Public Policy

  • November 20, 2024

    Mass. Gov. Nominates 3 To Probate And Family Court

    Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday nominated three judicial candidates to the state's Probate and Family Court, which handles divorce, child custody, guardianship and estate matters.

  • November 20, 2024

    Bill Aimed At Creating Ga.'s First National Park Moves Ahead

    The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted Tuesday to advance a bill that would establish Georgia's first national park, upgrading the ancestral home of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation of Oklahoma from its national monument status while also offering protections for Native American burial mounds.

  • November 20, 2024

    Calif. Judicial Nominee Asked About Race, Parenting Writings

    A California judicial nominee's previous writing about the murder of George Floyd in 2020, which sparked a national reckoning on race, was the subject of debate during a Senate nomination hearing on Wednesday.

  • November 20, 2024

    Calif. Voters Reject Minimum Wage Hike In Rare Outcome

    A slim majority of California voters shot down a ballot measure that would have raised the state's minimum wage to $18 an hour, the first time such a proposal has failed in any state in nearly three decades.

  • November 20, 2024

    Trump Wants 'Immediate Dismissal' Of NY Hush Money Case

    President-elect Donald Trump's legal team told the New York judge who presided over his hush money trial that his conviction should be thrown out due to his "overwhelming victory" at the polls, according to a filing released Wednesday.

  • November 20, 2024

    Bankman-Fried Tech Deputy Who Parsed Code Avoids Prison

    A Manhattan federal judge allowed tech expert Zixiao "Gary" Wang to avoid jail Wednesday for his role in the $11 billion FTX fraud, crediting his effort to detail programming "back doors" that enabled Sam Bankman-Fried to loot the bankrupt crypto exchange.

  • November 19, 2024

    Monsanto's Bid To Pause PCB Trial Again Shot Down

    A Washington state appellate commissioner on Friday again refused to undo a trial court's decision not to pause a chemical poisoning tort trial playing out in Seattle, rejecting Monsanto's contention that the court committed "obvious error" in letting the trial proceed while the state's highest court decides a similar case.

  • November 19, 2024

    High Court Urged To Let Courts Scrutinize Agency Rulings

    District courts should be allowed to question rather than grant "absolute deference" to the Federal Communications Commission's interpretation of key statutory terms in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, a chiropractic group contended Monday in calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to revive a junk fax class action.

  • November 19, 2024

    Vets' Attys Want Nonprofit To Get $63M Of Agent Orange Funds

    Counsel representing a class of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange and their survivors in litigation that settled 33 years ago urged a California federal judge on Tuesday to hand $63 million in unclaimed funds to a legal nonprofit, a request the federal government has contested.

  • November 19, 2024

    Keep Colo. Interest Rate Opt-Out Law Blocked, 10th Circ. Told

    A coalition of organizations representing the financial services industry has urged the Tenth Circuit to uphold a district court's injunction against a Colorado interest rate opt-out law, arguing the state's attempt to reframe the federal provision allowing the opt-out as a consumer protection measure ignores the underlying statute's history as rooted in federalist principles.

  • November 19, 2024

    11th Circ. Weighs Whether Tornado Cash Sanctions Overreach

    An Eleventh Circuit panel on Tuesday dove deep into the mechanisms of cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash as the judges weighed whether government sanctions intended to curb illicit finance on the protocol are permitted under the law.

  • November 19, 2024

    10th Circ. Judge Asks If PLO Activity Enough For US Suit

    A Tenth Circuit judge hearing arguments Tuesday about whether federal courts have jurisdiction over the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization asked an attorney representing the entities whether the group "conducting activity" in the U.S. was enough for courts here to consider the case.

  • November 19, 2024

    USPTO Urged To Revamp Computer Image Design Patent Rule

    Intellectual property law groups and Apple Inc. have recommended that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office allow design patents on computer icons shown using new technologies like holograms and augmented reality, saying a rule limiting protection to images on display screens is outdated.

  • November 19, 2024

    Wash. Tribe Looks To Ax Wildlife Refuge Protection Suit

    A Washington state tribe is looking to dismiss a challenge by three environmental groups to the federal government for failing to protect a national wildlife refuge from an industrial aquaculture operation, arguing that the true purpose of the case is to restrict its members from farming in their historic homeland.

  • November 19, 2024

    All States Now Approved For Feds' Broadband Program

    Everyone who is eligible for a slice of the $42.5 billion BEAD Program pie has officially had their broadband deployment plans approved by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the agency revealed Tuesday.

  • November 19, 2024

    CFPB's Medical Debt Guidance Faces Industry Injunction Bid

    Debt collectors asked a D.C. federal court on Monday to put an immediate hold on recent Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidance aimed at the medical debt collection market, escalating their challenge to the document ahead of its looming effective date.

  • November 19, 2024

    Calif. Judge OKs Biggest Family Separation Settlement Yet

    A California federal judge has approved a final settlement for minors in a lawsuit seeking damages for emotional distress caused by family separations under the Trump administration's zero tolerance border policy, saying the settlements "appear to represent the largest amounts achieved thus far by plaintiffs in family separation cases."

