Public Policy

  • August 28, 2024

    DOL Backs IBM Retirees' Bid To Revive Suit At 2nd Circ.

    The U.S. Department of Labor urged the Second Circuit to revive a proposed class action alleging IBM shorted retirees on pension payments through the use of outdated mortality data, stating the lower court's ruling tossing the case "flies in the face" of U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

  • August 28, 2024

    Ex-Defender Opposes Bid To Fix Record In Harassment Case

    A former assistant public defender in North Carolina who lost her suit accusing the judiciary of botching her sexual harassment complaint has called out mistakes in the trial transcripts but opposed the government's method for correcting them, calling the proposal "fundamentally unfair."

  • August 28, 2024

    Tenn. High Court Says Pot Smell A Factor In Probable Cause

    Tennessee's highest court has ruled that notwithstanding the federal legalization of hemp, which smells like marijuana, a drug-sniffing police dog's signal that cannabis odor is present can still be a factor in giving law enforcement probable cause for a vehicle search.

  • August 28, 2024

    DLA Piper Adds Williams & Jensen Public Policy Ace In DC

    DLA Piper has continued its recent expansion of the firm's government affairs and public policy practice with the addition of another Williams & Jensen PLLC attorney.

  • August 28, 2024

    Palin Wins New NYT Libel Trial As 2nd Circ. Chides Rakoff

    The Second Circuit granted Sarah Palin a new trial Wednesday in her defamation suit against The New York Times, holding that U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff biased the verdict in favor of the newspaper and "usurped" the jury's role by erroneously tossing the case during deliberations.

  • August 27, 2024

    No Section 230 Shield For TikTok's Algorithm, 3rd Circ. Says

    The Third Circuit Tuesday revived a lawsuit alleging TikTok's algorithms recommended a "blackout challenge" to a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl that led to her unintentional hanging death, saying the social media platform curates recommendations through its "For You Page" algorithm, which is not protected by a law shielding traditional publishers.

  • August 27, 2024

    Wells Fargo Says 'Good Faith' Efforts Ax Investors' Bias Suit

    Wells Fargo & Co. urged a California federal judge Tuesday to toss a derivative lawsuit filed by a putative class of shareholders claiming the bank's board of directors failed to address its discriminatory lending and hiring practices, saying there's evidence of "good-faith" efforts to monitor compliance in those areas.

  • August 27, 2024

    CFPB Late Fee Rule Has Slim Ties To Fort Worth, Judge Says

    A Texas federal judge had stern words for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce during a Tuesday hearing over a lawsuit challenging the CFPB's new credit card late fee rule in Fort Worth, saying that if judges' impartiality is in question "we need to just turn it in" as a country.

  • August 27, 2024

    USPTO Sued For Rejecting Blood Pressure Drug Patent

    A small drug developer has hit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office with a second lawsuit in Virginia federal court over the agency's latest rejection of the company's efforts to patent a different dosage of a drug the company markets to treat low blood pressure.

  • August 27, 2024

    DOJ Says Immigration Group Can't Join Oklahoma Suit

    The federal government urged the Tenth Circuit to reject a Tulsa immigration nonprofit's efforts to join its suit against Oklahoma over a state law that would ban unauthorized immigrants from settling in the state.

  • August 27, 2024

    Alaskan Tribal Health Group Hits Feds With $390M Suit

    The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is asking a federal district court for at least $390 million in a challenge to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that claims the agency refused to pay certain contract support costs to operate its healthcare programs for seven years.

  • August 27, 2024

    Guo Trustee Says Trump Aide Must Face $353K Clawback Suit

    The Chapter 11 trustee for Miles Guo has urged a Connecticut bankruptcy judge to preserve an adversary action seeking to claw back more than $353,000 that he alleged the Chinese exile fraudulently gave to Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Donald Trump and founder of conservative social media platform Gettr, saying Miller's bid to ax the case was flimsy.

  • August 27, 2024

    Feds Clarify Int'l Students' Eligibility For STEM Visa Program

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its policy manual on Tuesday to clarify when international students graduating from STEM programs may be eligible for a visa allowing them to temporarily work in the U.S.

