ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ

Public Policy

  • June 04, 2025

    Feds Say 'No Viable Path' Forward For Calif. High-Speed Rail

    The U.S. Department of Transportation said Wednesday that the California high-speed rail's overblown budget and ongoing mismanagement indicate that there's "no viable path" to completing the project on schedule, so the federal government is preparing to pull nearly $4 billion in funding.

  • June 04, 2025

    What To Know About Trump's Shake-Up At Copyright Office

    The firing of Shira Perlmutter by President Donald Trump as the head of the U.S. Copyright Office has introduced uncertainty into the agency's operations, including whether a previously unannounced report on artificial intelligence will ever be released, and set up a fight regarding the president's power to remove and replace whoever he wants without congressional input.

  • June 04, 2025

    Scalia Invoked Against Trump's Citizenship Stance At 9th Circ.

    A panel of Ninth Circuit judges scrutinized the Trump administration's take on the citizenship clause as the government argued Wednesday to preserve the president's push to curb birthright citizenship, with one judge suggesting the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia would've rejected the attempt to read "beyond the mere words" of the 14th Amendment.

  • June 04, 2025

    Bowman Confirmed As Trump's Top Banking Regulator At Fed

    Senators on Wednesday confirmed Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman to become the central bank's next vice chair for supervision, elevating the former Kansas community banker to a powerful perch overseeing many of the biggest Wall Street financial institutions.

  • June 04, 2025

    NC Governor Launches Council To Advise On Cannabis Policy

    North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Wednesday announced the creation of a state advisory council on cannabis to develop a comprehensive policy with respect to the regulation of hemp and marijuana.

  • June 04, 2025

    Judge Ponders If Netflix's Tax Theory Is 'Too Philosophical'

    A Colorado appellate judge on Wednesday wondered if Netflix's argument for why its subscriptions are not subject to state sales tax is "too philosophical" and doesn't reflect its actual transactions with customers, at a hearing in the state's appeal.

  • June 04, 2025

    3 Ways DOL Benefits Chief Nominee May Affect ERISA Cases

    A key committee will decide Thursday whether to send President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Labor’s employee benefits arm ahead for a full Senate vote, setting the stage for what attorneys expect will be an employer-friendly shift in policies. Here are three ways Daniel Aronowitz could change benefits litigation if confirmed.

  • June 04, 2025

    Judge Halts Fla. Law Over Medicaid Ballot Initiative Concerns

    A Florida federal judge on Wednesday blocked state officials from enforcing part of a new law that opponents say threatens to criminalize those collecting signatures for a 2026 ballot initiative to expand Medicaid access.

  • June 04, 2025

    FTC Fights Attys Who Want State Bar Input On Ethics Worries

    The Federal Trade Commission doesn't want staff attorneys to be able to seek state bar association guidance if they dispute the legality of an instruction, arguing in a fight with the FTC's union that seeking such guidance would gum up the gears of commission work.

  • June 04, 2025

    SEC Seeks Input On Tightening Perks For Foreign Issuers

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission agreed Wednesday to seek public input on whether foreign companies should continue to be granted accommodations to list in the U.S., noting that global markets have changed significantly since such rules were adopted.

  • June 04, 2025

    FCC Says C-Band Payment Clearinghouse Can Wind Down

    The C-Band Relocation Payment Clearinghouse has received the go-ahead from the Federal Communications Commission to wind down its operations by the end of the month, after the agency agreed it had done what it was intended to do.

  • June 04, 2025

    Justices Won't Intervene To Let Jan. 6 Cops Stay Incognito

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant an emergency stay that would have allowed current and former Seattle police officers who attended the Jan. 6, 2021, "Stop the Steal" insurrection to shield their identities from the public.

  • June 04, 2025

    ContractPodAi Launches Tariff-Focused AI Software

    Contract management software provider ContractPodAi, which offers an automated legal assistant called Leah, announced the release of a tariff-focused chatbot that tracks global tariffs and trade regulations.

  • June 04, 2025

    Steel, Aluminum Tariff Hike Casts Cloud Over US Investment

    President Donald Trump's latest tariff increases on steel and aluminum imports strengthen an existing barrier to an already duty-riddled trade environment and could put both domestic and foreign businesses' investment opportunities in the U.S. at risk, experts say.

  • June 04, 2025

    Trump Ordered To Explain Why Layoffs Don't Flout Injunction

    A California federal judge ordered the Trump administration Wednesday to explain why preparations for layoffs at the State Department and Department of Housing and Urban Development do not violate an injunction she issued last month, saying she needed more details about the agencies' plans to evaluate their compliance.

  • June 04, 2025

    Venezuelans Say End To Removal Protections Was 'Contrived'

    The National TPS Alliance and several Venezuelans have asked a California federal judge to set aside U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's vacatur of temporary protected status for Venezuela and Haiti, saying the underlying rationale is concocted.

  • June 04, 2025

    House Committee Puts Intoxicating-Hemp Ban In Spending Bill

    A U.S. House of Representatives committee on Wednesday released a spending bill that includes a major change to the statutory definition of hemp and hemp products in its agriculture appropriations that would effectively rewrite national hemp policy if it becomes law.

  • June 04, 2025

    ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ Resumes $4.2M Redress After Pressure From States

    California's Department of Financial Protection and Innovation said Wednesday that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is now making good on a $4.2 million redress plan for former students of a shuttered sales-training firm, following agency delays and subsequent pressure from various states.

