Public Policy

  • February 04, 2025

    OpenAI Judge Rips Musk's 'Broad' Bid To Block For-Profit

    A California federal judge indicated Tuesday she'll likely deny Elon Musk's bid to preliminarily block OpenAI Inc. from transitioning into a for-profit enterprise, criticizing Musk's filings for being vague and broad and saying she'll toss some claims, while adding "something is going to trial in this case."

  • February 04, 2025

    Baltimore, Advocacy Groups Sue Trump Over Anti-DEI Orders

    The city of Baltimore and a coalition of academic and restaurant advocacy groups hit the Trump administration with a suit Monday in Maryland federal court over the president's push to curtail diversity, equity and inclusion programs, saying his executive orders are unlawfully vague and block Congress' constitutional power of the purse.

  • February 04, 2025

    FCC Floats $4.4M Robocall Fine Against Telecom Network

    The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday proposed a fine of more than $4.4 million against a Chicago-based telecom that the agency accused of allowing government impostor calls on its network.

  • February 04, 2025

    UC System Accused Of Racial Discrimination In Admissions

    A group of students seeking to apply for admission to University of California campuses sued the state university system on Monday, claiming in California federal court that UC schools, especially its law schools, were discriminating against Asian American and white applicants by preferring Hispanic and Black students.

  • February 04, 2025

    FCC Drops 5th Circ. Defense Of Nonbinary Gender Category

    The Federal Communications Commission will no longer defend a nonbinary gender category on its employment diversity forms amid challenges brought by religious broadcasters in the Fifth Circuit, where judges grilled the FCC on Tuesday about its authority to collect and publish industry data on employee diversity.

  • February 04, 2025

    Dems Call For Another Hearing For Patel Over FBI Upheaval

    Kash Patel had his nomination hearing to be FBI director less than a week ago, but Democrats and outside groups want him to appear before lawmakers again due to the agency officials fired and sidelined in recent days, and questions raised about Patel's past consulting work, according to letters written to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

  • February 04, 2025

    5th Circ. Mulls If Green Orgs. Have Injury In Injection Well Case

    A Fifth Circuit panel pondered whether environmental groups will suffer an injury adequate to challenge underground injection wells in Louisiana, asking during oral arguments Tuesday whether the groups can bring a legal claim for an event 50 years down the road.

  • February 04, 2025

    Watchdog Says Site Selection For New FBI Building Flawed

    A U.S. General Services Administration watchdog found that the GSA's contentious process for determining the site for a new FBI headquarters involved several flaws that made it difficult for site selection officials to accurately decide between proposed locations.

  • February 04, 2025

    EPA, Interior Leaders Unveil Focus On US Energy Production

    The heads of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency unveiled plans for their agencies that largely focus on bolstering President Donald Trump's U.S. energy dominance policy. 

  • February 04, 2025

    Sens. Hawley, Sanders Pitch 10% Cap On Credit Card Rate

    Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced bipartisan legislation Tuesday that would hold President Donald Trump to his campaign promise of a 10% credit card interest rate cap.

  • February 04, 2025

    Sen. Mike Lee To Head Antitrust Subcommittee

    Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a frequent critic of the Federal Trade Commission, will serve as chairman of the Senate subcommittee on antitrust and consumer protection issues, with Sen. Corey Booker, D-N.J., taking over the ranking member role.

  • February 04, 2025

    5th Circ. Asks Why EPA Stalled Denial Of Texas Ozone Plan

    A Fifth Circuit panel pushed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday to specify why it had dragged its feet before denying Texas' Clean Air Act implementation plans, asking during oral arguments how long the agency can "sit on" the plans.

  • February 04, 2025

    Senate Confirms Pam Bondi To Be AG

    The U.S. Senate voted 54-46 on Tuesday to confirm Pam Bondi to be attorney general.

  • February 04, 2025

    Calif. AG Gets $25M To Fund Legal Fights Against Trump

    The California Legislature greenlighted a $25 million cash infusion Monday for the state attorney general's office in a strategic effort to bolster the state's legal defenses against President Donald Trump's policy agenda, including anticipated challenges to immigration and environmental regulations.

  • February 04, 2025

    Colo. Hid Problems With Fiber-Optic Install Project, Suit Says

    A Colorado telecommunications contractor has sued the state Department of Transportation for allegedly hiding problems with a fiber-optic installation project that delayed completion for two summers, claiming the department has refused to properly compensate it for the hold-ups. 

  • February 04, 2025

    Pushing The Envelope In Climate Law: Murder Charges

    Climate change legal advocates are pointing to wildfires in Los Angeles, hurricanes in the Southeast and a regulation-averse presidential administration as evidence that local prosecutors should begin going after fossil fuel companies with criminal charges — up to and including homicide.

  • February 04, 2025

    Mich. Supreme Court Says City's Electricity Fee Is Illegal Tax

    A franchise fee added to East Lansing, Michigan, residents' energy bills is a disguised tax, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled Monday, saying the fee was used to raise revenue for the city without first being approved by voters.

  • February 04, 2025

    Trump Trans Care Order Usurps Congress' Power, Suit Says

    The Trump administration overstepped when it issued an executive order cutting off gender-affirming care for people under 19, a group of transgender adolescents, young adults and their families told a Maryland federal court Tuesday, arguing the president is trying to usurp Congressional authority by forcing federally funded hospitals to discriminate.

  • February 04, 2025

    4th Circ. Keeps NC Judge's Ballot Battle In State Court

    The Fourth Circuit will let a North Carolina state court decide the fate of a contested associate justice race that remains unresolved months after the election, but the panel left the door open for a district court to decide any leftover federal constitutional issues.