  • November 19, 2024

    Doc Says Idaho Abortion Bans Sow 'Fear' In 2nd Week Of Trial

    In the trial over Idaho's strict abortion bans, a rural-based doctor testified Tuesday that the laws are leaving doctors stuck in "confusion and fear," leading to delayed care that's affecting patient safety. 

  • November 19, 2024

    Trump DOT Pick Puts Highway, Road Rebuilds Back In Focus

    President-elect Donald Trump's selection of former Wisconsin congressman Sean Duffy to serve as his secretary of transportation would send a savvy communicator to liaise with Capitol Hill and refocus the federal government's infrastructure investment priorities more on highways, roads and bridges and less on renewables and clean-energy initiatives, experts say.

  • November 19, 2024

    Senate Confirms 5th Lame-Duck Judge

    The Senate voted 50-44 on Tuesday evening to confirm Sarah French Russell, law professor and director of the Legal Clinic at Quinnipiac University School of Law, to become a judge in the District of Connecticut.

  • November 19, 2024

    Neb. AG Expands Electric Trucks Fight To Volvo, Daimler

    However a federal court challenge to California's phaseout of gasoline and diesel trucks plays out, Nebraska's attorney general wants to make sure that Volvo, Daimler and other semitruck giants don't eliminate traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles, filing a Nebraska state court antitrust suit Tuesday describing phaseout commitments as anticompetitive collusion.

  • November 19, 2024

    Ex-US Attorneys See Risks In Working Under Gaetz

    Some prospective U.S. attorneys may think twice about joining the U.S. Department of Justice if Matt Gaetz ends up in charge, veterans of the position told Law360.

  • November 19, 2024

    DOJ Hits Pennsylvania With Bias Suit Over Building Code

    A Pennsylvania building code with an automatic sprinkler requirement for community homes for autistic people or those with intellectually disabilities is discriminatory, as it doesn't apply to "similarly sized" homes for people who aren't disabled, the federal government alleged Tuesday.

  • November 19, 2024

    32 State AGs Urge Congress To Back Kids' Online Safety Bill

    More than 30 state attorneys general urged federal lawmakers to back bipartisan legislation aimed at bolstering youth safety online, writing a letter Monday encouraging Congress to "act to aid our state-level efforts" which included opening investigations and commencing with litigation against social media companies like TikTok and Meta. 

  • November 19, 2024

    10th Circ. Iffy On Colo.'s Remedy To Generic EpiPen Takings

    A Tenth Circuit panel on Tuesday pressed Colorado regulators on whether requiring epinephrine auto-injector makers to repeatedly sue over the cost of complying with a state program provides an adequate legal remedy, with one judge saying that that route offers no finality for manufacturers.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Understanding New ACH Network Anti-Fraud Rules

    Author Photo

    Many of the National Automated Clearing House Association’s recent amendments to ACH network risk management rules went into effect this month, so financial institutions and corporations must review and update their internal policies as needed, says Aisha Hall at Taft.

  • The OIG Report: Bad Timing For FEC To Be Underresourced

    Author Photo

    With less than two weeks to the election, the Federal Election Commission’s job has never been more urgent, but a report from its Office of the Inspector General earlier this year found that the agency is facing a resource squeeze that will only get worse without corrective action, says Diana Shaw at Wiley.

  • What To Know About New Employment Laws In Fla.

    Author Photo

    Florida employers should familiarize themselves with recent state laws, and also federal legislation, on retirement benefits, teen labor and heat exposure, with special attention to prohibitions against minors performing dangerous tasks, as outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act, say Katie Molloy and Cayla Page at Greenberg Traurig.

  • The Key To Solving High Drug Costs Is Understanding Causes

    Author Photo

    One-sided views on who or what contributes to the high cost of pharmaceuticals render possible solutions much harder to discover and implement, and a better approach would be to examine history and learn why costs have increased and what legislation has and hasn't helped, says Nancy Linck at NJ Linck Consulting.

  • Election Unlikely To Overhaul Antitrust Enforcers' Labor Focus

    Author Photo

    Although the outcome of the presidential election may alter the course of antitrust enforcement in certain areas of the economy, scrutiny of labor markets by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice is likely to remain largely unaffected — with one notable exception, say Jared Nagley and Joy Siu at Sheppard Mullin.

  • How Immigration Attys Should Prep For A 2nd Trump Term

    Author Photo

    In light of the possibility of a drastic policy shift under a second Trump administration, immigration lawyers must review what Trump did during his first term, assess who would be most affected if those policies return and develop legal strategies to safeguard their clients' interests, says Adam Moses at Harris Beach.

  • Anticipating Jarkesy's Effect On Bank Agency Enforcement

    Author Photo

    Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy, federal courts may eventually issue decisions on banking law principles and processes that could fundamentally alter the agencies' enforcement action framework, and the relationship between banks and examiners, says Brendan Clegg at Luse Gorman.

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!