Public Policy

  • April 24, 2025

    Administration Defends Right To Fire FTC Commissioners

    The Trump administration has responded to a lawsuit challenging the recent firing of two Federal Trade Commission members, telling a D.C. federal court the president was exercising his constitutional authority to remove officials that help carry out his duties.

  • April 24, 2025

    Md. Authorizes Property Tax Breaks For Affordable Housing

    Maryland authorized county governments to exempt real property used for rental housing from local property taxes if the owner maintains a portion of the property as affordable housing and enters a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement under legislation signed by the governor.

  • April 24, 2025

    Texas Court Allows State To Block Austin Pot Amnesty Law

    A Texas appeals court on Thursday decided to allow the state to pursue an injunction blocking an Austin city law prohibiting enforcement of some cannabis crimes, saying the local ordinance is preempted by state law.

  • April 24, 2025

    Ill. Justices Affirm Venue Limits For Constitutional Challenges

    The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the limits to where constitutional challenges to a state statute, rule or executive order can be filed, saying that requiring the plaintiff in the underlying case to litigate in a different county "does not deprive it of the opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner."

  • April 24, 2025

    Trump Asks Justices To Lift Pause On Transgender Troop Ban

    The Trump administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to lift a Washington federal judge's order prohibiting enforcement of the Pentagon's ban on transgender military service, arguing that the ruling contradicts two emergency docket orders issued during President Donald Trump's first term.

  • April 24, 2025

    Longest-Serving Federal Judge To Take Senior Status

    U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa of the Southern District of Texas, the longest-serving active federal judge, will take semi-retired status next month.

  • April 24, 2025

    Think Tank Says Tariffs Hit Lower-Income Workers Hardest

    President Donald Trump's tariffs currently being collected disproportionately harm lower- and middle-income earners in the U.S., according to an updated study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

  • April 24, 2025

    'Here We Are Again': Trump Can't Block Sanctuary City Funds

    A California federal judge on Thursday preliminarily blocked the Trump administration from withholding federal funding to "sanctuary jurisdictions" while litigation over the policy is pending, noting that he granted a similar request during the first Trump administration and opining that "here we are again."

  • April 24, 2025

    ABA Sues DOJ For Ending Domestic, Sexual Violence Grants

    The American Bar Association sued the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday for terminating its grants to the Bar's Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, one of several federal funding cuts the ABA says are compelling it to lay off more than 300 people.

  • April 24, 2025

    Ex-Riverfront CFO Gets 19 Years For 'Vulgar' $44M Fraud

    A former chief financial officer for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy who pled guilty to stealing more than $40 million from the nonprofit was sentenced in Michigan federal court on Thursday to 19 years in prison, the length of time he worked for the organization, and ordered to pay $48 million in restitution.

  • April 24, 2025

    Judge Orders Another Asylum-Seeker's Return From El Salvador

    A Baltimore federal judge has directed the Trump administration to bring back a 20-year-old Venezuelan asylum-seeker sent to an El Salvador prison last month, marking the second time the government has been ordered to "facilitate" the return of an individual deported under the Alien Enemies Act.

  • April 24, 2025

    Harvard Seeks To Move 'Swiftly' In $2B Fund Freeze Suit

    Harvard University is seeking to move as quickly as possible to get to the merits of its suit challenging the Trump administration's $2.2 billion funding freeze, asking a Massachusetts federal judge to expedite discovery and briefing.

  • April 24, 2025

    4th Circ. Won't Rehear Health Data Access Order Challenge

    The Fourth Circuit has declined an electronic medical records firm's request for the appellate court to rethink a panel's decision to dismiss its appeal of an order forcing the company to let a nursing data business access its patient information.

  • April 24, 2025

    Tax Cos. Head To 9th Circ. Over IRS Worker Credit Denials

    Two tax assistance companies are appealing to the Ninth Circuit an Arizona federal court ruling denying their request to stop the IRS from issuing batch denials of thousands of pandemic-era worker credit claims, including those filed by their clients.

