Public Policy

  • April 15, 2025

    3 USPTO Updates You Should Know About

    Probationary patent examiners and trademark examining attorneys within 50 miles of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Virginia offices will have to start working from those facilities, one of three recent changes at the agency. Here's what you need to know.

  • April 15, 2025

    SpaceX Blasts GE Healthcare Effort To 'Slow Roll' Spectrum

    GE Healthcare Technologies has asked the Federal Communications Commission to hold off on issuing authorizations for space launch operations in a certain slice of spectrum used by the healthcare industry, and SpaceX is steaming mad about it.

  • April 15, 2025

    Massive Calif. Fire Assessment Pass-Through Sparks Suit

    Public interest nonprofit Consumer Watchdog sued California's insurance chief in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday to stop him from allowing insurance companies to offset hundreds of millions of dollars in assessment costs as surcharges onto policyholders, claiming the decision was made without any public input, in violation of the state's Administrative Procedure Act. 

  • April 15, 2025

    Dems Back Ex-FTC Commissioners In Firing Suit

    Most of the sitting Democrats in Congress have thrown their support behind a lawsuit challenging the president's recent firing of two Federal Trade Commission members, telling a D.C. federal court the commission is meant to be an independent bipartisan agency.

  • April 15, 2025

    Colo., Ala. Lawmakers Tussle Over Space Command Findings

    The U.S. Department of Defense's watchdog released on Tuesday its much-anticipated report on the selection process for the new U.S. Space Command headquarters, and lawmakers who represent the contending states — Alabama and Colorado — both are claiming victory.

  • April 15, 2025

    Avoid 'Prescriptive' Pole Upgrade Rules, Telecoms Say

    An industry group warned the Federal Communications Commission that it would be a bad idea to impose broad new rules to expedite broadband upgrades to utility poles at a time when the FCC is looking to cut the number of telecom regulations.

  • April 15, 2025

    F-1 Students 'Packing Their Bags' Want Court To Bar Removal

    An attorney for international students who allege the government improperly terminated their F-1 student status without explanation urged a Michigan federal judge Tuesday to bar the government from detaining or deporting the students, who were "packing their bags" out of fear they may be forced out of the country.

  • April 15, 2025

    Students Get Reprieve While Suing Over Revoked Visa Status

    Two foreign-born Carnegie Mellon University students will get more time to challenge the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's deletion of the records they need to legally remain in the country, but a Pennsylvania federal judge stopped short of restoring their legal status Tuesday.

  • April 15, 2025

    Carriers Seek High Court Clarity On Universal Service

    The trade group for regional and rural wireless service providers warned members Tuesday that they can't count on federal support for telecom deployment following last month's U.S. Supreme Court arguments over the federal government's program for subsidizing build-outs in high-cost and underserved areas.

  • April 15, 2025

    Journalists, Unions Fight VOA Shutdown In DC Federal Court

    A coalition of journalists, unions and a reporter advocacy group asked a D.C. federal judge not to disturb a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from dismantling the agency that oversees Voice of America, arguing the district court has jurisdiction to weigh in on the case.

  • April 15, 2025

    39 AGs Urge Congress To Ban PBM Pharmacy Ownership

    A bipartisan coalition of attorneys general have urged congressional leadership to pass legislation banning pharmacy benefit managers, their parent companies and affiliates from owning and operating pharmacies in order to boost competition and fairness.

  • April 15, 2025

    Judge Orders Discovery On Actions In Abrego Garcia Case

    A Maryland federal judge ordered two weeks of discovery and depositions of at least four Trump administration officials into whether it's complying with her order to get back a Maryland man sent to a Salvadoran megaprison, saying that the updates she's gotten so far have shown that "nothing has been done."

  • April 15, 2025

    Calif. Residents Sue Feds Over Tribe's Federal Status, Casino

    Three Plymouth, California, residents and a civil rights nonprofit have alleged in a suit that the federal government conspired to approve federal recognition, fee-to-trust and gaming applications for the Ione Band of Miwok Indians, questioning the constitutionality of the trust relationship between the U.S. and Indigenous nations.

