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Native American

February 12, 2026
Washoe Tribe Reclaims 10,274 Acres In Sierra Nevada

The Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California said it has purchased more than 10,000 acres of its ancestral lands in the Sierra Nevada, made possible by a $5.5 million grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board and marking the third-largest land return in the state's history.
February 12, 2026
Judge Says Utah Tribal Court Cures Still Exist In Contract Row

A federal judge has determined that a Utah Indigenous nation's former energy manager has yet to exhaust all tribal court remedies in a 12-year-long breach of contract dispute, saying time and the case's increased complexity can't resurrect his challenge.
February 12, 2026
EPA Sews Up Repeal Of GHG Endangerment Finding

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday finalized the repeal of an Obama-era finding that greenhouse gases endanger people's health, and clawed back the vehicle emissions standards that relied upon that finding.
February 11, 2026
'The Shoe Is On The Other Foot': Judge Needles Meta In MDL

A California federal judge presiding over social media addiction multidistrict litigation Wednesday criticized Meta's bid to push newly filed arbitration demands into court, saying she doesn't have jurisdiction over those claims and noting "big companies" are always insisting on arbitration, but "when they don't like the fact that they're arbitrating, they complain about it."
February 11, 2026
Contracts On Aliens, Hugs Aren't Gambling, Kalshi Tells Judge

The distinction between a futures contract and a wager could play a role in deciding whether Kalshi can offer certain sports-related transactions in Connecticut, a federal judge hinted Wednesday while hypothesizing about the legality of contracts on events like first contact with extraterrestrial life and world leaders greeting each other with a warm embrace.
February 11, 2026
Calif. Will Allow Property Tax Break For Some Tribal Land

Native American tribes in California can claim a property tax exemption for land conservation efforts under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
February 11, 2026
Michigan Tribe Asks Court To Revisit $1.5M Legal Fee Denial

A Michigan tribe is asking a D.C. district court to reconsider the denial of $1.5 million in legal fees the tribe had sought to recoup from the U.S. Department of the Interior in a federal recognition status dispute that eventually led to the agency's revamping of a rule allowing tribes to petition for recognition again.
February 11, 2026
Creek Nation Fights City's Bid To Pause Jurisdictional Suit

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has pushed back against an Oklahoma municipality's bid to stay a jurisdiction dispute in federal district court while a similar challenge plays out in the Tenth Circuit, saying that the two cases aren't covering the same ground.
February 10, 2026
IHS To Phase Out Mercury Dental Fillings By 2027

The Indian Health Service has announced it will phase out the use of dental fillings containing mercury at its facilities over the next year.
February 10, 2026
Wash. Judge Won't Block Racial Equity Housing Program

A nonprofit aimed at "overcoming identity politics" cannot preliminarily block a Washington state housing program designed to reduce racial disparities in homeownership, a Seattle federal judge ruled, saying the group has not shown it is likely to succeed on its claim that the program is unconstitutional.
February 10, 2026
Social Media Cos. Must Face School In 1st Addiction MDL Trial

A California federal judge denied social media companies' bid for a summary judgment win on a bellwether school district's allegations it was forced to spend its limited resources on combating students' purported social media addictions, teeing up the first bellwether trial in the multidistrict litigation for June 15.
February 10, 2026
District's Title VI Claims 'Futile' In NY Mascot Fight, Court Told

New York's Board of Regents is fighting a request by a Long Island school district to alter a judgment that dismissed its challenge to the state's ban on the use of Indigenous imagery in public schools, arguing that it has shown no new evidence that would change the dispute's outcome.
February 10, 2026
Congressman Calls For Ban On Unsanctioned Native Symbols

New Jersey Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. has introduced a resolution that would ban the use of unsanctioned Indigenous imagery in public schools, saying it is a pushback on the Trump administration's recent efforts to stop state and local officials from retiring the harmful symbols.
February 10, 2026
Calif. Judge Blocks State's Push To Unmask Federal Agents

A California federal judge granted the Trump administration's push to block part of a new Golden State law requiring federal agents to stop hiding their faces behind masks, but said another law requiring them to display identification can take effect.
February 09, 2026
9th Circ. Judge Casts Doubt On Feds' Grant Condition Stance

A Ninth Circuit judge expressed skepticism Monday as the Trump administration argued it could legally impose new rules barring federal grant recipients from using the money for diversity programming, suggesting that the government had misread Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
February 09, 2026
Data Center Builders, Power Suppliers Duel For Project Needs

The ballooning appetite for data centers and the electricity needed to power them is pitting developers against each other for construction equipment and a workforce, creating a cycle that may ultimately be a drag on development.
February 09, 2026
Tribal Nation Aims To Appeal Cannabis Raid Claim Dismissals

The Round Valley Indian Tribes and three individual members are asking a California federal court to render final judgment on two dismissed claims in its suit alleging authorities illegally raided members' properties over cannabis, so the dismissals can be appealed to the Ninth Circuit.
February 09, 2026
Tribal Corp. Says Colorado Consultant Misused Trade Secrets