  • April 24, 2025

    Verdict Upheld For Security Co. Accused In Teen's Drowning

    A Connecticut judge has declined to set aside a jury verdict in favor of a security company that beat product liability and recklessness claims in the death of a teenager who drowned after sneaking into a Hartford park pool, rejecting arguments from the boy's mother that two evidence rulings tainted the outcome of her case.

  • April 24, 2025

    US Must Pay ND $28M Over Dakota Access Pipeline Protest

    The United States must pay the state of North Dakota $28 million in damages for its failure to control Dakota Access pipeline protesters, a federal judge determined, saying the judgment is a reminder to the federal government of its role in the larger picture of ensuring peace.

  • April 23, 2025

    Trump Order Directs Feds To Disregard Disparate Impact

    President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday instructing federal agencies to stop treating disparate impact as a viable theory of liability in discrimination matters, staying in line with his quest to eliminate the philosophy of diversity, equity and inclusion, and echoing policy suggestions floated in the conservative Heritage Foundation's Project 2025.

  • April 23, 2025

    Trump Admin's Border Cash Reporting Order Halted

    A California federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's order singling out cash-moving businesses along the southwest border for heightened anti-money laundering reporting, saying that, among other things, the plaintiffs have sufficiently pled that the order is arbitrary and capricious.

  • April 23, 2025

    DOJ, Legal Groups Spar Over Migrant Kids Counsel Funding

    Attorneys representing groups that provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children and a government attorney sparred Wednesday over whether the government is legally obligated to fund such legal counsel during a hearing on the groups' motion for preliminary injunction in California federal court.

  • April 23, 2025

    CFPB Walks Away From Horizon Credit Card Suit

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday dropped another Biden-era enforcement action, this time pulling the plug on a Pennsylvania federal court lawsuit over what the agency had previously alleged was a deceptive and abusive membership credit card program that took in tens of millions of dollars in consumer fees.

  • April 23, 2025

    Ex-Rep Should Pay $25K For 'Sham' Lawsuit, Fla. Judge Told

    A real estate holding company owner told a Florida state court judge Wednesday that he's owed about $25,000 in legal fees for defending against a "sham" contract breach lawsuit alleging he assisted officials investigating possible foreign agent crimes against a former congressman, saying the agreements at issue were declared invalid.

  • April 23, 2025

    California Bar Says It Used AI To Craft Some Exam Questions

    The State Bar of California used artificial intelligence to develop certain multiple-choice questions that were included in the February exam, a revelation that left one law school assistant dean "shocked" and a move that the state bar said was "not clearly communicated" to its own leadership.

  • April 23, 2025

    Sanctuary Cities Near Block Of Trump Plan To Withhold Funds

    A California federal judge said Wednesday that he's inclined to block a Trump administration plan to withhold federal funding to "sanctuary jurisdictions," saying the cities and counties who sued have demonstrated a "well-founded fear" that the president's executive order and an attorney general directive will deprive them of critical funding.

  • April 23, 2025

    Latest CFPB Layoffs Need Court's Scrutiny, DC Circ. Told

    The National Treasury Employees Union has hit back at a Trump administration bid to resume mass layoffs of nearly all the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's workforce, urging the D.C. Circuit to leave a federal judge's temporary restraining order in place.

  • April 23, 2025

    NY, 11 Other States Sue Trump Administration To Block Tariffs

    A dozen states are seeking to block tariffs the Trump administration imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, claiming in a lawsuit Wednesday the tariffs illegally constitute unprecedented tax hikes on Americans and violate constitutional separations of powers

Expert Analysis

  • Know The Rules And Costs Of New Fla. Condo Inspection Law

    Author Photo

    Following the first report deadline for a structural integrity law meant to prevent disasters like the 2021 Surfside collapse, Florida condominium associations and unit owners should understand the process of conducting compliant inspections and anticipate new assessments to fund required maintenance, say attorneys at Ball Janik.

