Public Policy

  • June 28, 2024

    Calif. Panel Won't Toss Trial Win By AT&T's Cricket

    Cricket Communications Inc. won't have to worry about a 2018 jury trial win being kiboshed after a California appeals court ruled that when it overturned a pretrial ruling because a previous judge failed to disclose that he owned AT&T stock, it didn't mean the entire trial should be undone.

  • June 28, 2024

    Shifting Legal Positions Behind High Court Abortion Punt

    Rapid developments in Idaho abortion law paved the way for a fractured U.S. Supreme Court decision that leaves doctors in the state in murky legal waters around providing abortions to patients in medical crisis.

  • June 28, 2024

    Biden Extends Deportation Protections For 309K Haitians

    The Biden administration on Friday expanded a humanitarian immigration program to provide temporary deportation relief to roughly 309,000 Haitians currently living in the U.S. who can't safely return to their war-torn Caribbean nation where gang violence has escalated in recent months.

  • June 28, 2024

    Top Delaware Court Tosses Voting Law Challenge

    Delaware's Supreme Court on Friday reversed a Superior Court strike-down of two state statutes on voting procedures, finding that the plaintiffs had no standing to sue because they hadn't shown any "imminent, particularized" harm.

  • June 28, 2024

    NC Justices Revive Black Property Owners' Bias Suit

    The North Carolina Supreme Court vacated a lower court's dismissal of discrimination claims brought by Black property owners against the city of Kinston alleging that the city targeted Black-owned buildings for condemnation while preserving white-owned buildings as historical, ruling Friday that the lower court applied the wrong legal standard.

  • June 28, 2024

    Buttigieg Says Rescheduling Pot Would Not Alter DOT Policy

    If the U.S. Department of Justice were to loosen federal restrictions on marijuana as it has proposed, it would not affect the U.S. Department of Transportation's authority to screen for the drug, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told members of Congress.

  • June 28, 2024

    House Passes Contentious $833B Defense Spending Bill

    The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed an $833 billion bill funding the Pentagon for 2025, amid a veto threat over contentious issues such as cutting funding for Ukraine and a bar on gender-affirming care.

  • June 28, 2024

    Chevron Reversal's Impact In Trade Cases Likely Limited

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on Friday overturning Chevron deference is expected to have wide-ranging impacts, but its effect may be less harsh on international trade litigation where the field is virtually clear of cases invoking the now-defunct standard.  

  • June 28, 2024

    Patent Office Asks For Comments On 'Experimental Use'

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has indicated that it wants to hear what attorneys think about the current state of the "experimental use exception," which permits individuals to infringe a patent when the use is for "philosophical," not commercial, pursuits.

  • June 28, 2024

    Condo Seeks Bar On Enforcement Of Corp. Transparency Act

    A Boston condominium association has asked a federal judge to shield it and other Massachusetts condo boards from enforcement of an anti-money laundering measure, saying the requirement to submit personal information to a government database creates an undue and unnecessary burden on volunteer organizations.

  • June 28, 2024

    DC Circ. Panel Rejects Mich. Tribe's Casino Land Trust Bid

    A D.C. appellate court panel on Friday rejected a Michigan tribe's bid to compel the federal government to take land into trust for a casino venture outside Detroit, saying the court is not convinced that the tribe's proposal to channel a portion of the profits into the tribal community's unmet needs is lawful.

  • June 28, 2024

    More Legal Aid Attys Move To Addiction Epidemic Frontlines

    Aided in part by an influx of settlement money from opioid litigation, a growing number of legal aid groups are offering programs aimed at individuals and families hurt by the addiction crisis, helping them navigate civil legal issues like driver’s license reinstatements, custody and domestic violence issues, and navigating public health benefits.

  • June 28, 2024

    DC Access To Justice Leader On Making Courts User-Friendly

    Erin Larkin, the first director of the D.C. Courts’ newly created Access to Justice unit, recently spoke with Law360 about plans to boost efforts to connect people with legal services and make the courts more accessible.

