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Public Policy

  • June 05, 2025

    DOJ Wants Fix-It-1st Mergers, Not 'Fix-It-2nd'

    The U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's top merger official walked a fine line Wednesday between avoiding "a lingering regulatory review tax" on benign transactions and over-confident prognostications that markets will "self-correct" without intervention, and between encouraging companies to address concerns upfront and "shadow" settlements with the government.

  • June 05, 2025

    Feds Must Help Venezuelans Seek Habeas Relief, Judge Says

    A D.C. federal judge said the Trump administration must help Venezuelan nationals deported from the U.S. to El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center seek habeas relief to challenge their removal, finding they're likely to succeed on the merits of their due-process claim.

  • June 05, 2025

    Dems, GOP Question Contempt Section Of Reconciliation Bill

    Senate Democrats have vowed to do whatever they can to defeat a provision in the budget reconciliation that would limit federal courts' ability to hold federal officials in contempt, and some Republicans are wary of it as well. 

  • June 05, 2025

    Feds Invest Millions To Revitalize Former Coal Mine Sites

    The U.S. Department of the Interior is doling out $130 million to help states and tribes redevelop former coal mine sites.

  • June 05, 2025

    Mich. AG Asks Judge To Block Abortion Coercion Screening

    Michigan's attorney general has asked a judge to strike down a state-law requirement that abortion patients be evaluated for coercion, after the judge upheld the screening while permanently blocking other abortion regulations last month.

  • June 05, 2025

    Conn. Bill Boosts Atty Presence On Judge Selection Panel

    Both houses of the Connecticut Legislature this week passed a bill that would alter the Constitution State's Judicial Selection Commission, replacing two nonattorney seats with positions held by lawyers and heightening job requirements for lawyers selected to vet applications for appointment to the bench.  

  • June 05, 2025

    Ex-Bush Admin Atty To Lead HHS Civil Rights Office

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has appointed an attorney to lead its civil rights office who brings more than 30 years of experience across the public sector and private practice, including as counsel for HHS during the George W. Bush administration.

  • June 05, 2025

    Convicted Fla. Atty Urges 11th Circ. To Reexamine Sentence

    A Florida lawyer sentenced to 75 months in prison over a COVID-19 loan fraud scheme has asked the Eleventh Circuit to rehear her sentencing en banc, arguing the appellate court should reexamine the district court's so-called Keane statement allegedly disregarding sentencing guidelines.

  • June 05, 2025

    Feds 'May Not Arrest' Columbia Student, Judge Says

    A Manhattan federal judge declined Thursday to dismiss a Columbia University undergraduate's suit claiming the Trump administration is unlawfully seeking her arrest and removal because she expressed pro-Palestinian views at a rally, sharply criticizing the feds' approach.

  • June 05, 2025

    Ill. Judge Tosses Dredged Waste Suit After Feds Pull Site Plan

    An Illinois federal judge on Thursday dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit challenging a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to expand a disposal site that stores sediments dredged from Chicago waterways, citing the agency's withdrawal of its decision over the Lake Michigan shoreline facility.

  • June 05, 2025

    DOJ Says NCAA Eligibility Rule May Benefit Student-Athletes

    The U.S. Department of Justice is weighing in on the NCAA's eligibility rule, saying it is not asserting a position but asking the court to take a measured approach when considering the preliminary injunction request of a University of Tennessee basketball player.

  • June 05, 2025

    Senate Panel Advances Picks For Nat. Sec. Post, Iowa US Atty

    The Senate voted 52-43 along party lines on Thursday to confirm John Andrew Eisenberg to be assistant attorney general for national security.

  • June 05, 2025

    Students Removal Case Witnesses Fear Retaliation, Orgs. Say

    Potential witnesses are afraid the government will retaliate against them if they testify in a free speech case brought by academic organizations over immigration officials' detention of non-citizen students and faculty for expressing pro-Palestinian views, according to a filing in Massachusetts federal court seeking a protective order.

  • June 05, 2025

    DOL Head Vows To Fight Wage Theft With Fewer Investigators

    The U.S. labor secretary told a U.S. House committee Thursday that the Department of Labor will continue to combat wage theft even with fewer resources after President Donald Trump's administration proposed cutting the number of wage and hour investigators.

  • June 05, 2025

    DOL Benefits Arm Needs Turnaround, Nominee Tells Senators

    President Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. Department of Labor's employee benefits division told a Senate panel Thursday to prepare for an overhaul of the subagency if he's confirmed, vowing to change the direction of enforcement, regulation and more.