  • April 15, 2025

    NCAA Transfer Player Seeking Extra Season Denied By Judge

    A West Virginia federal judge on Tuesday backed the NCAA and the consent decree that overturned the restrictions on athletes transferring schools, denying a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction for a college basketball player who wants to play one more season next year.

  • April 15, 2025

    Pot Shop Challenges NY Cannabis Labor Peace Law

    A New York cannabis company on Monday launched a federal lawsuit challenging a provision of the state's marijuana legalization law that requires licensed businesses to maintain labor peace agreements with their workers, saying it is preempted by federal law.

  • April 15, 2025

    UBH Can't Nix Class Status In Coverage Guidelines Suit

    United Behavioral Health can't unwind class certification in a lawsuit claiming it unlawfully imposed overly restrictive guidelines for coverage of residential mental health treatments, a California federal judge ruled, saying the group's parameters could be adjusted to meet a recent Ninth Circuit standard.

  • April 15, 2025

    Judge Blocks DHS From Ending Biden-Era Parole Program

    A Massachusetts federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending the parole status of nearly half a million immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, saying the government's early termination of the parole programs was likely arbitrary and capricious.

  • April 15, 2025

    7 Arrested In France In €3.4M Cross-Border VAT Fraud Case

    The European Public Prosecutor's Office arrested seven people suspected of carrying out a value-added tax fraud scheme involving what it called valuable vehicles that resulted in at least €3.4 million ($3.8 million) in tax losses, the EPPO said Tuesday. 

  • April 15, 2025

    Submarine Cable Rules Need To Follow NIST, Feds Told

    Companies that use undersea cables should have flexibility in how they develop their individual cybersecurity plans — as long as those plans comply with the framework laid out by the government's National Institute of Standards and Technology, a trade group is telling the Federal Communications Commission.

  • April 15, 2025

    Judge Vacates CFPB's Credit Card Late Fee Rule

    A Texas federal judge on Tuesday vacated the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's $8 credit card late fee rule after the agency reached a deal with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other trade groups to settle their litigation over the agency's Biden-era rule.

  • April 15, 2025

    Mich. Tribunal Rejects Hotel's Challenge To $10M Valuation

    A hotel owned by a Hilton franchisee was valued at $10 million by the Michigan Tax Tribunal, agreeing with a local assessor and reducing a previous valuation by $2.2 million but rejecting a further reduction sought by the owner.

  • April 15, 2025

    Trump Wants Tariffs Suit In Court Of International Trade

    The Trump administration asked Tuesday to transfer a lawsuit challenging tariffs on Chinese imports from a Florida federal court to the U.S. Court of International Trade, arguing that the trade court has exclusive jurisdiction over the dispute.

  • April 15, 2025

    NJ Judge Unsure Of Law Prof's Bid To Revive Free Speech Suit

    A New Jersey federal judge seemed unconvinced by a law professor's argument that he should reconsider dismissing her lawsuit alleging Kean University violated her free speech, noting during oral arguments Tuesday that he'd already tossed the case twice.

  • April 15, 2025

    Entergy Can't Fight FERC Market Rule Change, DC Circ. Says

    The D.C. Circuit on Tuesday said Entergy lacks standing to challenge the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's rejection of a regional grid operator's change to its capacity market rules after the agency concluded the change would give Entergy too much market power.

  • April 15, 2025

    Colorado Judge Tosses Counties' Suit Over $25M Tax Transfer

    A Colorado state judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by seven counties challenging the transfer of $25 million from a state fund aimed at offsetting the impacts of extractive industries, finding in an order that the state Legislature had full authority to move the dollars.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Lawsuits Shouldn't Be Shadow Assets For Foreign Capital

    Author Photo

    Third-party litigation financing amplifies inefficiencies from litigation and facilitates national exposure to foreign influence in the U.S. justice system, so full disclosure of financing arrangements should be required as a matter of institutional integrity, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