  • June 28, 2024

    IRS Finalizes Broker Rules For Digital Asset Sales

    Brokers of digital assets such as cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens will face tax reporting requirements for the first time similar to those for brokers of securities and other financial instruments under final regulations issued Friday by the Internal Revenue Service.

  • June 28, 2024

    Tulsa Fights Prisoners' Bids To Join Jurisdiction Row

    The city of Tulsa is fighting bids by nearly a dozen people incarcerated within the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to intervene in a challenge by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation over tribal jurisdiction, arguing that the federal district court first must consider the municipality's motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

  • June 28, 2024

    Jan. 6 Ruling May Help Accused Rioters, But Not Trump

    Experts said Friday that while the U.S. Supreme Court's decision narrowing the use of obstruction of Congress charges could have implications for hundreds of people accused of storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, the same count against former president Donald Trump remains buoyed by facts alleged in his election interference indictment.

  • June 28, 2024

    EPA Coal Ash Rules Are Nothing New, DC Circ. Rules

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was enforcing existing rules rather than illegally issuing new ones when it rejected requests by power companies to extend a deadline to comply with regulations governing the cleanup of coal-ash waste facilities, a D.C. Circuit panel ruled Friday.

  • June 28, 2024

    3 Biggest Benefits Policy Developments From 2024's 1st Half

    The U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies finalized significant changes to regulations affecting employee benefits in the first half of 2024. Here are three policy moves that benefits attorneys should have on their radar.

  • June 28, 2024

    Satellite Cos. Call For More Detail On FCC's Space Debris Plan

    Satellite companies are telling the Federal Communications Commission that more work needs to be done before it moves forward on an accidental explosion probability threshold for satellites, with several arguing in recent weeks that the agency needs more comment to establish a clear metric.

  • June 28, 2024

    ITC Advances Probe Into Chinese Disposable Containers

    The U.S. International Trade Commission on Friday advanced an investigation into Chinese imports of disposable aluminum containers, pans, trays and lids after finding that the imports were potentially injuring domestic manufacturing.

  • June 28, 2024

    Texas Judge Who Axed DACA To Retire In January 2025

    U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen — a controversial Republican appointee best known for twice ruling against President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy — has announced that he will take senior status on Jan. 2, 2025, allowing the next president to name his replacement.

  • June 28, 2024

    EU Wraps Antitrust Probe Of Microsoft's OpenAI Stake

    The European antitrust authorities have ended their probe into tech giant Microsoft's control of authority in artificial intelligence-powered chatbot ChatGPT's owner OpenAI, but are switching the angle of the investigation in the partnership that could lead to a formal competition probe.

  • June 28, 2024

    Eric Trump Can Shield Most Docs In Ex-Aide's Retaliation Suit

    Eric Trump can assert attorney-client privilege to avoid turning over most of a batch of emails sought by Trump 2016 campaign aide Arlene "AJ" Delgado in her pregnancy retaliation suit claiming she was banished from former President Donald Trump's orbit after a fellow staffer got her pregnant.

  • June 28, 2024

    GOP Rep. Says 'Inherent Contempt' Vote Coming After Recess

    The Republican lawmaker spearheading a new inherent contempt effort for Attorney General Merrick Garland said it has the backing of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and would occur after the July 4 congressional recess.

  • June 28, 2024

    IRS Reminds Marijuana Businesses They Can't Get Tax Breaks

    The Internal Revenue Service sought to remind taxpayers Friday that businesses selling marijuana, even in states where it's legal, are not entitled to federal tax deductions, saying some taxpayers are filing invalid claims for refunds through amended returns.

Expert Analysis

  • Live Nation May Shake It Off In A Long Game With The DOJ

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    Don't expect a swift resolution in the U.S. Department of Justice's case against Live Nation, but a long litigation, with the company likely to represent itself as the creator of a competitive ecosystem, and the government faced with explaining how the ticketing giant formed under its watch, say Thomas Kliebhan and Taylor Hixon at GRSM50.

  • How Act 126 Will Jump-Start Lithium Production In Louisiana

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    Louisiana's recent passage of Act 126, which helps create a legal and regulatory framework for lithium brine production and direct lithium extraction in the state, should help bolster the U.S. supply of this key mineral, and contribute to increased energy independence for the nation, say Marjorie McKeithen and Justin Marocco at Jones Walker.