  • February 04, 2025

    5th Circ. Backs Biden's Gov't Contractor Wage Hike

    The Fifth Circuit upended on Tuesday a ruling that blocked an executive order increasing the minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 per hour, saying former President Joe Biden acted within his authority when he put forward the regulation because it was intended to promote economy and efficiency.

  • February 04, 2025

    11th Circ. Urged To Adopt 'Consensus' On Officers' Immunity

    A Georgia woman who was subjected to a strip and cavity search while visiting her husband in prison urged the full Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday to build on its prior ruling that her rights had been violated and to sweep away the prison officials' defenses of qualified immunity.

  • February 04, 2025

    External Revenue Service Could Help Solve Unpaid Duty Issue

    President Donald Trump's call for a new agency designed to collect trade revenue, billed as the External Revenue Service, may be more than a flashy concept and could tackle lingering inefficiencies associated with duty collection, experts say.

  • February 04, 2025

    Trump To Sign 'Keeping Men Out Of Women's Sports' Order

    President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Wednesday that will ban transgender female athletes from competing in women's sports, according to an announcement from Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.

  • February 04, 2025

    NJ Wildlife Regulator Is Unconstitutional, Ex-Legislator Argues

    A former New Jersey state senator urged an appeals court Tuesday to revive his nonprofit company's suit challenging the constitutionality of the state's hunting and fishing regulatory agency, arguing it's the only policymaking body in the state controlled by a single private organization.

  • February 04, 2025

    Coinbase Taps BigLaw Firms In Bid To End Crypto 'Debanking'

    Crypto exchange Coinbase urged regulators Tuesday to clarify that banks can offer crypto custody and execution services, submitting a letter featuring a report from three BigLaw firms asserting that federal laws and regulations already allow banks to wade further into digital asset activities.

Expert Analysis

  • Green Projects Face States' Foreign Land Ownership Limits

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    As states impose restrictions and disclosure requirements around foreign investment in agricultural land — in some cases piggybacking on existing federal rules — renewable energy developers and investors must pay close attention to how the rules vary, says Daniel Fanning at Husch Blackwell.

  • What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

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    The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • The Prospects Of Pa. Gaining Its Own Antitrust Law After 2024

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    In the only state that does not have its own antitrust law, Pennsylvania's business community's strong opposition to the Pennsylvania Open Markets Act signals a rough road lies ahead for passage of the bill after Republicans retained a narrow majority in the state Senate, say attorneys at BakerHostetler.

  • California's New AV Law May Steer Policy Nationwide

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    California's new law establishing various requirements for autonomous vehicles is something other states should pay close attention to — especially because the Golden State's policies may become a de facto mandate for manufacturers due to its market size, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio Dubey.

  • Alpine Ruling Previews Challenges To FINRA Authority

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    While the D.C. Circuit's holding that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority can't expel member firm Alpine prior to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission review was relatively narrow, it foreshadows possibly broader constitutional challenges to FINRA's enforcement and other nongovernmental disciplinary programs, say attorneys at Stradley Ronon.

  • Wage Whiplash: Surviving A Compliance Roller Coaster

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    As the transition to the Trump administration causes mounting uncertainty about federal wage and hour policies, employers can transform compliance challenges into opportunities for resilience and growth by taking key steps to comply with stricter state and local requirements, says Lee Jacobs at Barclay Damon.

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • Marketing Messages Matter In State AG Consumer Protection

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    Attorneys general interpret marketing claims far more broadly than many companies may realize, so to mitigate potential risk, businesses should be vigilant about all consumer messaging, including communications that may not traditionally be considered advertising in the colloquial sense, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Tips For Employers Facing Looming Immigration Changes

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    As Trump's second term heralds a challenging period for immigration policy, employers should look to lessons from his first administration as they implement strategies for their global talent programs and communications protocols, says Eileen Lohmann at BAL.

  • Opinion

    6 Changes I Would Make If I Ran A Law School

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    Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner identifies several key issues plaguing law schools and discusses potential solutions, such as opting out of the rankings game and mandating courses in basic writing skills.

  • The Current State Of Play Around Corporate Transparency Act

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    Although a Texas court preliminarily enjoined enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act and paused an impending Dec. 31 reporting deadline, multiple states have similar requirements, so companies should continue to monitor compliance obligations regardless of the CTA's constitutionality, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Predictions For Trump Antitrust Enforcement Of Life Sciences

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    Key life sciences antitrust issues of the past two administrations may indicate the direction of enforcement during President-elect Donald Trump's second term, including in areas such as drug prices, killer acquisitions and merger remedies, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • What To Know About Fla. Civil Procedure Rule Revisions

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    While some may be apprehensive about the looming changes coming to Florida’s Rules of Civil Procedure on Jan. 1, these essential modifications that affect tenets of civil litigation long taken for granted will increase efficiency and streamline the litigation process, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.

  • From Football To Pickleball, Sports Investing Evolved In 2024

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    The NFL's decision to allow private-equity investments in football franchises capped off a transformative year in U.S. sports that also included landmark PE transactions in emerging sports ranging from women's soccer to pickleball, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Implications Of NY Climate Case For Generating Facilities

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    Regardless of how Greenidge Generation LLC v. New York Department of Environmental Conservation develops on remand, this decision has immediate repercussions for generating facilities seeking permit applications and renewals in New York, likely involving Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act considerations, say attorneys at Hodgson Russ.

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