  • 2 Del. Rulings Reinforce Proof Needed For Records Demands

    Author Photo

    Two recent Delaware Court of Chancery decisions involving Amazon and Paramount Global illustrate the significance of the credible basis standard on books and records requests, underscoring that stockholders seeking to investigate wrongdoing must come forward with actual evidence of misconduct — not mere allegations, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • How To Accelerate Your Post-Attorney Career Transition

    Author Photo

    Professionals seeking to transition to nonattorney careers may encounter skepticism as nontraditional candidates, but there are opportunities for thought leadership and to leverage speaking and writing to accelerate a post-attorney career transition, say Janet Falk at Falk Communications and Evgeny Efremkin at Toronto Metropolitan University.

  • Key Takeaways From The 2025 Spring Antitrust Meeting

    Author Photo

    Leadership changes, shifting priorities and evolving enforcement tools dominated the conversation at the recent American Bar Association Spring Antitrust Meeting, as panelists explored competition policy under a second Trump administration, agency discretion under the 2023 merger guidelines and new frontiers in conduct enforcement, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • 3 Action Items For Innovators Amid Fintech Regulatory Pivot

    Author Photo

    As the federal banking agencies seek to smooth the way for banks to engage in crypto-related activities, banks and technology companies should take note of this new chapter in payments services, especially as leadership in digital financial technology becomes a national priority, says Jess Cheng at Wilson Sonsini.

  • What PFAS-Treated Clothing Tariff Bill Would Mean For Cos.

    Author Photo

    In keeping with a nationwide trend of greater restrictions on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives would remove tariff advantages for PFAS-treated clothing — so businesses would be wise to proactively adapt their supply chains and review contracts to mitigate liability, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

  • How Tariffs May Affect Proxy Contests This Season

    Author Photo

    While global tariffs imposed by the Trump administration will certainly chill at least some activity this proxy season, and make defending contests significantly easier, there will likely be many new activist investments once there is more economic certainty, meaning more proxy fights this fall, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Running A Compliant DEI Program After EEOC, DOJ Guidance

    Author Photo

    Following recent guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice that operationalized the Trump administration's focus on ending so-called illegal DEI, employers don't need to eliminate DEI programs, but they must ensure that protected characteristics are not considered in employment decisions, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • A Closer Look At New NYSE, Nasdaq Listing Rule Changes

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has recently approved changes to the New York Stock Exchange's and the Nasdaq's listing rules on reverse stock splits, minimum share price requirements and required liquidity for initial listings, meaning listed companies facing delisting will have fewer means to regain compliance, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • Opinion

    GENIUS Act Can Bring Harmony To Crypto-Banking Discord

    Author Photo

    ​​​​​​​By embracing crypto innovation while establishing appropriate guardrails, the so-called GENIUS Act charts a path forward that promotes financial inclusion and technological advancement without compromising stability or constitutional rights, says J.W. Verret at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School.

  • Opinion

    US Reassessment Of OECD Tax Deal Is Right Move

    Author Photo

    The wholesale U.S. reevaluation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's global tax deal ordered by President Donald Trump is a positive step that could ultimately create a more durable international tax system, says Anne Gordon at the National Foreign Trade Council.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Be An Indispensable Associate

    Author Photo

    While law school teaches you to research, write and think critically, it often overlooks the professional skills you will need to make yourself an essential team player when transitioning from a summer to full-time associate, say attorneys at Stinson.

  • The Path Forward For Construction Cos. After Calif. Wildfires

    Author Photo

    The increasing frequency of disastrous wildfires, like those that recently occurred in California, presents a set of complex challenges for the construction industry, including regulatory hurdles and supply chain disruptions that can complicate rebuilding efforts, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • What 2nd Trump Admin Means For Ship Pollution Compliance

    Author Photo

    As the second Trump administration's civil and criminal enforcement policies take shape, the maritime industry must ensure it complies with both national and international obligations to prevent oil pollution from seagoing vessels — with preventive efforts and voluntary disclosures being some of the best options for mitigating risk, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • 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.

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!