Newsom Tightens AI Contract Rules Over Safety Fears

By Rae Ann Varona

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday ordered state agencies to strengthen guardrails for all contracts connected to generative AI tools, highlighting what he sees as risks to free speech, voting rights and mass surveillance, and at the same time encouraging statewide adoption of safe forms of the technology. 

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Army Contractor Tells 4th Circ. Linguists' FCA Suit Rightly Cut

By Madeline Lyskawa

Linguists' suit accusing Global Linguist Solutions of violating the False Claims Act by performing work under U.S. Army contracts meant for small business subcontractors consists of recycled allegations that have been public for years, the joint venture told the Fourth Circuit.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Justices Pass On FCA Suit Alleging Quest Diagnostics Fraud

By Chart Riggall

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on Monday a former Quest Diagnostics Inc. compliance officer's bid for review of the dismissal of a long-running False Claims Act suit against the medical testing company.

Order List attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCA Qui Tams Are Unconstitutional, Eli Lilly Tells Justices

By Mark Payne

The False Claims Act's whistleblower provisions are unconstitutional, drugmaker Eli Lilly has told the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to overturn a Seventh Circuit decision upholding a $183 million trial win for a whistleblower who claimed the drug company hid how much it charged for Medicaid-covered drugs. 

2 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Most Wanted' Whistleblower Says DOJ Can't Nix FCA Suit

By Craig Clough

A man incarcerated for defrauding the U.S. Department of Defense who was also once featured on "America's Most Wanted" urged the Fourth Circuit on Friday to revive his whistleblower complaint accusing major defense contractors of price gouging, saying the government cannot drop the suit just because it intervened as a plaintiff.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Comerica Beats Suit Over Interest On Benefit Card Funds

By Sydney Price

A Michigan federal judge on Friday freed Comerica Bank from claims that it unlawfully profited from a government benefit debit card program it administered by keeping the interest generated by the funds, finding that two contractual agreements invalidate the cardholders' claims to the earnings.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Opinion

AI Presents A Make-Or-Break Moment For Outside Counsel

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by corporate legal departments is forcing a long-overdue reset of the relationship between inside and outside counsel, and introducing a significant opportunity to shed frustrating inefficiencies and strengthen collaboration for firms willing to embrace the shift, says Intel Chief Legal Officer April Miller Boise.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Feature

Rats, Vapes And Vodka: Strange But True Cases For April Fool's

By Emily Field

A dead rodent in a burrito bowl delivery, a mix-up with vodka seltzer in the wrong cans and the Toys R Us brand taking on a Connecticut vape shop are among Law360's list of strange cases suitable for April Fool's Day.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

'Best Judicial System In The World': Alsup Reflects On Career

By Bonnie Eslinger

Before taking inactive status late last year, U.S. District Judge William H. Alsup presided over historic litigation in California's Northern District for 26 years, arriving at his San Francisco chambers every weekday before dawn to prepare for the day's work.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FTC Backs Florida's Move To Kill ABA's Accreditation Monopoly

By Hailey Konnath

The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that it supports the Florida Supreme Court's recent decision to end the American Bar Association's longstanding accreditation monopoly, agreeing with the finding that it is "not in Floridians' best interest for the ABA to be the sole gatekeeper" in deciding who sits for the bar exam.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

NC Attys Oppose DOJ Interference In State Ethics Complaints

By Hayley Fowler

A group of North Carolina lawyers is opposing the U.S. Department of Justice's proposed rule allowing the attorney general to review state-level ethics complaints against the department's attorneys, saying such a change would undercut the Tar Heel State's ability to regulate government lawyers.

Statement attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Blumenthal Presses DHS Chief To Scrap ICE Warrant Memo

By Courtney Bublé

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, is looking for assurances from the newly installed secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, that he will honor his apparent pledge to rescind a policy that allows immigration agents to enter private property without a judicial warrant.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Habba, Ex-Firm Get Defense Redo In Suit Over Divorce Advice

By Jake Maher

A New Jersey appeals court gave former acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba another chance to pursue an anti-abusive litigation motion against an attorney suing her for malicious prosecution on Tuesday.

Decision attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

7th Circ. Scolds Ex-Judge For Citing Fake Cases In Brief

By Celeste Bott

A Seventh Circuit panel admonished an attorney and former chief federal immigration judge for submitting a brief citing two nonexistent cases and a false quotation, saying while such errors can be "tell-tale signs" of AI hallucinations, her denial she used AI is "plausible" and the court won't consider further sanctions.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

'Construction Has To Stop!': Judge Blocks Trump's Ballroom

By Dorothy Atkins

A Washington, D.C., federal judge Tuesday granted a historical preservation nonprofit's request for a preliminary injunction halting President Donald Trump's plans to turn the White House's East Wing into an "enormous" 89,000-square-foot ballroom, saying "unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorization, construction has to stop!"

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Beasley Allen Seeks Stay Of DQ In Federal J&J Talc MDL

By Jake Maher

The Beasley Allen Law Firm asked a New Jersey federal court on Monday to hold off on disqualifying it from talc litigation against Johnson & Johnson while it appeals the disqualification order which it called "unprecedented and incorrect."

Memorandum attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Senate Dems Probe Musk's Alleged Role In CTA Retreat

By Sarah Jarvis

Three Democratic senators have asked U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide information on Elon Musk's possible involvement in the rollback of the Corporate Transparency Act, saying the department's moves allow entities tied to the billionaire to operate in obscurity.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Defamation Litigation Roundup: Unilever, Afroman, Musk

By Theresa Schliep

In this month's review of defamation fights, Law360 highlights a new suit against Unilever by an ousted member of a Ben & Jerry's board, as well as Afroman's defeat of a case by Ohio police officers after a raid of the comedic rapper's home.

3 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FBI Fired Agents Over Trump 2020 Election Inquiry, Suit Says

By Bonnie Eslinger

Former FBI agents who say they were illegally fired for working on the investigation into President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss filed a proposed class action in D.C. federal court Tuesday accusing the government of unconstitutional "political retribution."

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Moye White, Ex-Landlord Settle $4M Denver Lease Dispute

By Zach Dupont

Days before the start of a bench trial between a Denver landlord and defunct law firm Moye White LLP in state court, the two parties reached a settlement, ending the litigation where the landlord accused the firm of owing almost $4 million.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »