Public Policy

  • August 16, 2024

    Ch. 7 Trustee Can't Recover Tax Payment, States Tell Justices

    A group of roughly two dozen states threw their support behind the federal government in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that forced the IRS to return a tax payment after a bankruptcy trustee argued it was a fraudulent transfer and recoverable under state law.

  • August 16, 2024

    NC AG Readies Appeal In Fight Over Smithfield Foods Funds

    North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is taking a fight over millions of dollars in environmental grants to the state appeals court, after a trial judge found the funds should be exclusively set aside for use in public schools.

  • August 16, 2024

    ICE Arresting More Detained Noncitizens, Report Shows

    U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been making more arrests while Customs and Border Protection has been making fewer in fiscal year 2024, corresponding to the Biden administration's efforts to limit asylum access at the U.S.-Mexico border, a new report shows.

  • August 16, 2024

    Ga. AG Taps Prosecutor To Head Organized Retail Crime Unit

    Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said Friday that he's hired Timothy Ruffini to lead a new organized retail crime unit focused on prosecuting criminal networks behind thefts and violence against Peach State businesses.

  • August 16, 2024

    Colo. Judge Orders Attys To Leave Assumptions At The Door

    A Colorado trial judge is one of the first in the country to require parties to use gender-neutral terms until a person has identified their pronouns. Drawing on his experiences putting on a straight "costume" as a young, gay attorney, he says the aim is to make the courtroom a welcoming space for all involved.

  • August 16, 2024

    Psilocybin Right-To-Try Petition To Get 9th Circ. Hearing

    A Ninth Circuit panel will hear oral arguments Monday in an appeal brought by a Seattle doctor seeking to administer psilocybin to terminal cancer patients under state and federal right-to-try laws.

  • August 16, 2024

    Meet 3 Michigan Supreme Court Hopefuls

    An appellate judge known for writing forceful opinions about "government overreach" is facing off against a legislator who has practiced in front of the state's highest court, hoping to secure the Republican nomination this month for an open seat on the Michigan Supreme Court. The eventual nominee will run against the director of the University of Michigan's Juvenile Justice Clinic, the lone Democratic candidate.

  • August 16, 2024

    Harris Economic Plan Targets Food Mergers, Price-Gouging

    Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled an economic plan Friday that said her administration would "crack down" on large corporate food mergers and introduce the first-ever ban on price-gouging, a promise that comes just days after the announcement of one of the largest ever food industry tie-ups.

  • August 16, 2024

    Connecticut Legislation Passed In 2024: A Midyear Report

    While Connecticut workers may rejoice over a major expansion of paid sick leave that will begin to roll out next year, businesses will need to spend some time and effort getting ready to implement the new law, attorneys told Law360.

  • August 16, 2024

    NC Legislation To Watch In 2024: A Midyear Report

    College "prop bets" are on the line, and a public face mask requirement could be torpedoed — at least in some situations — under two proposals being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly.

  • August 16, 2024

    NC Litigation Highlights Of 2024: A Midyear Report

    Several-high profile cases in North Carolina came to a close in the first half of the year, from a second bribery conviction against an insurance magnate beset by legal woes, to the anticlimactic withdrawal of a state Supreme Court justice's much-watched free speech suit. Here, Law360 looks at those and other notable rulings so far in North Carolina.

  • August 16, 2024

    New Jersey Litigation Highlights Of 2024: A Midyear Report

    A court's upheaval of New Jersey's longstanding "county line" ballot layout for the Democratic primary fueled both sides of the lively political aisle this year, while the same federal judge also riled the state's pharmaceutical hotbed by ending two challenges to Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices. Here, Law360 looks at some of the notable cases so far in New Jersey.

  • August 19, 2024

    New Jersey Legislation To Watch: A Midyear Report

    New Jersey proposals for a corporate transit tax and mandatory business showdowns during sweltering weather have generated concerns from industry sectors fatigued by rising costs, while the rise of artifical intelligence and corresponding legislation appears to have united those fearing the digital-age hazard of "deepfakes."

  • August 15, 2024

    San Francisco Unveils Landmark Suit Over 'Deepfake' Porn

    The San Francisco city attorney on Thursday launched a suit against the operators of 16 websites that he claims create and distribute nonconsensual, artificial intelligence-generated pornography, also known as "deepfake pornography" or "deepnudes."

  • August 15, 2024

    Amicus Beef: Judiciary Kicks Off Heated Transparency Debate

    The federal judiciary's main policy panel Thursday floated a major overhaul of mandatory financial disclosures in appellate amicus briefs, a move that's being fueled by perceptions of shadowy "judicial lobbying" and already coming under siege by big business.

  • August 15, 2024

    Green Group Backs Feds' Denial Of Water Co.'s Right-Of-Way

    Save Our Forest Association urged a D.C. federal judge on Thursday to reject the company behind Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water's attempt to block the federal government from requiring it cease operation of its 23,000-foot-long water pipeline in Berkeley, California's Strawberry Canyon.

  • August 15, 2024

    Telecom Orgs Ask Justices To Take Up NY Internet Rate Cap

    The U.S. Supreme Court must step in and unravel a split Second Circuit ruling upholding New York's right to put a $15 cap on the amount broadband companies can charge low-income households, say several trade groups that lost their challenge to the law.

  • August 15, 2024

    Medical Records Co. Appealing Blocked Anti-Bot CAPTCHAs

    Electronic medical records company PointClickCare will appeal last month's ruling from a Maryland federal judge enjoining it from using unsolvable CAPTCHA prompts to block a nursing home analytics firm's access to records, the company said Wednesday.

  • August 15, 2024

    DC Circ. Explains Toss Of EPA's Biofuel Exemptions Denial

    The Environmental Protection Agency's narrow interpretation of what defines an economic hardship wrongly shut dozens of small oil refineries out of receiving federal renewable fuel blending requirement exemptions, according to a per curiam D.C. Circuit opinion unsealed this week.

  • August 15, 2024

    Audacy Sale To Soros Won't Be Rubber-Stamped, Cruz Says

    The Federal Communications Commission will hold a full commission vote on whether to transfer the licenses tied to Soros Fund Management's acquisition of an ownership interest in radio station owner Audacy Inc. after it emerges from bankruptcy, according to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.

  • August 15, 2024

    2023 Rule Revising Hospital Payments Struck Down

    A Texas federal judge on Thursday sided with about a dozen hospitals challenging a federal regulation that they say will curtail their payments for treating low-income patients, declaring the rule unlawful and setting it aside.

  • August 15, 2024

    Trump's Use Of Isaac Hayes Song Sparks IP Political Tension

    Donald Trump’s habit of closing his speeches with the song "Hold On (I’m Coming)” has angered the family of the late legendary soul singer Isaac Hayes, the latest election-year example of political candidates upsetting artists or their families who don’t want their music associated with a particular campaign.

  • August 15, 2024

    9th Circ. Judges Seem To Split On Wash. Abortion Coverage

    A Ninth Circuit judge asked Thursday how a church could be harmed by a Washington law requiring employee health plans to cover abortions, since none of its workers had ever actually sought one, while another judge asked if tossing the case would slam the door on religious objections.

  • August 15, 2024

    New Study Shows No Link Between Bail Reform, Crime Rates

    Bail reform has had no statistical impact on crime rates across the country, according to a study released by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law on Thursday.

  • August 15, 2024

    Judge 'Dumbfounded' By Software Co.'s Bids To Undo Verdict

    A Colorado federal judge said Thursday she was "dumbfounded" by a software company's decision to renew requests to set aside a jury verdict or amend a $19.8 million judgment against it, asking an attorney for the company to offer an explanation for the move.

Expert Analysis

  • How Justices' Chevron Ruling May Influence Wind Projects

    Author Photo

    Parties both for and against the development of East Coast offshore wind development are watching the U.S. Supreme Court closely for its anticipated ruling challenging long-standing principles of agency deference that may subject decision making based on that precedent to upheaval, say attorneys at Robinson & Cole.

  • Gov't Contractors Shouldn't Skip Steps In Rush To Adopt AI

    Author Photo

    Government contractors that may be tempted to deploy artificial intelligence in day-to-day operations like billing and data protection should first take time to consider and address the specific risks that come with using AI tools, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • 6 Tips For Maximizing After-Tax Returns In Private M&A Deals

    Author Photo

    With potential tax legislation likely to spur a surge in private business sales, sellers can make the most of after-tax proceeds with strategies that include price allocation and qualified investment options, say Isaac Grossman and Daniel Studin at Morrison Cohen.

  • Opinion

    Why The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act Can Spur Progress

    Author Photo

    Patent practitioners have long wrestled with the effects of U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have muddied the waters of what can be patented, but the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act can change that, and those not involved with patents on a day-to-day basis can help get this act passed, says John White at Harness IP.

  • Lower Courts May Finally Be Getting The Memo After Ciminelli

    Author Photo

    A year after the U.S. Supreme Court again limited prosecutors' overbroad theories of fraud in Ciminelli v. U.S., early returns suggest that the message has at least partially landed with the lower courts, spotlighting lessons for defense counsel moving forward, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.

  • After A Brief Hiccup, The 'Rocket Docket' Soars Back To No. 1

    Author Photo

    The Eastern District of Virginia’s precipitous 2022 fall from its storied rocket docket status appears to have been a temporary aberration, as recent statistics reveal that the court is once again back on top as the fastest federal civil trial court in the nation, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

  • Protecting Trade Secrets In US, EU Gov't Agency Submissions

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Mintz compare U.S. and European Union trade secret laws, and how proprietary information in confidential submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency is protected in the face of third-party information requests under government transparency laws.

  • Big Banks Face Potential Broader Recovery Plan Rules

    Author Photo

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recent call for potentially subjecting more banks to recovery planning standards would represent a significant expansion of the scope of the recovery guidelines, and banks that would be affected should assess whether they’re prepared, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • New Laws, Regs Mean More Scrutiny Of Airline Carbon Claims

    Author Photo

    Recent climate disclosure laws and regulations in the U.S. and Europe mean that scrutiny of airlines' green claims will likely continue to intensify — so carriers must make sure their efforts to reduce carbon emissions through use of sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen and carbon offsets measure up to their marketing, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

    Author Photo

    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • How Uyghur Forced Labor Law Affects Importing Companies

    Author Photo

    Amid a growing focus on forced labor in supply chains and a likely increase in enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, companies may face costly import delays unless they develop and implement compliance best practices, say Thad McBride and Lauren Gammer at Bass Berry.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • What Employers Need To Know About Colorado's New AI Law

    Author Photo

    The Colorado AI Act, enacted in May and intended to regulate the use of high-risk artificial intelligence systems to prevent algorithmic discrimination, is broad in scope and will apply to businesses using AI for certain employment purposes, imposing numerous compliance obligations and potential liability, say Laura Malugade and Owen Davis at Husch Blackwell.

  • What DOL Fiduciary Rule Means For Private Fund Managers

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss how the U.S. Department of Labor's recently released final fiduciary rule, which revises the agency's 1975 regulation, could potentially cause private fund managers' current marketing practices and communications to be considered fiduciary advice, and therefore subject them to strict prohibitions.

  • Best Practices For Chemical Transparency In Supply Chains

    Author Photo

    A flurry of new and forthcoming regulations in different jurisdictions that require disclosure of potentially hazardous substances used in companies' products and processes will require businesses to take proactive steps to build chemical transparency into their supply chains, and engage robustly and systematically with vendors, says Jillian Stacy at Enhesa.

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!