Public Policy

  • November 08, 2024

    'Life Ain't Fair': Trump's Ga. Co-Defendants Still May Get Trial

    President-elect Donald Trump's victory at the polls will likely result in the Georgia election interference case against him being frozen until after he leaves office, but attorneys for his co-defendants told Law360 that the same is not necessarily true for their clients.

  • November 08, 2024

    Atlanta's 'Cop City' Nears Completion, Outrunning The Courts

    A series of legal challenges and a protest movement that thrust Atlanta into the international spotlight appear unlikely to halt construction of the city's controversial public safety training center known as "Cop City," which is headed for completion in the coming months.

  • November 08, 2024

    Biden Announces SDNY Judicial Pick As Lame Duck Kicks Off

    President Joe Biden announced judicial nominees for the Southern District of New York and the District Court of Guam on Friday night.

  • November 08, 2024

    Ill. AG Strikes $11M Deal With DoorDash Over Driver Tips

    DoorDash has agreed to pay $11.25 million to resolve a lawsuit accusing it of violating Illinois consumer protection law by misrepresenting to its users that drivers would keep 100% of their tips, according to a consent decree reached with the state.

  • November 08, 2024

    NYC Water Worker Alleges Retaliation For Off-Duty Pot Use

    A municipal water treatment worker has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the New York City Department of Environmental Protection claiming he was wrongly punished for his legal off-duty use of cannabis and wrongly terminated for refusing to take a drug test when he was actually suffering a medical emergency.

  • November 08, 2024

    GOP Candidate Sues To Nix Pa. Ballots In Tight Race

    Republican senatorial candidate for Pennsylvania Dave McCormick, who claimed victory over longtime Democratic incumbent Bob Casey by a razor-thin margin, is nonetheless challenging the validity of up to 20,000 provisional ballots in the U.S. Senate race.

  • November 08, 2024

    Top Groups Lobbying The FCC

    The Federal Communications Commission heard from advocates nearly 170 times in October on issues ranging from expanded use of the 6 gigahertz airwaves to programming "blackouts," satellite spectrum sharing, competition in video distribution, and more.

  • November 08, 2024

    Cannabis Shops Sue DC To Halt Enforcement Actions

    A coalition of Washington, D.C., recreational marijuana shops has launched a federal lawsuit against a slew of District entities, including the mayor, cannabis regulator and police department, seeking to halt the government's enforcement actions against their stores.

  • November 08, 2024

    3rd Texas Doc Sued For Providing Kids Gender-Affirming Care

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a third lawsuit against a doctor who has allegedly provided gender transition services to 15 North Texas minors in violation of state law, calling the Dallas doctor a "scofflaw" who is "harming the health and safety of Texas children."

  • November 08, 2024

    Investors Duped By Opportunity Zone Promises, Colo. Says

    Colorado's securities commissioner accused a California businessman on Thursday of selling investors on a project ostensibly meant to purchase single-family homes using a federal program for revitalizing economically distressed areas, while instead using company assets as a "personal piggy bank."

  • November 08, 2024

    9th Circ. Says Univ. Wrongly Deprived Of Tax-Exempt Status

    The Ninth Circuit on Friday reversed a decision by an Arizona district court backing the U.S. Department of Education's determination that the privately owned Grand Canyon University didn't qualify as a nonprofit institution for classification related to federal loan and grant programs.

  • November 08, 2024

    NC Forest Service Workers Defend OT Wage Suit Win

    A group of state foresters urged the North Carolina Court of Appeals to affirm a trial court order requiring they be paid overtime for work combating forest fires, saying state agencies clearly agreed to compensate them at a rate of time-and-a-half of their regular pay under a reimbursement deal with the federal government.

  • November 08, 2024

    Italy's Finance Minister Says EU Must Adopt Digital Tax

    The European Union must adopt a digital services tax despite the threat of retaliatory trade measures by the U.S., Italy's finance minister told the country's Parliament as it seeks to widen the scope of its own measure to domestic companies.

  • November 08, 2024

    ND Wants To Back Feds In Dakota Access Pipeline Row

    North Dakota wants to back the federal government in a challenge by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe seeking to block a Texas-based energy company from continuing to operate the Dakota Access Pipeline, arguing a shutdown would undermine the state's interests in oil and gas regulation activity.

  • November 08, 2024

    Kentucky Utility Asks High Court To Stay EPA Coal Ash Rule

    A Kentucky electric utility called on the U.S. Supreme Court to halt the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rule strengthening federal regulations requiring safe management of coal ash dumped at operating and retired power plants, while it appeals the D.C. Circuit's refusal to block the rule.

  • November 08, 2024

    Colo. City Says Software Co. Trying To Dodge $20M Verdict

    A city in Colorado has urged a federal court to force a software developer to turn over customer contracts and other documents to prove the company is not transferring assets to avoid paying a $20 million judgment, accusing the firm of playing a "corporate shell game."

  • November 08, 2024

    Mich. Court Of Claims Defeats Constitutional Challenge, Again

    The Sixth Circuit has rejected Michigan residents' attempt to reopen what the panel called a centuries-old debate about the constitutionality of judges reviewing their colleagues' opinions, upholding the dismissal of residents' claims their lawsuits suffered because of appellate judges' hesitance to disagree with each other.

  • November 08, 2024

    5th Circ. Remands Texas Social Media Law Challenge

    The Fifth Circuit remanded to the district court a challenge to Texas' social media law prohibiting platforms from employing certain content moderation practices, ruling that the record on the case is still too undeveloped to resolve.

