Appellate

  • May 13, 2026

    1st Circ. Doubts Trump Admin's 3rd-Country Removal Policy

    The First Circuit on Wednesday questioned the sufficiency of a country's diplomatic assurances that a noncitizen won't be persecuted or tortured if the Trump administration deports them there, and whether such assurances eliminate obligations to provide notice to the deportee.

  • May 13, 2026

    2nd Circ. Backs Fed Reserve's Power To Cut Master Accounts

    The Federal Reserve has broad discretion to cut financial institutions off from master accounts, the Second Circuit ruled Wednesday, rejecting a Puerto Rico bank's argument that it has a statutory right to what is commonly referred to as "bank accounts for banks."

  • May 13, 2026

    Ex-Client Can Relitigate Malpractice Suit Over Workers' Comp

    An Illinois appellate panel has reversed a summary judgment win for a Chicago attorney and her law firm in a legal malpractice dispute, saying a jury must evaluate whether her ex-client lost his workers' compensation case because of her failure to introduce a medical expert's opinion or whether he could have prevailed on appeal had the attorney filed one.

  • May 13, 2026

    NCAA Says Injunction Mooted WVU Players' Eligibility Suit

    The NCAA has asked a West Virginia federal judge to toss the antitrust suit of four football players, arguing that the athletes lack standing because a preliminary injunction that allowed them to play during the 2025-26 season remedied their alleged injuries.

  • May 13, 2026

    Pa. School OK To Remove List Of 'Infamous' Strikebreakers

    A divided Pennsylvania appeals panel on Wednesday held that administrators at a Pennsylvania university were allowed to remove a list of "infamous" strike-breaking union faculty members from a public bulletin board, even though the posting itself was legally protected.

  • May 13, 2026

    4th Circ. Judge Flags Energy Shortage Harms In Pipeline Fight

    A Fourth Circuit judge on Wednesday appeared less than pleased with counsel for a collection of environmental groups during a hearing to consider halting construction on an interstate pipeline, calling attention to the "one sentence" devoted to the public harm of ongoing energy shortages.

  • May 13, 2026

    Florida Panel Orders Evidence Suppressed In Cockfighting Case

    A man convicted of cockfighting and animal cruelty should have had the evidence against him suppressed, a Florida appeals court found Wednesday, saying in a reversal that because the state couldn't provide proof that there was a warrant to search his property, nothing officers discovered there could be used.

  • May 13, 2026

    Arbitrators See Global Stakes In Trump BigLaw EO Fight

    Ahead of a D.C. Circuit hearing on Thursday in the Trump administration's effort to revive executive orders imposed against four BigLaw firms, an official at the College of Commercial Arbitrators told Law360 this week there are several things arbitrators are going to be watching for.

  • May 13, 2026

    Conn. Justices Unsure Foreclosure Rule Changed In 2022

    Connecticut Supreme Court justices expressed doubt Wednesday that a 2022 opinion silently overturned a decades-old standing rule in foreclosure cases, musing about whether the General Assembly's choice to stay on the sidelines and the standards of other states meant that the original decision was right all along.

  • May 13, 2026

    Full 5th Circ. Weighs Jackson, Mississippi, Lead Poisoning Claims

    The full Fifth Circuit on Tuesday weighed whether to keep intact a lawsuit alleging the city of Jackson, Mississippi, poisoned its residents by allowing lead to leach into the water supply, asking what level of lead in the water would constitute "shocking the conscience."

  • May 13, 2026

    Mich. Panel Revives FOIA Suit, Finds Defense Frivolous

    A Michigan appellate panel partly revived a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit against a Detroit-area prosecutor's office, ruling that the office failed to adequately justify withholding records related to threats against the prosecutor and her staff, while also finding that one of its legal defenses was frivolous and sanctionable. 

  • May 13, 2026

    Tesla Shareholders Appeal Suit Dismissal Tied To Texas Move

    Tesla shareholders, whose breach of fiduciary duty suit against Elon Musk and the automaker's directors was dismissed last month following the company's move to Texas, appealed the dismissal to the Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday.

  • May 13, 2026

    10th Circ. Considers Fire Chief's Immunity In Termination Suit

    A Colorado fire chief urged the Tenth Circuit Wednesday to find a lower court erred in denying him qualified immunity after terminating a union president, with the three-judge panel questioning the relationship between the union's collective bargaining agreement and the U.S. Constitution's requirements.

