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Public Policy
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December 16, 2024
Texas Courts Eye 'Living Wage' Hikes For Support Staff
Court support and clerk's office personnel in Texas should receive pay at levels that at least amount to a living wage in their counties to fight attrition, the Texas Judicial Council heard, and a novel "time study" is needed to determine each jurisdiction's staffing needs.
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December 16, 2024
Trump Makes Another Pick For Homeland Security Team
President-elect Donald Trump said he will nominate IBM executive Troy Edgar to serve as deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, after previously nominating South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the department.
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December 16, 2024
Vape Cos. Say Ky. Regulations Violate Federal Law
A vaping company association along with a retailer and wholesaler are challenging a Kentucky law regulating e-cigarettes, saying that it conflicts with the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by purporting to enforce U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards.
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December 16, 2024
What's A Major Question? It's Untested, Telecom Attys Say
More than two years since the U.S. Supreme Court solidified its "major questions" doctrine holding that federal agencies can't take on matters of significant public impact without direction from Congress, telecom lawyers are still debating how the justices' action could affect some big-ticket controversies in the industry.
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December 16, 2024
HMRC Chief Defends Record On Fighting Tax Evasion
The chief executive of HM Revenue & Customs told Parliament on Monday that the British tax authority has reduced the level of tax noncompliance in response to claims it needs a better strategy on tax evasion.
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December 16, 2024
Ex-Top Aide To NYC Mayor Denies Guilt As Indictment Looms
A former top adviser to New York City Mayor Eric Adams professed innocence Monday as she braced for state criminal charges related to allegedly improper gifts.
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December 16, 2024
With Legal Battle Looming, Neb. Legalizes Medical Marijuana
Nebraska became the 39th state to legalize medical marijuana after supermajorities of voters approved ballot measures to decriminalize and regulate its sale, but the state Supreme Court has agreed to hear a challenge from state officials that could invalidate it before implementation.
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December 16, 2024
Mass. Paper To Close, Pay $1.1M To Settle Defamation Case
A Massachusetts mayor said he has settled his defamation claims against the city's local newspaper for a $1.1 million payment and an agreement that the publication will close its doors later this week.
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December 16, 2024
Firm Tells Colo. Justices To Ignore Ex-Atty's Poaching Petition
A petition to have the Colorado Supreme Court review a decision upholding a verdict against an attorney accused of soliciting BigLaw firms to poach her department at a personal injury firm must fail, her ex-firm told the high court, as it presents "no novel or complicating issue."
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December 16, 2024
The Biggest Massachusetts High Court Rulings Of 2024
Massachusetts' highest court added two justices this year while taking up several novel legal issues, including one town's effort to phase out the sale of tobacco, a paralyzed Uber rider's fight against arbitration, and a dispute over whether a hospital website's use of tracking cookies violates the state wiretap statute.
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December 16, 2024
IRS Corrects Regs On Direct Pay Of Partnership Tax Credit
Internal Revenue Service issued a correction Monday to final regulations that make it easier for tax-exempt entities that co-own development projects to qualify for a direct cash payment of clean energy tax credits by electing out of their partnership tax status.
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December 16, 2024
4th Circ. Judge Reverses Senior Status Decision
U.S. Circuit Judge James Wynn of the Fourth Circuit has rescinded his decision to take senior status, coming shortly after President Joe Biden's nominee to replace him withdrew his nomination after it was clear he would not get a vote.
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December 16, 2024
High Court Passes On Navarro's Presidential Records Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to review former Trump administration adviser Peter Navarro's appeal in his yearslong fight over orders that he hand over emails sent or received using a nonofficial account during his tenure at the White House.
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December 16, 2024
Court Culture Seen As Barrier To Workplace Misconduct Fixes
The federal judiciary's internal system for resolving workplace misconduct allegations has gone through a six-year overhaul that officials tout as evidence of sustained progress, but some experts say the tight bonds that unite court personnel may still be an impediment to meaningful change.
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December 16, 2024
3rd Circ. Nominee Decries 'Broken' Confirmation Process
Adeel Mangi, the nominee for the Third Circuit who would have been the first federal Muslim appellate judge if confirmed, sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday saying the selection process for federal judges is "broken."
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December 16, 2024
Justices Won't Hear 3rd Circ. CFPB Student Loan Trust Case
The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it would leave in place a lower court decision allowing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to sue securitization trusts over their servicers' treatment of borrowers, declining to take up a challenge to the scope of the agency's enforcement authority.
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December 16, 2024
Justices Preserve Calif. Vehicle Emissions Autonomy
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review whether the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to allow California to set its own greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles, a power red states had challenged as unconstitutional.
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December 14, 2024
IRS Criminal Probes On Worker Retention Cases Still Early
The Internal Revenue Service's criminal arm is still in the early stage of investigating the most extremely fraudulent claims of a tax credit intended to reward businesses for retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, an official said Saturday.
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December 13, 2024
3 Pa. Counties Urge Justices To Review Ballot Date Rule
The election boards of Pennsylvania's three most populous counties have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to determine whether the state's requirement that mail-in ballots have handwritten dates on their outer envelopes violates the materiality provision of the Civil Rights Act, arguing that a Third Circuit panel interpreted the provision too narrowly.
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December 13, 2024
Feds Suggest Protections For Salamander, Mussels Habitat
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed protections for the eastern hellbender salamander as well as for the habitats of several species of endangered freshwater mussels, according to a pair of recent announcements.
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December 13, 2024
Texas Panel Prods Harrison County About Tank Leakage
A Texas appeals court judge on Friday questioned whether Harrison County is seizing on a legal ambiguity to avoid required testing of underground storage tanks, saying its loose interpretation of the word "year" in a state law "doesn't sound like a very good idea."
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December 13, 2024
Advocacy Group Has Change Of Heart On SEC Reg Challenge
An investor advocacy organization that sued the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over its recently adopted "tick size" rule has said it will let others take the reins of the lawsuit because it is worried that the incoming administration will not propose the stronger stock market regulations it wants.
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December 13, 2024
YSL Defendant Sues Sheriff Over Fulton Co. Jail Conditions
One of the defendants in the recently wrapped Young Slime Life racketeering and gang trial is now leading a class action against Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat and the county's chief jailer John Jackson over allegations that the two allowed unconstitutional conditions at the jail that violated detainees' Eighth and 14th amendment rights.
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December 13, 2024
SEC Sued In 9th Circ. To Move On Accredited Investor Petition
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is facing a Ninth Circuit lawsuit seeking to force it to address a proposal that would change the definition of "accredited investor" so that lower and middle-income Americans can invest in the private markets.
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December 13, 2024
NJ Town Fights DuPont Bid To Pause $1B Pollution Suit
A small New Jersey township's billion-dollar suit against Chemours and E.I. du Pont de Nemours should continue without delay, the municipality argued, saying the companies "in their effort to race to" an appeal failed to follow proper court protocol.
Expert Analysis
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'Reverse Redlining' Suit Reveals Language Risks For Lenders
The Justice Department's case against consumer finance provider Colony Ridge highlights the government's focus on lending to consumers with limited English proficiency and the risks of generating marketing materials in other languages while conducting actual transactions in English, say attorneys at Goodwin.
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Trump Patent Policy May Be Headed In Unexpected Direction
While commentators have assumed that the patent policy of President-elect Donald Trump's second administration will largely mirror the pro-patent policy of his first, these predictions fail to take into account the likely oversized influence of Elon Musk, says Jorge Contreras at the University of Utah.
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NLRB One-Two Punch Curbs Employer Anti-Organizing Tools
The National Labor Relations Board’s recent decisions in Siren Retail and Amazon, limiting employer speech about the impact of unionization and outlawing captive audience meetings, severely curtail employers' arsenal of tools to combat an organizing campaign — though this may soon change under a new administration, say attorneys at Benesch.
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Mitigating Defamation Liability Risks Of AI-Generated Content
Until Congress and the courts provide clear guidance about defamation liability stemming from generative artificial intelligence tools, companies should begin building controls to prevent the creation of defamatory content, says Michael Gerrity at Accenture.
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Key Requirements In New Maryland Pay Transparency Laws
Although several jurisdictions now require pay transparency in job advertisements, Maryland's new law is among the broadest in the country, both in terms of what is required and the scope of its applicability, says Sarah Belger at Quarles & Brady.
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What Trump's Next Term May Mean For Biz Immigration
Leonard D'Arrigo at Harris Beach discusses the employment-based immigration policies businesses can potentially expect during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, based on policies enacted during his first administration, statements made during his campaign and proposals in Project 2025.
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Takeaways From Final Regulations For China Investment Ban
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s final rule banning U.S. investment in emerging Chinese technology clarifies some key requirements, includes additional exceptions for covered transactions and attempts to address concerns that the rule will put U.S. businesses at a competitive disadvantage, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Compliance Considerations Of DOJ Data Security Rule
Under the U.S. Department of Justice's proposed rule aiming to prevent certain countries' access to bulk U.S. sensitive personal data, companies must ensure their vendor, employment and investment agreements meet strict new data security requirements — or determine whether such contracts are worth the cost of compliance, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.
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What Higher Education Can Expect From A 2nd Trump Admin
The election of Donald Trump for a second presidential term has far-reaching ramifications for colleges and universities — come January, institutions can expect a crackdown on DEI, increased scrutiny of campus protests, a rollback of the Biden administration's Title IX rules and more, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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AI Monitoring And FCRA: Employer Compliance Essentials
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission signal determination to treat AI-based workplace surveillance as a potential Fair Credit Reporting Act issue, employers must commit to educating HR and compliance staff on these quickly evolving regulatory expectations, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.
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Series
Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer
Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.
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How D&O Coverage Can Aid Against Increased AI Scrutiny
The recent increase in regulatory enforcement and securities class actions stemming from corporate use of artificial intelligence should prompt companies to ensure that their directors and officers liability insurance coverage is appropriately tailored to AI-related risks, say attorneys at Reed Smith.
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When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records
Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.
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Crypto Cos. Add New Play In Their Offense Against SEC
Consensys and Crypto.com have adopted a novel strategy of preempting U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement actions by moving to crypto-friendly Texas and filing declaratory lawsuits challenging the SEC's jurisdiction to regulate crypto-assets — an aggressive approach that may pay off, say attorneys at Herrick Feinstein.
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FTC Focus: Zeroing In On Post-Election Labor Markets
The presidential election and the push-and-pull of the administrative state's reach are likely to affect the Federal Trade Commission's focus on labor markets, including the tenor of noncompete rule enforcement, say attorneys at Proskauer.