  • Mass. AG Emerges As Key Player In Consumer Protection

    Author Photo

    Through enforcement actions and collaborations with other states — including joining a recent amicus brief decrying the defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has established herself as a thought leader for consumer protection and corporate accountability, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • SEC Confidential Review Process Provides Issuers Flexibility

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recently announced enhancements to the process for confidentially submitting draft registration statements will be immediately impactful for issuers seeking to access the public capital markets, and should provide more grounds to explore and plan public offerings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Birding Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Observing and documenting birds in their natural habitats fosters patience, sharpens observational skills and provides moments of pure wonder — qualities that foster personal growth and enrich my legal career, says Allison Raley at Arnall Golden.

  • What Pending FCPA Trials Suggest About DOJ Priorities

    Author Photo

    Following President Donald Trump's executive order in February instructing the U.S. Department of Justice to temporarily pause enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, developments surrounding five FCPA cases already set for trial provide a glimpse into how the DOJ is attempting to navigate the situation at hand, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Measuring And Mitigating Harm From Discriminatory Taxes

    Author Photo

    In response to new tariffs and other recent "America First Trade Policy" pronouncements, corporations should assess and take steps to minimize their potential exposure to discriminatory and reciprocal tax measures that are likely to come, say economists at Charles River Associates.

  • How Del. Law Rework Limits Corporate Records Requests

    Author Photo

    Newly enacted amendments to a section of the Delaware General Corporation Law that allows stockholders and beneficial owners to demand inspection of Delaware corporations' books and records likely curtails the scope of such inspections and aids defendants in framing motions to dismiss at the pleading stage, says Jonathan Richman at Brown Rudnick.

  • What Cos. Should Know About U.S. Minerals Executive Order

    Author Photo

    President Donald Trump's new executive order aimed at boosting U.S. mineral production faces challenges including land use and environmental regulations, a lack of new funding, and the need for coordination among federal agencies, but it provides industry stakeholders with multiple opportunities to influence policy and funding, say advisers at Holland & Knight.

  • Inside State AGs' Arguments Defending The CFPB

    Author Photo

    Recent amicus briefs filed by a coalition of 23 attorneys general argue that the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will irreparably harm consumers in several key areas, making clear that states are preparing to fill in any enforcement gaps, say attorneys at Kelley Drye.

  • Alien Enemies Act Case Could Reshape Executive Power

    Author Photo

    President Donald Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals raises fundamental questions about statutory interpretation, executive power and constitutional structure, which now lay on the U.S. Supreme Court's doorstep, says Mauni Jalali at Quinn Emanuel.

  • HHS Directive Could Overhaul Food Ingredient Safety Rules

    Author Photo

    If the U.S. Food and Drug Administration eliminates the self-affirmed pathway that allows food ingredients to be used without premarket approval, per the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' directive, it would be a sea change for the food industry and the food-contact material industry, say attorneys at K&L Gates.

  • How The ESG Investing Rule Survived Loper Bright, For Now

    Author Photo

    A Texas federal court's recent decision in Utah v. Micone upholding the U.S. Department of Labor's 2022 ESG investing rule highlights how regulations can withstand the post-Loper Bright landscape when an agency's interpretation of its statutorily determined boundaries is not granted deference, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Leadership To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    The move from government service to private practice can feel like changing one’s identity, but as someone who has left the U.S. Department of Justice twice, I’ve learned that a successful transition requires patience, effort and the realization that the rewards of practicing law don’t come from one particular position, says Richard Donoghue at Pillsbury.

  • Issues To Watch At ABA's Antitrust Spring Meeting

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Freshfields consider the future of antitrust law and competition enforcement amid agency leadership changes and other emerging developments likely to dominate discussion at the American Bar Association's Antitrust Spring Meeting this week.

  • Will Trump Order On Transgender Women In Sports Survive?

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Venable consider whether President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender women from women's sports will survive legal challenges, and if it does, how federal agencies will enforce it.

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!