water Act, and increase the likelihood that these toxins could become permanent fixtures of the water supply, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.

  • New Federal Worker Religious Protections Test All Employers

    Author Photo

    A recent Trump administration memorandum expanding federal employees' religious protections raises tough questions for all employers and signals a larger trend toward significantly expanding religious rights in the workplace, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Public Policy archive.