ÃÛÌÒÊÓÆµ

Public Policy

  • June 05, 2025

    Orgs. Clash At DC Circ. Over FCC's Spectrum Revamp

    Public safety groups are clashing at the D.C. Circuit over whether the Federal Communications Commission overstepped its authority when it expanded spectrum rights in the 4.9 gigahertz band, a segment of airwaves long relied on by emergency responders.

  • June 05, 2025

    Trump Expects China Trade Talks To Resume After Xi Phone Call

    President Donald Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke over the phone Thursday about an impasse in ongoing trade talks over U.S. claims China was slow-walking the exports of rare earths, with Trump saying he expects meetings between the countries' negotiating teams to resume.

  • June 05, 2025

    Copyright Office Says Registration Delay Had No Legal Impact

    The U.S. Copyright Office said Thursday that a two-week pause on issuing registration certificates last month after its leader was fired did not adversely affect any claimant's rights.

  • 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 allegedly will be caused by the Trump administration's 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Opportunities And Challenges For The Texas Stock Exchange

    Author Photo

    While the new Texas Stock Exchange could be an interesting alternative to the NYSE and the Nasdaq due to the state’s robust economy and the TXSE’s high-profile leadership and publicity opportunities for listings, its success as a national securities exchange may hinge on resolving questions about its regulatory and cost advantages, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Pace Of Early Terminations Suggests Greater M&A Scrutiny

    Author Photo

    The nascent return of early termination under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act shows a more limited use than before its 2021 suspension under the Biden administration's Federal Trade Commission, suggesting deeper scrutiny of mergers and acquisitions across the board, says Michael Wise at Squire Patton.

  • DOJ Export Declination Highlights Self-Reporting Benefits

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice's recent decision not to prosecute a NASA contractor, despite a former employee pleading guilty to facilitating unlicensed exports, underscores the advantages available to companies that self-report sanctions violations, cooperate with investigations and implement timely remediation, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Review Risk Is Increasing For Foreign Real Estate Developers

    Author Photo

    Federal and state government efforts have been expanding oversight of foreign investment in U.S. real estate, necessitating careful assessment of risk and of the benefits of notifying the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, say attorneys at Troutman.

  • Energy Order Brings Risks For Lenders And Borrowers Alike

    Author Photo

    A recent executive order directing the attorney general to submit a report next month with recommendations for halting enforcement of state laws the administration says are hampering energy resources presents risks for lenders and borrowers using state-generated carbon credits, but proactive steps now can help insulate against adverse consequences, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What Employers Should Know About New Wash. WARN Act

    Author Photo

    Washington state's Securing Timely Notification and Benefits for Laid-Off Employees Act will soon require 60 days' notice for certain mass layoffs and business closures, so employers should understand how their obligations differ from those under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act before implementing layoffs or closings, say attorneys at Littler.

  • What's At Stake As Trump Admin Targets Carbon Markets

    Author Photo

    Trading in greenhouse gas emissions and reductions has long been touted as a way to leverage market forces to tackle climate change cost-effectively, and that theory may be put to the test amid momentous progress and fresh challenges, particularly as the Trump administration takes aim at climate initiatives, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • What To Know About New Wash. Community Association Law

    Author Photo

    A series of recent legislative updates that greatly expand application of the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act pose significant challenges to the volunteer board members who administer and operate condos and homeowners associations, but there are ways to lessen the newly imposed administrative burden, says Tim Feth at VF Law.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

    Author Photo

    Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Fledgling Crypto ATM Regs May Be Due For A Growth Spurt

    Author Photo

    As cryptocurrency ATM use and availability become more prevalent within the U.S. financial services ecosystem, states — only a few of which currently have a crypto ATM framework — may need to consider expanding legislation and regulation to accelerate consumer fraud protection practices, says Jason Noto at Polsinelli.

  • The Legal Risks Of US Restrictions On Investments In China

    Author Photo

    The second Trump administration has continued to embrace a more restrictive economic policy toward China, including an ongoing review of further restrictions on the flow of U.S. capital to China, so early planning and enhanced diligence can reduce exposure to the challenges resulting from further restrictions, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • How Trucking Cos. Can Keep Rolling Under Tariff Burdens

    Author Photo

    Recent Trump administration tariffs present major challenges for the transportation and logistics sector — and, in particular, trucking — but providers who focus on operational efficiency, cost control, customer relationships, creative contract structures and unique offerings will stand out from the competition, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • UK May Play Major Role In Corporate Misconduct Regulation

    Author Photo

    In light of the U.S.' pause in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act enforcement, the U.K. Serious Fraud Office has released new guidance showing it may seize the opportunity to play a heightened role in regulating corporate misconduct by U.S. companies with a global presence, particularly over the next few years, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.

  • Tariff Strategies For The US Renewable Energy Sector

    Author Photo

    The Trump administration's tariff actions over the last few months are challenging for the renewable energy industry — but there are strategies for contending with the uncertainty, including diversifying supply chains, seeking certification about equipment origins, and adding tariff-related language to supply contracts and offtake agreements, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Playing Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Poker is a master class in psychology, risk management and strategic thinking, and I’m a better attorney because it has taught me to read my opponents, adapt when I’m dealt the unexpected and stay patient until I'm ready to reveal my hand, says Casey Kingsley at McCreadyLaw.

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!