  • May 13, 2026

    Fla. Law Makes Lyft Immune To Passenger's Assault Suit

    A Florida state appeals court ruled Wednesday that a state law shielding Lyft and other ride-hailing companies from liability bars a suit over a driver's alleged assault of a passenger, noting that the law's immunity provision is "very broad."

  • May 13, 2026

    Fla. Court Revives Killer's Bid Over Witness Recantation

    A Florida appeals court reversed a lower court's order denying a convicted murderer's motion for postconviction relief based on newly discovered evidence, ruling Wednesday that the trial court should have held an evidentiary hearing on the evidence.

  • May 13, 2026

    10th Circ. Doubts Bid To Undo Colo. Land Swap

    A Tenth Circuit panel appeared unsure that an appraisal of a land exchange between the federal government and a private landowner must be publicly disclosed under federal law, despite claims to the contrary from an attorney representing Colorado Wild Public Lands at oral argument Wednesday.

  • May 13, 2026

    Native Activist Urges Justices To Uphold Assault Ruling

    An Indigenous activist is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to deny a federal government petition that looks to overturn a Tenth Circuit decision that said he can't be convicted of simple assault under the Major Crimes Act, telling the justices that the government's "bizarre" arguments flout the law's plain text.

  • May 13, 2026

    Fed. Circ. Backs Google PTAB Wins That Moot $12M Verdict

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board properly invalidated all claims of the five Flypsi Inc. telecom patents Google LLC was found to infringe, the Federal Circuit said Wednesday.

  • May 13, 2026

    Creek High Court Ends Freedmen Citizenship Contempt Bid

    The (Muscogee) Creek Supreme Court won't hold the tribe's citizenship board or executive branch in contempt over an order that gives citizenship to those once enslaved by the Indigenous nation, saying the governmental entities have shown that they're taking steps to comply with the directive, albeit slowly.

  • May 13, 2026

    Mass. Audit Fight Not Over As AG Is Ripped For Comments

    Massachusetts' auditor said Wednesday that she may file more litigation over her ongoing bid to audit the state legislature, sharply pushing back on statements by the state attorney general that suggested any review would be cabined.

  • May 13, 2026

    Split 6th Circ. Affirms $1 Damages In Touch Screen Tech Case

    A split panel of the Sixth Circuit has upheld a $1 damages award that a Michigan federal judge gave to electronics manufacturer Oldnar Corp., with two judges saying they agreed that Oldnar had not proved higher damages with reasonable certainty.

  • May 13, 2026

    11th Circ. Nixes Ala. Teacher's Bid To Redo Pay Bias Trial

    The Eleventh Circuit declined Wednesday to revive pay discrimination and retaliation claims from an Alabama public school administrator, rejecting her arguments that a defense verdict won by her school district could not stand.

  • May 13, 2026

    Samsung Secures Indemnity Win In IP Case At Fed. Circ.

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday backed a California federal judge's ruling that a contract under which Finelite buys LED chips from Samsung does not require Samsung to indemnify Finelite in a patent suit by Seoul Semiconductor.

  • May 13, 2026

    Mass. Justices OK Lotto License Denial Over 'Moral Character'

    Massachusetts' highest court on Wednesday reinstated a decision by state regulators to deny a lottery license to the owner of several convenience and liquor stores based on a finding that he lacked "good moral character" despite being acquitted on rape charges.

  • May 13, 2026

    Florida Panel Bars 2nd Death Penalty Atty At Public Expense

    A man charged with murder can't have a free additional attorney appointed to defend him in a capital case, a Florida state appeals court said Wednesday, finding in a reversal that since he had privately paid for primary counsel, under state law, he couldn't have gratis help, despite now being indigent.

Expert Analysis

  • False Ad Suit Shows Need For Clear, Conspicuous Disclosure

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    The Eleventh Circuit's recent false advertising decision in Federal Trade Commission v. Corpay reiterated the FTC's guidance imploring advertisers to ensure that any disclosures are clear and conspicuous to consumers, providing companies with numerous lessons about truthful advertising and highlighting some common disclosure pitfalls to avoid, says Michael Justus at Carlton Fields.

