Appellate

  • April 06, 2026

    Can State Courts Tame The 'Wild West' Of Judicial Security?

    As threats against local judges continue to ramp up, protection and incident tracking varies not only from state to state but county to county, making it difficult to draw the national judicial security landscape. Now, lawmakers are looking to use federal resources to even out disparities.

  • April 06, 2026

    Nude Security Cam Appeal Befuddles Mass. High Court

    Justices of Massachusetts' highest court seemed inclined Monday to uphold a Martha's Vineyard resident's conviction for secretly recording a sexual encounter on a home security camera, but questioned whether sending a still image to only the victim could support a second conviction for "dissemination."  

  • April 06, 2026

    Top Court Paves Way To Wipe Out Pol's Bribery Conviction

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday vacated an appeals court's decision to uphold the conviction of a pardoned former Cincinnati council member for bribery and attempted extortion, effectively greenlighting federal prosecutors' motion to toss the case.

  • April 06, 2026

    Justices Clear Path For DOJ To Dismiss Bannon's Conviction

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday vacated an appeals court's order upholding Steve Bannon's conviction over his nonresponse to a congressional subpoena investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection, clearing the way for the Justice Department to dismiss his indictment.

  • April 06, 2026

    Justices Want Feds' Views On Ruby Tuesday Benefits Dispute

    The U.S. Supreme Court asked for the federal government Monday to weigh in on a dispute from ex-managers at restaurant chain Ruby Tuesday alleging Regions Bank lost them $35 million in retirement plan benefits that were liquidated in bankruptcy.

  • April 06, 2026

    Amazon, AlmondNet Drop Appeal Of $136M Patent Verdict

    Amazon and online advertising firm AlmondNet jointly moved to drop their respective appeals of a $136 million judgment won by the latter after a jury found Amazon infringed patents covering online ad space auctions.

  • April 06, 2026

    Justices Remand State Secrets Dispute In FBI Spying Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sent back to the lower court a long-running putative class action over the FBI's alleged surveillance of Muslims in Southern California, a dispute the federal government has argued threatens to undermine vital protections for state secrets. 

  • April 06, 2026

    Justices To Mull Courts' Authority To Hear Vets' Benefits Suits

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review a U.S. Army veteran's suit challenging the limit on disability benefits available to him as someone convicted of a felony and sentenced to a lengthy prison term, after the Eleventh Circuit dismissed his claims.

  • April 06, 2026

    Justices Vacate Grande ISP Case After Cox Copyright Ruling

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday directed the Fifth Circuit to reconsider a copyright verdict against Grande Communications Networks, vacating the lower court's ruling and sending the case back for further review following the justices' decision last month sparing another internet service provider from liability for its customers' music piracy.

  • April 06, 2026

    Justices Pass On Oklahoma Tribal Tax Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review an Oklahoma high court ruling that denied tax-exempt status to a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation.

  • April 03, 2026

    Case-By-Case Guide As Justices Eye Landmark Pharma Law

    Drugmakers and prominent allies are inundating the U.S. Supreme Court with calls to scrutinize Medicare's new power to slash payments by tens of billions of dollars, and the justices look poised to take up or turn down a fistful of legal challenges in one fell swoop.

  • April 03, 2026

    ABA, Ex-Judges And Many More Back BigLaw In EO Appeal

    Numerous bar associations, 239 former judges, 21 states, lawmakers and dozens of other amici curiae have thrown their weight behind BigLaw firms in the Trump administration's consolidated D.C. Circuit appeal seeking to revive executive orders targeting the firms, broadly arguing that the orders are an affront to foundational constitutional rights.

  • April 03, 2026

    6th Circ. Axes Atty For 'Inexcusable' AI 'Transgressions'

    An attorney committed "inexcusable transgressions" by relying on Westlaw's internal CoCounsel artificial intelligence platform for appellate filings and by failing to catch erroneous AI-generated content, the Sixth Circuit said Friday and removed the lawyer from further representing a man who pled guilty to drug trafficking charges.