  • 5 Steps For Gov't Contractor Affirmative Action Verification

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    As the federal contractor affirmative action program certification deadline approaches, government contractors and subcontractors should take steps to determine their program obligations, and ensure any required plans are properly implemented and timely registered, say Christopher Wilkinson at Perkins Coie and Joanna Colosimo at DCI Consulting.

  • Boeing Saga Underscores Need For Ethical Corporate Culture

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    In the wake of recent allegations about Boeing’s safety culture, and amid the U.S. Department of Justice’s new whistleblower incentives, business leaders should reinvigorate their emphasis on compliance by making clear that long-term profitability requires ethical business practices, says Maxwell Carr-Howard at Dentons.

  • A Closer Look At Feds' Proposed Banker Compensation Rule

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    A recently proposed rule to limit financial institutions' ability to award incentive-based compensation for risk-taking may progress through the rulemaking process slowly due to the sheer number of regulators collaborating on the rule and the number of issues under consideration, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • 2 Regulatory Approaches To Psychedelic Clinical Trials

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    Comparing the U.S. and Canada's regulatory frameworks for clinical trials of psychedelic drugs can be useful for designing trial protocols that meet both countries' requirements, which can in turn help diversify patient populations, bolster data robustness and expedite market access, say Kimberly Chew at Husch Blackwell and Sabrina Ramkellawan at AxialBridge.

  • Why Jurors Balk At 'I Don't Recall' — And How To Respond

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    Jurors often react negatively to a witness who responds “I don’t remember” because they tend to hold erroneous beliefs about the nature of human memory, but attorneys can adopt a few strategies to mitigate the impact of these biases, say Steve Wood and Ava Hernández at Courtroom Sciences.

  • How Federal And State Microfiber Pollution Policy Is Evolving

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    Growing efforts to address synthetic microfiber pollution may create compliance and litigation issues for businesses in the textile and apparel industries, so companies should track developing federal and state legislation and regulation in this space, and should consider associated greenwashing risks, says Arie Feltman-Frank at Jenner & Block.

  • Series

    Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge​​​​​​​ at Robinson Bradshaw.

  • Best Practices For Responding To CBP's Solar Questionnaire

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    U.S. Customs and Border Protection's recently introduced questionnaire to solar importers imposes significant burdens, with the potential for supply chain disruptions and market consolidation, but taking certain steps can assist companies in navigating the new requirements, say Carl Valenstein and Katelyn Hilferty at Morgan Lewis.

  • Exploring Alternatives To Noncompetes Ahead Of FTC Ban

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    Ahead of the Sept. 4 effective date for the Federal Trade Commission's noncompete ban, employers should seek new ways to protect their proprietary and other sensitive information, including by revising existing confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, says Harvey Linder at Culhane.

  • Parsing Controversial Del. General Corporation Law Proposals

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    In response to issues raised in three recent high-profile Delaware Court of Chancery decisions, many amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law were quickly proposed that, if enacted, would bring significant changes likely to be hotly debated — and litigated — for the foreseeable future, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • A Look At US-EU Consumer Finance Talks' Slow First Steps

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    The unhurried and informal nature of planned discussions between the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the European commissioner for justice and consumer protection suggests any coordinated regulatory action on issues like AI and "buy now, pay later" services is still a ways off, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    It's Time To Defuse The Ticking Time Bomb Of US Landfills

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    After recent fires at landfills in Alabama and California sent toxic fumes into surrounding communities, it is clear that existing penalties for landfill mismanagement are insufficient — so policymakers must enact major changes to the way we dispose of solid waste, says Vineet Dubey at Custodio & Dubey.

  • 5th Circ. Venue-Transfer Cases Highlight Mandamus Limits

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    Three ongoing cases filed within the Fifth Circuit highlight an odd procedural wrinkle that may let district courts defy an appellate writ: orders granting transfer to out-of-circuit districts, but parties opposing intercircuit transfer can work around this hurdle to effective appellate review, says Charles Fowler at McKool Smith.

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