  • Justices' BDO Denial May Allow For Increased Auditor Liability

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    The Supreme Court's recent denial of certiorari in BDO v. New England Carpenters could lead to more actions filed against accounting firms, as it lets stand a 2024 Second Circuit ruling that provided a road map for pleading falsity with respect to audit certifications, says Dean Conway at Carlton Fields.

  • What To Expect From Justices' 401(k) Ruling, DOL Rulemaking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming ruling in Anderson v. Intel, addressing alternative assets in defined contribution plans, coupled with the U.S. Department of Labor's recently proposed regulation on fiduciary duties in selecting alternative investments, could alleviate the litigation risk that has impeded wider consideration of such investments, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: January Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy discusses five rulings from October and November, and identifies practice tips from cases involving consumer fraud, oil and gas leases, toxic torts, and wage and hour issues.

  • Series

    Judges On AI: How Judicial Use Informs Guardrails

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    U.S. Magistrate Judge Maritza Dominguez Braswell at the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado discusses why having a sense of how generative AI tools behave, where they add value, where they introduce risk and how they are reshaping the practice of law is key for today's judges.

  • Evenflo IP Ruling Shows Evidence Is Still Key For Injunctions

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    Notwithstanding renewed policy and doctrinal attention to patent injunctions, the Federal Circuit's December decision in Wonderland v. Evenflo signals that the era of easily obtained patent injunctions has not yet arrived, say attorneys at King & Wood.

  • Justices' Med Mal Ruling May Spur Huge Shift For Litigators

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in the medical malpractice suit Berk v. Choy, holding that a Florida procedural requirement does not apply to medical malpractice claims filed in federal court, is likely to encourage eligible parties to file claims in federal court, speed the adjudicatory process and create both opportunities and challenges for litigators, says Thomas Kroeger at Colson Hicks.

  • Challenging Restitution Orders After Supreme Court Decision

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s Ellingburg v. U.S. decision from last week, holding that mandatory restitution is a criminal punishment subject to the Sixth Amendment, means that all challenges to restitution are now fair game if the amount is not alleged in the indictment, say Mark Allenbaugh at SentencingStats.com and Doug Passon at Doug Passon Law.

  • State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Pennsylvania

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    Last quarter in Pennsylvania, a Superior Court ruling underscored the centrality of careful policy drafting and judicial scrutiny of exclusionary language, and another provided practical guidance on the calculation of attorney fees and interest in bad faith cases, while a proposed bill endeavored to cover insurance gaps for homeowners, says Todd Leon at Marshall Dennehey.

  • Justices' Double Jeopardy Ruling May Limit Charge-Stacking

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    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent holding in Barrett v. U.S. that the double jeopardy clause bars separate convictions for the same act under two related firearms laws places meaningful limits on the broader practice of stacking charges, a reminder that overlapping statutes present prosecutors with a menu, not a buffet, says attorney David Tarras.

  • How 2025 Recalibrated Fair Use For The AI Era

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    Although the Second Circuit's decision last year in Romanova v. Amilus Inc. did not involve artificial intelligence, its formulation of relevant fair use factors provides a useful guide for lower courts examining AI cases in 2026, demanding close attention from legal practitioners on both sides of these disputes, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: 5 Tips From Ex-SEC Unit Chief

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    My move to private practice has reaffirmed my belief in the value of adaptability, collaboration and strategic thinking — qualities that are essential not only for successful client outcomes, but also for sustained professional satisfaction, says Dabney O’Riordan at Fried Frank.

  • 5 Drug Pricing Policy Developments To Watch In 2026

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    2026 may prove to be a critical year for drug pricing in the U.S., with potential major shifts including several legislative initiatives moving forward after being in the works for years, and more experimentation on the horizon concerning GLP-1s and Section 340B pricing, say attorneys at Manatt.

  • 2026 Int'l Arbitration Trends: Awards Against Sovereign States

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    The enforcement of arbitral awards against sovereign states is one of the most contentious and rapidly evolving areas in international arbitration, with three defining issues on the 2026 horizon: the scope of sovereign immunity, assignability of rights, and availability of fraud and corruption defenses, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: How To Start A Law Firm

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    Launching and sustaining a law firm requires skills most law schools don't teach, but every lawyer should understand a few core principles that can make the leap calculated rather than reckless, says Sam Katz at Athlaw.

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