  • August 27, 2024

    Leave Support For Alaska Connectivity Intact, FCC Told

    An Alaskan utility company told the Federal Communications Commission that rules blocking federal funds for broadband build out when there is already an unsubsidized competitor in the area might work fine on the mainland, but would be very bad for Alaska.

  • August 27, 2024

    Enbridge, Mich. Battle Over Immunity Order In Pipeline Fight

    Enbridge Energy and Michigan are swapping barbs over whether a federal district court should defer a summary judgment ruling in favor of the company over its Line 5 pipeline or wait until the Sixth Circuit has decided the state's bid to overturn a decision that it's not immune from the litigation.

  • August 27, 2024

    Insurer Off The Hook For $1.8M Praying Coach Settlement

    A Washington state school district's insurer doesn't have to cover a nearly $1.8 million legal fee settlement the district reached with a high school football coach whom the U.S. Supreme Court found was wrongly suspended for praying on the 50-yard line after games, a state appeals court ruled.

  • August 27, 2024

    2nd Circ. Urged To Reject Preemption Defense In BofA Row

    The Second Circuit should join fellow federal courts in finding that a New York statute requiring all banks to pay at least 2% interest on mortgage-escrow accounts isn't preempted, a former Bank of America mortgage customer has told the appeals court following the U.S. Supreme Court's remand of the matter.

  • August 27, 2024

    Tenn. Medicaid Program Illegally Cut Off Health Coverage

    Tennessee's Medicaid program violated the Medicaid Act, the 14th Amendment and the Americans With Disabilities Act by depriving residents of healthcare coverage, a federal judge has ruled, saying the agency was "lethargic in its response and attempts" to fix an eligibility system replete with issues.

  • August 27, 2024

    Judges Upend Alaska Airlines Loss, Blame Jury Instruction

    A Washington state appeals court on Tuesday threw out a jury verdict granting an Alaska Airlines flight attendant workers' compensation for catching COVID-19 while away from home for her job, in an opinion that said a jury instruction misstated a legal doctrine covering traveling workers.

  • August 27, 2024

    Colo. House Advances Further Cuts To Property Tax Rates

    The Colorado House advanced legislation Tuesday to limit property tax growth, a move supporters hope will also stave off a pair of ballot initiatives that critics say would devastate schools and other local services.

  • August 27, 2024

    Tour Bus Merger Claims Can't Save Antitrust Suit Redux

    Claiming a partnership between its rivals amounted to an anticompetitive merger wasn't enough Tuesday to save a New York City tour bus operator's second attempt at antitrust allegations that they locked it out of deals with key tourist destinations.

  • August 27, 2024

    Immigration Orgs Slam DHS' 'Tired Contentions' Over Asylum

    Immigration rights groups and asylum-seekers countered the Biden administration's "tired contentions" that new asylum restrictions at the southern border comport with federal immigration law, telling a D.C. federal judge that the policy is an attempted end-run around the law.

  • August 27, 2024

    Mich. Says Discovery Won't Save Dam Collapse Suits

    The state of Michigan has urged a judge to cut off discovery and end litigation over flooding caused by the collapse of the Edenville Dam, arguing that continuing to exchange information would be fruitless because it's already clear that the state didn't cause the disaster.

  • August 27, 2024

    Rescheduling Pot Unlikely To Fix Banking Issues, Report Says

    A pending proposal to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana is unlikely, on its own, to make it easier for state-regulated cannabis businesses to access financial services available to other industries, according to a recent report published by Capitol Hill's policy research arm.

  • August 27, 2024

    5th Circ. Holds Mandate In Subsidy Suit During FCC Appeal

    The Fifth Circuit has agreed to let the current subsidy for telecom services remain in place while the Federal Communications Commission seeks U.S. Supreme Court review of a ruling that upended the subsidy system.