  • April 03, 2026

    4th Circ. Kills NCAA Eligibility Injunction Over Wrong Analysis

    The Fourth Circuit vacated a preliminary injunction Friday barring the NCAA from enforcing its five-year eligibility rule against four former junior college student-athletes, saying the lower court improperly took a "quick-look scrutiny" instead of a "rule of reason" antitrust analysis, thus lowering the players' burden of proof.

  • April 03, 2026

    11th Circ. Says Waffle House Isn't Liable For Patron's Stabbing

    The Eleventh Circuit ruled Friday that Waffle House is not liable for injuries caused by an off-duty employee who stabbed an argumentative customer with a waffle pick, finding a reasonable jury could not conclude that the worker was acting within the scope of his employment.

  • April 03, 2026

    Conn. High Court Snapshot: Cannabis, Convictions In April

    The Connecticut Supreme Court will dive into disputes over the zoning of hemp and cannabis establishments, and the role of parole board decisions in determining if a court should shorten a criminal sentence, when it convenes for its next term Monday.

  • April 03, 2026

    Club Foxy Lady Loses 9th Circ. TM Appeal Against Coffee Biz

    A Ninth Circuit panel rejected a Rhode Island strip club's bid for a default win in a suit accusing a Washington state bikini barista business of stealing its "Foxy Lady" trademark, ruling on Friday that the district court properly disposed of the case based on differences in the trademarks and distance between the customer markets.

  • April 03, 2026

    Crypto Coder Seeks To Revive DOJ Challenge At 5th Circ.

    The cryptocurrency software developer who sued the government to protect his forthcoming project from any potential accusations of unlicensed money transmission is asking the Fifth Circuit to keep his lawsuit in play after a Texas federal judge tossed the challenge for failing to show a substantial threat of prosecution.

  • April 03, 2026

    3rd Circ. Preview: Arbitration Limits, Power Plant Safety

    The Third Circuit in April is set to examine the limits of an arbitrator's authority to change awards once they've been made, potentially defining the restraints of commercial arbitration rules and when rulings can be revisited.

  • April 03, 2026

    Prosecution Laches Case At High Court Gets Groups' Backing

    Inventor groups and practitioner associations got behind a man's U.S. Supreme Court case challenging a doctrine that can nullify a patent if an owner delayed prosecution, with one brief saying Friday the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office "created its own misery" when reviewing the man's claims.

  • April 03, 2026

    6th Circ. Backs Toss Of Construction Co.'s Union Fund Fight

    The Sixth Circuit on Friday said it won't revive a construction company's lawsuit alleging that trustees for an International Union of Operating Engineers local's fringe and health benefit funds refused to accept its contributions, ruling that the dispute needs to be taken up with the National Labor Relations Board.

  • April 03, 2026

    Calling Snapchat User 'Expert' Can't Upend $26M Crash Award

    The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday affirmed a $26.1 million jury verdict against a trucking company and its driver over a catastrophic underride crash, saying the reference by the plaintiffs' counsel to the crash victim's friend as a "Snapchat expert" didn't warrant a new trial.

  • April 03, 2026

    Closing The Chapter On DOJ-Boeing 737 Max Criminal Case

    Boeing appears to have closed a chapter in the legal saga over the two 737 Max 8 crashes after a Fifth Circuit ruling underscored that courts cannot interfere with prosecutors' choices to bring criminal charges, dashing the hopes of victims' families for justice and accountability.

  • April 03, 2026

    Schneider Wallace Loses Bid For Bigger Piece Of $75M Fee

    A California federal magistrate judge on Friday rejected Schneider Wallace Cottrell Kim LLP's bid to increase its cut of a $75.4 million fee award for representing plaintiffs in a $228.5 million Sutter Health antitrust deal, saying lead counsel Constantine Cannon LLP's allocation of $1.4 million to Schneider Wallace was fair.

  • April 03, 2026

    7th Circ. Says Ford Plant Drivers Fall Under OT Exemption

    Shuttle truck drivers who hauled automobile parts between storage lots and a Ford Motor Co. assembly plant in Chicago were engaged in interstate commerce and thus exempt from federal overtime requirements, the Seventh Circuit has ruled, affirming a win for their employers in two consolidated class actions.