  • June 04, 2025

    Deportees Urge Justices To Keep 'Basic Measure Of Fairness'

    A class of deportees who are being sent to countries where they have no prior ties asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to leave in place a preliminary injunction requiring that they be provided a meaningful opportunity to challenge their destinations, calling it "a basic measure of fairness."

  • June 04, 2025

    DOJ Won't Have To Give Agri Stats Specific Data Fields

    A Minnesota federal court refused to force the U.S. Department of Justice to identify specific data fields in industry reports produced by Agri Stats that allegedly allow meat processors to share sensitive information, finding the case is not centered on individual data points.

  • June 04, 2025

    Trump Nominates Ex-SBA Official For Top CFIUS Post

    A former U.S. Small Business Administration official from Donald Trump's first term has been nominated by the president to lead the U.S. government panel that reviews foreign investments for national security risks.

  • June 04, 2025

    Calif. Assembly Passes Internet Price Cap, Moving To Senate

    The California State Assembly on Wednesday passed a bill that would mandate a low-cost option capping the price of high-speed internet service for low-income families at $15.

  • June 04, 2025

    Amtrak Bribery Plot Nets Contractor Nearly 5-Year Sentence

    A former executive for a masonry contractor who admitted to participating in a scheme that involved bribing an Amtrak manager to overbill the federal government $2 million in a $50 million restoration of Philadelphia's 30th Street Station was sentenced to 57 months in prison by a Pennsylvania federal court.

  • June 04, 2025

    Press Groups Get Some Abrego Garcia Case Docs Unsealed

    A Maryland federal judge gave a partial win Wednesday to more than a dozen news organizations pushing to intervene in the suit challenging the removal of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, ordering some sealed documents to be made public.

  • June 04, 2025

    Bulgaria Meets Criteria To Switch To Euro Next Year, EU Says

    The European Commission and European Central Bank affirmed that Bulgaria has met all necessary criteria to adopt the euro as its currency starting Jan. 1, which would make it the 21st country to do so.

Expert Analysis

  • Compliance Essentials To Mitigate AI Crime Enforcement Risk

    Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence systems move closer to accurately mimicking human decision-making, companies must understand how the U.S. Department of Justice might prosecute them for crimes committed by AI tools — and how to mitigate enforcement risks, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • Employer-Friendly Fla. Law Ushers In New Noncompete Era

    Author Photo

    Florida's CHOICE Act is set to take effect July 1, and employers are welcoming it with open arms as it would create one of the most favorable environments in the country for the enforcement of noncompete and garden leave agreements, but businesses should also consider the nonlegal implications, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Could Shake Up US Pharma

    Author Photo

    Recent moves from the executive and legislative branches represent a serious attempt to revive and refine the first Trump administration's most-favored-nations model for drug pricing, though implementation could bring unintended consequences for pharmaceutical manufacturers and will likely draw significant legal opposition, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: A Supersonic 'Boom' Going Nowhere Fast

    Author Photo

    Legislation recently introduced in Congress to repeal the Federal Aviation Administration's ban on supersonic flight over U.S. territory appears to benefit a single company with an uncertain business plan, and is not truly in the public interest, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • How The DOJ Is Redesigning Its Approach To Digital Assets

    Author Photo

    Two key digital asset enforcement policy pronouncements narrow the Justice Department's focus on threats like fraud, terrorism, trafficking and sanctions evasion and dial back so-called regulation by prosecution, but institutions prioritizing compliance must remember that the underlying statutory framework hasn't changed, say attorneys at Blank Rome.

  • Opportunity Zone Revamp Could Improve The Program

    Author Photo

    If adopted, the budget bill's new iteration of the opportunity zone program could renew, refine and enhance the effectiveness and accountability of the original program by including structural reforms, expanded eligibility rules and incentives for rural investment, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • At 'SEC Speaks,' Leaders Frame New Views

    Author Photo

    At the Practising Law Institute's recent SEC Speaks conference, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leadership highlighted the agency's significant priority changes, including in enforcement, crypto and artificial intelligence, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

    Author Photo

    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Opinion

    Congress Must Restore IP Protection To Drive US Innovation

    Author Photo

    Congress should pass the RESTORE Patent Rights Act to enforce patent holders' exclusive rights and encourage American innovation, and undo the decades of patent rights erosion caused by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2006 decision in eBay v. MercExchange, says former Chief U.S. Circuit Judge Paul Michel.

  • How Focus On Menopause Care Is Fueling Innovation, Access

    Author Photo

    Recent legislative developments concerning the growing field of menopause care are creating opportunities for increased investment and innovation in the space as they increase access to education and coverage, say attorneys at Kirkland.

  • Calif. Digital Assets Proposal Provides Only Partial Clarity

    Author Photo

    Recently proposed regulations under California's Digital Financial Assets Law answer some important questions about the new regime, particularly regarding its interaction with the state's money transmission law, but many key compliance questions remain, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • Staying The Course Amid Seismic DOJ White Collar Changes

    Author Photo

    While some of the big changes at the U.S. Department of Justice during the second Trump administration — like an embrace of cryptocurrency and more politicized prosecutions — were expected, there have also been surprises, so practitioners should advise clients to stay focused on white collar compliance in this unpredictable environment, say attorneys at Keker.

  • Opinion

    The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

    Author Photo

    The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

  • DOJ Could Target Journalists Under Media Policy Reversion

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recently announced media policy largely mirrors policies in effect from 2014 to 2020, but ambiguities in key statutory terms could allow the administration to apply it to journalists in new ways and expand investigations beyond leaks of classified information, says Julie Edelstein at Wiggin.

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.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!