Public Policy

  • April 14, 2025

    Ill. Senator Knew Ethics Surrounding Bribery, Jury Hears

    An Illinois senator on trial for allegedly agreeing to help a red-light camera company for a $5,000 payment and a do-nothing job for his intern was previously trained on how to recognize and avoid such situations as an elected official, jurors heard Monday.

  • April 14, 2025

    Calif. Board Says SpaceX Suit Should Be Grounded For Good

    The California Coastal Commission moved Friday for another dismissal of SpaceX's suit alleging the commission wrongly tried to block its plan to increase rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, saying because the commission's opposition was overridden by the U.S. Air Force, no harm was caused.

  • April 14, 2025

    Verizon Says Unlocking Rules Are Boon To Crime Rings

    Verizon is asking the Federal Communications Commission to allow carriers to wait longer before unlocking customers' devices, telling the agency that device locking is one of the only effective tools for combating phone trafficking crime rings.

  • April 14, 2025

    Conn. Sues Feds To Block 80-Acre Tribal Land Trust Decisions

    Connecticut is asking a federal court to undo a U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs decision to take 80 acres into trust for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, arguing it lacked authority to issue the order that, if allowed to stand, it said will end the state's sovereign territory rights.

  • April 14, 2025

    FCC Inundated With Ideas On Where To Cut Regulatory Fat

    From prison phone service providers to trade groups, everybody has something to say about what rules and requirements the Federal Communications Commission should be cutting as part of President Donald Trump's directive to shed as many regulations as possible.

  • April 14, 2025

    Industry Seeks Tougher Laws To Fight Cable Theft, Vandalism

    State and local officials should enact more effective laws to fight the growing theft and vandalism of cable infrastructure, according to a new industry report.

  • April 14, 2025

    US Cuts Tariffs On Chinese Electronics But Vows New Levies

    The U.S. scaled back tariffs on Chinese semiconductors and related products like computers and smartphones, but Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said those goods and pharmaceuticals would face sector-specific tariffs in one to two months.

  • April 14, 2025

    Feds Push To End Alaska Tribe's Gold Mine Permit Challenge

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a gold mine developer are asking a federal court for permission to move for early dismissal of an Alaskan tribe's remaining claim against an open-pit gold mine near the Yukon border, saying its amended lawsuit doesn't fare better than the original.

  • April 14, 2025

    Trump Admin Moves To Weaken Migratory Bird Protections

    The top lawyer at the U.S. Department of the Interior says the federal government lacks the power to prosecute companies that inadvertently kill federally protected migratory birds, a legal position the department took during the first Trump administration but which was overturned by a federal court in 2020.

  • April 14, 2025

    Vt. Judge Likely To Seek Tufts Student's Return For Hearing

    A Vermont federal judge hinted Monday he will likely order the government to return a Tufts University graduate student to the state for a hearing on her request to be released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

  • April 14, 2025

    Mich. Pot Regulation Chief Wants Out Of Couple's RICO Suit

    The executive director of Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency on Monday urged a federal court to deny an injunction sought by a couple aiming to shut down a neighboring cannabis processing operation, arguing he's not part of any alleged racketeering scheme and they are unlikely to succeed on their claims.

  • April 14, 2025

    Ore. Ex-Official Alleges Improper Firing Over Whiskey Scandal

    The former deputy director of Oregon's liquor and cannabis regulator has alleged in a lawsuit recently removed to federal court that he was wrongfully terminated in connection with a scandal in which agency officials were accused of pocketing rare whiskeys.

  • April 14, 2025

    Basketball Player Faces NCAA Over Transfer Rules Decree

    Attorneys for a basketball player claiming that the NCAA is blocking him from transferring to another school, despite a federal consent decree allowing it, told a West Virginia federal judge Monday that his right to play next season is being "shortchanged by the NCAA's illegal conduct.''

  • April 14, 2025

    Conservative Lawyers Seek Ethics Probe Of DC US Attorney

    A group of conservative lawyers and former prosecutors on Monday called for an attorney ethics investigation into President Donald Trump's nominee to be Washington, D.C.'s top federal prosecutor, saying the attorney has shown a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the role.

  • April 14, 2025

    10th Circ. Revives Takings Suit Over Colo. Property Law

    The Tenth Circuit revived a suit filed by Colorado residents who claimed the state unconstitutionally used its unclaimed-property law to take their properties, finding the residents sufficiently claimed the state failed to provide just compensation.

  • April 14, 2025

    FTC Joins DOJ In Targeting Anticompetitive Regulations

    The Federal Trade Commission launched a public inquiry Monday to look into reducing regulations that are hindering competition, following a similar move by the U.S. Department of Justice last month.

  • April 14, 2025

    Green Group Urges Update On Gulf Oil Well Risks

    The Center for Biological Diversity has urged a D.C. federal court to order government agencies to update their assessment of derelict offshore oil and gas facilities along the southern coast, saying the stalled decommissioning of aging infrastructure is creating a greater likelihood of an environmental disaster.

  • April 14, 2025

    Colorado Oil Co. Says Hefty Penalties Are Unlawful Taking

    An ailing oil and gas company asked a federal judge Friday to block Colorado orders requiring it to halt some operations and pay $8 million in penalties, arguing that they amount to an unconstitutional taking of its property without compensation.

  • April 14, 2025

    Top Court Ruling Dooms Suit Challenging Housing Grant Cuts

    A federal judge in Boston on Monday vacated an earlier ruling that had blocked the Trump administration from cutting $30 million in housing anti-discrimination grants, saying a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in a similar case involving teacher training grants likely strips the court of jurisdiction.