Expert Analysis

  • Malpractice Claim Assignability Continues To Divide Courts

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    Recent decisions from courts across the country demonstrate how different jurisdictions balance competing policy interests in determining whether legal malpractice claims can be assigned, providing a framework to identify when and how to challenge any attempted assignment, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin & Lodgen.

  • Tips For Financial Advisers Facing TRO From Former Firm

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    The Eighth Circuit's recent decision in Choreo v. Lors, overturning a lower court's sweeping injunction after financial advisers moved to a new firm, gives advisers new strategies to fight restraining orders from their old firms, such as focusing on whether the alleged irreparable harm is calculable, say attorneys at Kutak Rock.

  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Closure Highlights Labor Law Stakes

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    The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's recently announced closure, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied relief from an injunction mandating that the newspaper restore terms from its previous collective bargaining agreement, illustrates that prematurely declaring an impasse and implementing unilateral changes carries risk, says Sunshine Fellows at Freeman Mathis.

  • Unpacking Dormant Commerce Clause Cannabis Circuit Split

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    Federal courts have reached differing conclusions as to whether state-legal cannabis is subject to the dormant commerce clause, with four opinions across three circuit courts in the last year demonstrating the continued salience of the dormant commerce clause debate to the nation's cannabis industry, regulators and policymakers, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

  • Texas AG Wields Consumer Protection Law Against Tech Cos.

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has targeted technology companies using the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a broadly worded statute that gives the attorney general wide latitude to pursue claims beyond traditional consumer protection, creating unique litigation risks, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • Emerging Themes In Nevada High Court Civil Litigation

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    The Nevada Supreme Court issued a series of significant civil rulings in 2025 that reflect recurring themes: a restrained approach to personal jurisdiction, heightened expectations of professionalism, close scrutiny of trial conduct, and a willingness to enforce contractual provisions that other jurisdictions might reject, says Michael Lowry at Wilson Elser.

  • What To Know As Courts Rethink McDonnell-Douglas

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    Although the U.S. Supreme Court declined the latest opportunity to address the viability of the McDonnell-Douglas burden-shifting framework used in employment discrimination and retaliation claims, two justices and courts around the country are increasingly seeking to abandon it, which could potentially lead to more trials and higher litigation budgets, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • A Primer On Law Enforcement Self-Defense Doctrine

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    In the wake of several shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, misconceptions persist about what the laws governing police use of force actually permit, and it’s essential for legal practitioners to understand the contours of the underlying constitutional doctrine, says Markus Funk at White & Case.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • How Specificity, Self-Dealing Are Shaping ERISA Litigation

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    Several recent cases, including the U.S. Supreme Court's forthcoming ruling in Anderson v. Intel, illustrate the competing forces shaping excessive fee litigation, with plaintiffs seeking flexibility, courts demanding specificity, fiduciaries facing increased scrutiny for conflicts of interest, and self-dealing amplifying exposure, says James Beall at Willig Williams.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Terminations Galore

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    Three recent decisions from the Federal Circuit and the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals provide valuable insights about sticking to a contract's plain language, navigating breach of contract claims, and jurisdictional limits on reinstatement of a canceled contract, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Opinion

    Minn. Can Still Bring State Charges In Absence Of Fed Action

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    After two fatal shootings by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota's role isn't waiting to see if the federal government brings criminal charges, but independently weighing state homicide charges and allowing the judiciary to decide whether the subject conduct falls within the narrow protections of supremacy clause immunity, says Sheila Tendy at Tendy Law.

  • State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Illinois

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    In 2025's last quarter, Illinois’ appellate courts weighed in on overlapping homeowners coverages for water-related damages, contractual suit limitation provisions in uninsured motorist policies, and protections for genetic health information in life insurance underwriting, while the Department of Insurance sought nationwide homeowners' insurance data from State Farm, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

  • How 2 Tech Statutes Are Being Applied To Agentic AI

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    The application of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the California Invasion of Privacy Act to agentic artificial intelligence is still developing, but recent case law, like Amazon's lawsuit against Perplexity in California federal court, provides some initial guidance for companies developing or deploying these technologies, say attorneys at Weil.

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