An Alaskan tribal corporation is suing a Colorado consultant and her firm, alleging that she used its trade secret information to attempt to lure government contracting clients away by publicly advertising the data and claiming it as her own.
February 09, 2026
USTelecom Asks FCC To Protect 911 Amid Copper Rollback

Broadband trade group USTelecom is throwing its weight behind a petition that says the Federal Communications Commission must put protections in place to ensure that 911 services aren't disrupted as telecoms rush to retire copper phone lines.
February 09, 2026
North Dakota, DOJ Near Settlement In Dakota Access Appeal

The United States and North Dakota have reached a settlement in a $28 million dispute over protesters' efforts to stop the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in which the state alleged that the Army Corps and federal officials failed to manage the massive crowds.
February 09, 2026
EEOC, Law Students End Legal Battle Over Firm DEI Letters

A proposed class action brought by law students last year challenging the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's requests for diversity data from 20 law firms ended Monday with the government agreeing compliance "was not mandatory, and that most law firms did not provide any of the requested information."
February 09, 2026
US Backs Bid To Halt Line 5 Shutdown On Wis. Tribal Lands

The government is backing a bid by Enbridge Energy Inc. to stay an order requiring the partial removal of its Line 5 pipeline that runs through Wisconsin tribal lands, saying that while it has an interest in protecting federal trust lands, the case implicates significant interests in foreign affairs.
February 06, 2026
WithU, Scratchpay Sued Over Alleged 568% Loan Interest Rate

Online direct lender WithU and California fintech platform Scratchpay were hit with a proposed class action in Washington federal court on Friday by a consumer who claims he was cornered into borrowing a loan with a nearly 568% interest rate to pay for his cat's cancer treatment.
February 06, 2026
'Very Bizarre': Trump's Funding Freeze Appeal Vexes DC Circ.

D.C. Circuit judges struggled Friday with whether to unblock a federal funding freeze carrying multitrillion-dollar implications, as a Trump administration lawyer disclaimed interest in a vast spending halt but also dodged opportunities to rule it out unequivocally.
February 06, 2026
Kalshi Says CFTC Backs Sports Bets Without Tribal Regs

Prediction market platform Kalshi has told a Wisconsin federal court that the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's chair has thrown his support behind the agency's view that it has exclusive jurisdiction over the event contracts at issue in a Native American tribe's case against the company.

Expert Analysis

ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.
Series

My Opera And Baseball Careers Make Me A Better Lawyer

Though participating in opera and the world of professional baseball often pulls me away from the office, my avocations improve my legal career by helping me perform under scrutiny, prioritize team success, and maintain joy and perspective at work, says Adam Unger at Herrick Feinstein.
8 Ways Lawyers Can Protect The Rule Of Law In Their Work

Whether they are concerned with judicial independence, regulatory predictability or client confidence, lawyers can take specific meaningful actions on their own when traditional structures are too slow or too compromised to respond, says Angeli Patel at the Berkeley Center of Law and Business.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Communicating With Clients

Law school curricula often overlook client communication procedures, and those who actively teach this crucial facet of the practice can create exceptional client satisfaction and success, says Patrick Hanson at Wiggam Law.
Series

Adapting To Private Practice: From US Rep. To Boutique Firm

My transition from serving as a member of Congress to becoming a partner at a boutique firm has been remarkably smooth, in part because I never stopped exercising my legal muscles, maintained relationships with my former colleagues and set the right tone at the outset, says Mondaire Jones at Friedman Kaplan.
Opinion

Senate's 41% Litigation Finance Tax Would Hurt Legal System

The Senate’s latest version of the Big Beautiful Bill Act would impose a 41% tax on the litigation finance industry, but the tax is totally disconnected from the concerns it purports to address, and it would set the country back to a time when small plaintiffs had little recourse against big defendants, says Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law.
Series

Performing As A Clown Makes Me A Better Lawyer

To say that being a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has changed my legal career would truly be an understatement — by creating an opening to converse on a unique topic, it has allowed me to connect with clients, counsel and even judges on a deeper level, says Charles Tatelbaum at Tripp Scott.
The CFTC Is Shaking Up Sports Betting's Legal Future

The sports betting industry faces a potential sea change amid recent state and federal actions across the regulatory landscape that have expanded access to sporting event contracts against the backdrop of waning Commodity Futures Trading Commission opposition, says Nick Covek at Foley & Lardner.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Rejecting Biz Dev Myths

Law schools don’t spend sufficient time dispelling certain myths that prevent young lawyers from exploring new business opportunities, but by dismissing these misguided beliefs, even an introverted first-year associate with a small network of contacts can find long-term success, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing

Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard

District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
Series

Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.
Series

Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech

New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.
How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication

As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.
Justices' Charter School Tie Delays Church-State Reckoning

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent deadlock in Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board v. Drummond, blocking the creation of the nation’s first religious charter school, preserved the separation of church and state for now, but offered little reassurance about its continued viability, says Jeffrey Sultanik at Fox Rothschild.