  • April 14, 2025

    NJ High Court Advances DuPont Appeal In $1B Pollution Suit

    The New Jersey Supreme Court will allow Chemours and E.I. du Pont de Nemours to appeal a trial court's ruling that a small New Jersey town has standing to bring its $1 billion pollution suit, according to a recent order.

  • April 14, 2025

    FCC Could Nix Engineer Certification Reg, Cable Biz Says

    A cable industry lobbying group said Monday the Federal Communications Commission could soon withdraw a little-known but contentious rule requiring professional engineers to certify providers' broadband mapping data.

  • April 14, 2025

    NY Judge Chided For Tossing Kid's Friend's Traffic Ticket

    A Westchester County, New York, judge who threw her title around while handling her daughter's traffic ticket in a neighboring town, and later tossed a different traffic ticket for her daughter's friend, has been hit with a public admonishment, the state's judicial watchdog announced Monday.

  • April 14, 2025

    DOJ Resists Airing Full ICE Pact On Taxpayer Data Sharing

    The U.S. government objected Monday to releasing an unredacted copy of a tax-information-sharing agreement between the IRS and immigration enforcement agencies sought by groups seeking to block the disclosure, telling a D.C. federal court that it would reveal sensitive information and law enforcement techniques.

  • April 14, 2025

    Military Voters Say Ballots Should Count In NC High Court Race

    Military and overseas voters registered in North Carolina are mounting a constitutional challenge to a Republican judge's efforts to discount their ballots, filing a federal lawsuit Monday just as the Democratic incumbent lost her bid to halt the ballot corrections process.

  • April 14, 2025

    CFPB To Vacate Credit Card Late Fee Rule In Deal With Banks

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Monday it has agreed to vacate as unlawful its $8 credit card late fee rule as part of a deal with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other trade groups to settle their litigation over the agency's Biden-era rule.

Expert Analysis

  • How The AI Antitrust Landscape Might Evolve Under Trump

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    The Trump administration's early actions around artificial intelligence and antitrust policy, along with statements from competition regulators, suggest that the AI competition landscape may see reduced scrutiny around acquisitions, but not an entirely hands-off enforcement approach, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • A Look At Healthcare Transaction Oversight In Oregon

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    Understanding Oregon's enforcement authority and its impact on proposed transactions last year provides a road map to the state's plans to strengthen its processes this year, though enforcement could be challenged by ongoing litigation, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • The Political Branches Can't Redefine The Citizenship Clause

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Wong Kim Ark opinion and subsequent decisions, and the 14th Amendment’s legislative history, establish that the citizenship clause precludes the political branches from narrowing the definition of citizen based on how a parent’s U.S. presence is categorized, says federal public defender Geremy Kamens.

  • Questions Remain After Justices' Narrow E-Rate FCA Ruling

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Wisconsin Bell, holding that requests for reimbursement from the Federal Communications Commission's E-Rate program are subject to False Claims Act liability, resolves one important question but leaves several others open, says Jason Neal at HWG.

  • Bill Would Bring Welcome Clarity To Del. Corporate Law

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    A recently proposed bill in Delaware that would provide greater predictability for areas including director independence and controlling stockholders reflects prudential adjustments consistent with the state's long history of refining and modernizing its corporate law, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Opinion

    At 100, Federal Arbitration Act Is Used To Thwart Justice

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    The centennial of the Federal Arbitration Act, a law intended to streamline dispute resolution in commercial agreements, is an opportunity to reflect on its transformation from a tool of fairness into a corporate shield that impedes the right to a fair trial, says Lori Andrus at the American Association for Justice.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Colo. Anti-SLAPP Cases Highlight Dismiss Standard Disparity

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    A pair of recent decisions from the Colorado Court of Appeals highlights two disparate standards for courts evaluating anti-SLAPP motions: one that requires a court to accept the plaintiff's evidence as true and another that allows the court to assess its merits, says Jacob Hollars at Spencer Fane.

  • Short-Term Predictions For The CFPB's Fate Under Trump

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    Though the Trump administration is unlikely to succeed in abolishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, new leadership will likely moderate enforcement, possibly prompting state attorneys general to step up supervision, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • Ga. Tort Reform Bill May Help Dampen 'Nuclear' Verdicts

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    Many aspects of the tort reform bill just passed by the Georgia Legislature — including prohibitions on suggesting damage amounts to juries, and limits to recovering phantom damages — face opposition from the plaintiffs bar, but are a key first step toward addressing excessive damage awards in the state, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Reading The Tea Leaves On Mexico, Canada And China Tariffs

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    It's still unclear whether the delay in the imposition of U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports will result in negotiated resolutions or a full-on trade war, but the outcome may hinge on continuing negotiations and the Trump administration's possible plans for tariff revenues, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • DOJ Memos Likely To Increase Mandatory Minimum Charges

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    In line with previous administrations’ pingpong approach to sentencing policy, new U.S. Department of Justice leadership recently rescinded Biden-era memos on charging decisions, cabining prosecutorial discretion and likely leading to more mandatory minimum sentences, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • A Closer Look At FDX's New Role As Banking Standard-Setter

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    Should the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau let ​​​​​​​stand the decision empowering Financial Data Exchange as an industry standard-setter, it will be a significant step toward broader financial data-sharing, but its success will depend on industry adoption, regulatory oversight and consumer confidence, say attorneys at Clark Hill.

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