  • June 05, 2025

    USDA Sued Over $13M Food Aid Cut In Pennsylvania

    Pennsylvania sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture for pulling $13 million in funds meant for a local food purchase assistance program, telling a federal judge that the decision will have a "devastating effect" on the state's farmers and food banks contrary to the department's mission.

  • June 05, 2025

    Connecticut Lawmakers OK Bill Targeting Illicit THC

    Legislators in Connecticut have approved a bill cracking down on illicit marijuana and hemp product sales outside the state's regulated marketplace.

  • June 05, 2025

    Judge Wants Details On Harm From Trump Wind Farm Pause

    A Massachusetts federal judge Thursday asked a coalition of states and a clean-energy advocacy group for more specifics about the harm they alleged will be caused by the Trump administration decision to pause wind farm permitting, and said he wanted to move forward with a trial "promptly."

  • June 05, 2025

    Calif. Assembly OKs Exemption For Returned Tribal Land

    California land that is transferred to a federally recognized Native American tribe would be exempt from state real estate transfer tax under a bill passed in the state Assembly. 

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices Nix Mexico's Cartel Violence Suit In Win For Gun Cos.

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday threw out a suit by the government of Mexico against Smith & Wesson and other major gun companies, finding in a unanimous opinion that the alleged ties between the firearms makers and cartel violence south of the border are too speculative to stand up in court.

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices Fault Wis. For Denying Tax Break To Charities

    Wisconsin discriminated against a group of Catholic charities when it denied them an unemployment tax exemption, the U.S. Supreme Court said Thursday, rejecting the state's argument that the charities were not operated primarily for religious purposes.

  • June 05, 2025

    Justices Nix Higher Hurdle For Heterosexual Bias Claims

    A unanimous U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday vacated the Sixth Circuit's ruling that plaintiffs claiming anti-heterosexual workplace discrimination need to provide extra "background circumstances" evidence, opining that it improperly imposed special standards on majority-group plaintiffs.

  • June 04, 2025

    Trump Issues Travel Ban On 12 Countries, Limits 7 Others

    President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a proclamation banning travelers from a dozen countries, including several he targeted during his first administration, and placed travel limitations on travelers from seven other countries, citing national security concerns.

  • June 04, 2025

    Trump Takes New Tack To Ban Harvard's Foreign Students

    President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will restrict Harvard University's international students from entering the country based on supposed national security concerns, less than a week after a Massachusetts federal judge indicated she will block the administration from banning the university's foreign students.

  • June 04, 2025

    Texas Unauthorized Student Tuition Law Axed Hours After Suit

    A Texas federal judge on Wednesday scrapped a decades-old Texas law that allowed college students without legal residency to pay in-state tuition, hours after the Trump administration filed suit to challenge the law as unconstitutional and after the state agreed the law conflicted with federal immigration law.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Address Nationwide Injunction Issues With Random Venues

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    Many of the qualms about individual district court judges' authority to issue nationwide injunctions could be solved with a simple legislative solution: handling multiple complaints about the same agency action filed in different district courts by assigning a venue via random selection, says Harvey Reiter at Stinson.

  • 7 D&O Coverage Areas To Assess As DOJ Targets DEI

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    Companies that receive federal funds or have the remnants of a diversity, equity and inclusion program should review their directors and officers liability insurance policies ahead of a major shift in how the U.S. Department of Justice enforces the False Claims Act, says Bill Wagner at Taft.

  • ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ Industry Impact Uncertain Amid Priority Shift, Staff Cuts

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    A recent enforcement memo outlines how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory agenda diverges from that of the previous administration, but, given the bureau's planned reduction in force, it is uncertain whether the agency will be able to enforce these new priorities, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • FAR Rewrite May Cloud Key Gov't Contract Doctrine

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    The Trump administration's government procurement overhaul, under which sections of the Federal Acquisition Regulation are eliminated by default, is bound to collide with a doctrine that allows courts to read omitted clauses into government contracts if they represent long-standing pillars of federal procurement law, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • SEC Staff Input Eases Path For Broker-Dealer Crypto Activities

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    Recent guidance from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission staff on broker-dealer and transfer agent crypto-asset activities suggests a more constructive regulatory posture on permissibility and application of financial responsibility rules, bringing welcome clarity for blockchain market participants and traditional financial institutions alike, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Compliance Essentials To Mitigate AI Crime Enforcement Risk

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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