Expert Analysis

  • Navigating The New Rise Of Greenwashing Litigation

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    As greenwashing lawsuits continue to gain momentum with a shift in focus to carbon-neutrality claims, businesses must exercise caution and ensure transparency in their environmental marketing practices, taking cues from recent legal challenges in the airline industry, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

  • In Memoriam: The Modern Administrative State

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    On June 28, the modern administrative state, where courts deferred to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes, died when the U.S. Supreme Court overruled its previous decision in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council — but it is survived by many cases decided under the Chevron framework, say Joseph Schaeffer and Jessica Deyoe at Babst Calland.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Expect Limited Changes In USPTO Rulemaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling overturning Chevron deference will have limited consequences for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office given the USPTO's unique statutory features, but it is still an important decision for matters of statutory interpretation, especially those involving provisions of the America Invents Act, say Andrei Iancu and Cooper Godfrey at Sullivan & Cromwell.

  • Preparing For CFPB 'Junk Fee' Push Into Mortgage Industry

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    As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau considers expanding its "junk fee" initiative into mortgage closing costs, mortgage lenders and third parties must develop plans now that anticipate potential rulemaking or enforcement activity in this space, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Opinion

    It's Time For Nationwide Race-Based Hair Protections

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    While 24 states have passed laws that prohibit race-based hair discrimination, this type of bias persists in workplaces and schools, so a robust federal law is necessary to ensure widespread protection, says Samone Ijoma and Erica Roberts at Sanford Heisler.

  • Series

    After Chevron: EEOC Status Quo Will Likely Continue

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    As the legal landscape adjusts to the end of Chevron deference, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s rulemaking authority isn’t likely to shift as much as some other employment-related agencies, says Paige Lyle at FordHarrison.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Impact On Indian Law May Be Muted

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    Agency interpretations of Indian law statutes that previously stood the test of judicial review ​are likely to withstand new challenges even after the end of Chevron deference, but litigation in the area is all but certain, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Opinion

    Trump Immunity Ruling Upends Our Constitutional Scheme

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Trump v. U.S. decision elevates the president to imperial status and paves the way for nearly absolute presidential immunity from potential criminal prosecutions — with no constitutional textual support, says Paul Berman at the George Washington University Law School.

  • High Court Paves Middle Ground For Proceedings Obstruction

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Fischer sensibly leaves the door open for prosecutors to make more nuanced assessments as to whether defendants' actions directly or tangentially impair the availability or integrity of anything used in an official proceeding, without criminalizing acts such as peaceful demonstrations, say attorneys at Perry Law.

  • How High Court Approached Time Limit On Reg Challenges

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Corner Post v. Federal Reserve Board effectively gives new entities their own personal statute of limitations to challenge rules and regulations, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh's concurrence may portend the court's view that those entities do not need to be directly regulated, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Series

    Florida Banking Brief: All The Notable Legal Updates In Q2

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    The second quarter of 2024 brought two notable bills that will affect Florida's banking and finance community across many issues, including virtual currency abandonment, cancellation of financial services on the basis of political opinions, and the exemption amount of motor vehicles, say Joshua Prever and Andrew Balthazor at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    After Chevron: FTC's 'Unfair Competition' Actions In Jeopardy

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court's decision ending Chevron deference will have limited effect on the Federal Trade Commission's merger guidelines, administrative enforcement actions and commission decisions on appeal, it could restrict the agency's expansive take on its rulemaking authority and threaten the noncompete ban, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • How To Clean Up Your Generative AI-Produced Legal Drafts

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    As law firms increasingly rely on generative artificial intelligence tools to produce legal text, attorneys should be on guard for the overuse of cohesive devices in initial drafts, and consider a few editing pointers to clean up AI’s repetitive and choppy outputs, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.

  • Series

    After Chevron: Opportunities For Change In FHFA Practices

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the Chevron doctrine should lead to better cooperation between the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Congress, and may give the FHFA a chance to embrace transparency and innovation and promote sustainable housing practices, says Mehdi Sinaki at Michelman & Robinson.

  • Constitutional Protections For Cannabis Companies Are Hazy

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    Cannabis businesses are subject to federal enforcement and tax, but often without the benefit of constitutional protections — and the entanglement of state and federal law and conflicting judicial opinions are creating confusion in the space, says Amber Lengacher at Purple Circle.

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