  • November 08, 2024

    Connecticut City Settles Health Administrator's Firing Suit

    A Connecticut city has agreed to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a former healthcare administrator who said her immediate termination by hand-delivered letter violated her constitutional rights because she did not receive notice or an opportunity for a hearing.

  • November 08, 2024

    How Trump Could Turn The Government Against Jack Smith

    Special counsel Jack Smith and his team of prosecutors could face politically motivated retribution by President-elect Donald Trump and his allies in the form of a congressional investigation, a U.S. Department of Justice probe and even criminal prosecution, according to experts.

  • November 08, 2024

    Florida Voters Fail To Show Injury From Prosecutor Suspension

    A Florida good-government group's lawsuit challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis' suspension of a local prosecutor was dismissed on Friday, after a federal judge found that voters don't have a constitutional right to see elected officials serve out their full terms.

  • November 08, 2024

    Mass. Auditor Ready For Beacon Hill Oversight Rumble

    The Massachusetts state auditor told Law360 she's ready to scrap with Beacon Hill over expansive new powers that a majority of voters handed her office to scrutinize the legislature, a constitutional clash that seems destined for the state's highest court.

  • November 08, 2024

    FCC Will Investigate Racially Offensive Text Messages

    The Federal Communications Commission will investigate reports of racially offensive text message campaigns across numerous states, the agency's chief said Friday.

  • November 08, 2024

    Conn. AG Building Abortion Rights 'Firewall' With Firms' Help

    Connecticut's Democratic attorney general has joined a multistate partnership with a pro-choice nonprofit and law firms including Silver Golub & Teitell LLP and Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder PC as part of what he described Friday as a "firewall" to protect abortion access during a second Trump administration.

  • November 08, 2024

    Gov't Union Continues Organizing Push For DOJ Attys

    Attorneys in the U.S. Department of Justice's civil rights and environment divisions are stepping up their efforts to organize with the National Treasury Employees Union, the union confirmed Friday, as federal workers brace for coming changes under President-elect Donald Trump's new administration.

Expert Analysis

  • Lessons For Municipalities Facing Cyberattacks

    Author Photo

    With municipal IT teams facing the daunting task of keeping agencies operational while safeguarding sensitive government data, including residents' and employees' personally identifiable information, there are steps a municipality can take to guard against a major cyberattack, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Testing The Waters As New Texas Biz Court Ends 2nd Month

    Author Photo

    Despite an uptick in filings in the Texas Business Court's initial months of operation, the docket remains fairly light amid an apparent wait-and-see approach from some potential litigants, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • Biden Green Card Program Unlikely To Advance Post-Election

    Author Photo

    Even if Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election and continues a Biden administration policy that would allow certain foreign relatives of American citizens to apply for green cards without leaving the U.S., a challenge in Texas federal court is likely to delay implementation for a long time, says Brad Brigante at Brigante Law.

  • New Export Control Guidance Raises The Stakes For Banks

    Author Photo

    Recent guidance from the Bureau of Industry and Security alerts banks that they could be liable for facilitating export control violations, the latest example of regulators articulating the expectation that both financial institutions and corporations serve as gatekeepers to mitigate crime and aid enforcement efforts, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

    Author Photo

    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • Fluoride Ruling Charts Path To Bypass EPA Risk Evaluations

    Author Photo

    A California federal court's recent ruling in Food and Water Watch v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ordering the agency to address the public health risks of fluoridated drinking water, establishes a road map for other citizen petitioners to bypass the EPA's formal risk evaluation process, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

    Author Photo

    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Planning For Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements In Sports

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Wiley discuss the proposed rules under the Cybersecurity Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act that would impose extensive reporting requirements on professional and collegiate athletic organizations, universities and sports venues, including defining a covered entity and analyzing the types of events that would trigger reporting.

  • How 2 Proposed Bills Could Transform Patent Law

    Author Photo

    The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act and the Prevail Act may come up for vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee after the election, and both offer benefits and challenges for inventors and companies seeking to obtain patents, says Philip Nelson at Knobbe Martens.

  • Inside FTC's Decision To Exit Key Merger Review Labor Memo

    Author Photo

    Despite the Federal Trade Commission's recent withdrawal from a multiagency memorandum of understanding to step up enforcement of labor issues in merger investigations, the antitrust agencies aren't likely to give up their labor market focus, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • FDIC Guidance Puts Next-Gen ATMs In Regulatory Spotlight

    Author Photo

    The boring existence of ATMs is changing thanks to the emergence of new-age interactive teller machines, prompting the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to sound off in a potentially influential August letter to branches on which services might need regulatory approval, says Thomas Walker at Jones Walker.

  • Opinion

    Tariffs' Economic Downsides Outweigh Potential Revenue

    Author Photo

    Import tariffs proposed by the campaign of former president Donald Trump would generate revenue like other taxes, but policymakers must consider the net-negative impact of associated consumer and downstream-industry costs, harm to exporters, potential foreign retaliation and reduction in economic output, says Erica York at the Tax Foundation.

  • Comments Show Need For Clarity On SBA Proposed Rule

    Author Photo

    The recent public comments period for the Small Business Administration's proposed rule on recertification and other regulations underscores the need for more precision, particularly on agreements in principle, which the SBA should address as it moves forward with this rulemaking, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Amazon Holiday Pay Case Underscores Overtime Challenges

    Author Photo

    The recent Hamilton v. Amazon.com Services LLC decision in the Colorado Supreme Court underscores why employers must always consult applicable state law and regulations — in addition to federal law — when determining how to properly pay employees who work more than 40 hours in a workweek, says James Looby at Vedder Price.

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!