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Public Policy
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September 23, 2024
US Can't Pin Clean Water Act Violation On Fla. Farmer
A Florida federal judge recommended that a court rule in favor of a landowner sued by the government for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act after polluting wetlands to build a farm, saying a man-made ditch bordering the property isn't technically connected to navigable waters of the United States.
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September 23, 2024
Profs, Retired Judges Ask Justices To Uphold Return Of Taxes
Two former bankruptcy judges and a group of law professors threw their support behind the bankruptcy trustee of a Utah transportation company seeking to convince the U.S. Supreme Court that the IRS, like any other creditor, should have to return payments deemed fraudulent under state law.
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September 23, 2024
Todd & Weld Partner To Probe Mass. Police Academy Death
A Todd & Weld LLP partner has been tapped to conduct an independent investigation into the death of a Massachusetts police recruit during a training exercise earlier this month, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced Monday.
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September 23, 2024
Rahimi Supports Lift Of Under-21 Handgun Ban, 5th Circ. Told
A trio of Second Amendment advocacy groups told the Fifth Circuit Monday that a June high court decision keeping domestic abusers unarmed has no bearing on their challenge to handgun bans for those under 21, urging the panel to focus on the Framers' intentions for the amendment at the time of the founding.
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September 23, 2024
What A Harris Administration Would Mean For The Courts
Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, is familiar with the courtroom.
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September 23, 2024
RNC Urges NC Court To Block Digital Student IDs For Voting
The Republican National Committee and the North Carolina Republican Party urged a Tar Heel State appeals court to block the state's board of elections from allowing digital student and employee IDs from the University of North Carolina to be used as voter verification in the upcoming election, arguing the law already forbids them.
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September 23, 2024
Biden Admin Seeks To Ban Certain Chinese, Russian Car Tech
The Biden administration proposed a new policy Monday that would ban automakers from importing and selling vehicles in the U.S. with certain connectivity components made in China or Russia that pose national security risks, in an effort to protect U.S. infrastructure and American consumers.
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September 23, 2024
Feds To Pay $893K Fee Award To Travel Ban Challengers
A California federal judge has signed off on the Biden administration's agreement to cover $893,000 worth of legal fees that thousands of visa applicants racked up while contesting a Trump-era travel ban that prevented them from immigrating to the U.S.
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September 23, 2024
Feds Ask To File Up To 180-Page Brief On Trump Immunity
Federal prosecutors are seeking permission from a D.C. federal judge to file a lengthy brief making the case that Donald Trump is not immune from charges of election interference, telling the court that the "substantially drafted" motion won't be longer than 180 pages.
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September 23, 2024
Mich. Township Scores Partial Win In Suit Over Bike Path Law
A Michigan federal judge ruled that Jamestown Charter Township's ordinance allowing authorities to require developers to fund bike path construction is not facially unconstitutional, despite finding the municipality's recent tweaks to the law to be "suspicious."
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September 23, 2024
Wilkinson Barker Brings On FCC Deputy Bureau Chief In DC
A 12-year veteran of the Federal Communications Commission, who most recently was the deputy bureau chief of the agency's Wireline Competition Bureau, is returning to private practice as a partner with Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP, the firm announced Monday.
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September 23, 2024
Holland & Knight Adds Former Treasury Adviser In DC
A former adviser for the U.S. Department of the Treasury and counsel for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has moved his practice to Holland & Knight's office in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Monday.
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September 23, 2024
Telecoms Oppose Using Database Co.'s Do-Not-Originate List
A major telecommunications trade association is urging the Federal Communications Commission to reject suggested changes to its proposed anti-robocall rules, telling the commission that modifications recommended by telecom database company Somos could end up blocking legitimate calls.
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September 23, 2024
Autism Played Role In Bankman-Fried Case, 2nd Circ. Told
A group of experts on neurodiversity told the Second Circuit that Sam Bankman-Fried, who has said he has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, may have been hurt at trial by a "cognitive and communication style" that at times frustrated the trial judge.
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September 23, 2024
House Panel Subpoenas DOL For Independent Contractor Info
The chairwoman of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce served the U.S. Department of Labor with a subpoena Monday, pointing to the department's several failures to respond to questions about its independent contractor misclassification probes.
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September 23, 2024
Tempur Sealy Sets Divestiture Plan Ahead Of FTC Court Battle
Tempur Sealy International Inc. said Monday that it plans to sell 176 stores and seven distribution centers to Mattress Warehouse if it is able to close its planned $4 billion purchase of Mattress Firm Group Inc., in an effort to appease the Federal Trade Commission in its continued efforts to block the deal.
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September 23, 2024
5th Circ. Refuses Texas A Jury Trial For Border Buoy Case
The Fifth Circuit refused Texas' request for jurors to decide the legality of barriers installed in the Rio Grande to deter migrants, saying the Seventh Amendment's right to a jury trial doesn't apply to the case.
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September 23, 2024
La. Wants EPA Civil Rights Regs Vacated After Court Win
Louisiana is asking a federal judge to revisit an order and amend it to completely vacate U.S. Environmental Protection Agency civil rights regulations, after the judge granted the Pelican State's motion for a permanent injunction within its borders.
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September 20, 2024
Wash. Strikes Deal With Wild Fish Groups To End ESA Row
Two conservation groups have struck an agreement with Washington state to drop a claim that some of its hatchery programs are unlawfully imperiling protected wild salmon on the Lower Columbia River, though the groups will continue to pursue similar claims against Oregon and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
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September 20, 2024
Sens. Kaine, Romney Seek To Deter China's 'Maritime Militia'
Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, introduced a bill that would allow sanctions on foreign adversaries' "maritime militias," saying the aim is to end China's use of military vessels disguised as commercial fishing ships to take over disputed territory in the South China Sea.
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September 20, 2024
3rd Circ. CFPB Ruling Threatens Securitization, Justices Told
Two major trade groups for the securities industry have urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Third Circuit decision allowing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to exercise enforcement authority over a collection of student loan securitization trusts, slamming the ruling as wrong and dangerous.
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September 20, 2024
Retail Theft Wasn't Removable Crime, Immigration Board Says
Retail theft is not necessarily a crime of moral turpitude that warrants an immigrant's removal, the Board of Immigration Appeals ruled Friday, saying its 2006 precedential reasoning runs afoul of the categorical approach articulated by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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September 20, 2024
House To Weigh Patent Bill Aimed At Cutting Drug Prices
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to consider a bill soon that has already cleared the Senate and could streamline patent litigation by curbing the number of patents that makers of biologic drugs can assert over biosimilar drugs.
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September 20, 2024
Ad Tech Judge Not Biting On Google's Market Metaphor
Comparing Big Macs and Whoppers to undermine the Justice Department's market definition appeared to be a step too far Friday for the Virginia federal judge weighing the fate of Google's display advertising placement technology.
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September 20, 2024
Family Dollar Must Face Arkansas AG's Rodent Infestation Suit
Family Dollar can't escape a lawsuit by the Arkansas attorney general seeking damages for knowingly selling products potentially contaminated by rodents, both dead and alive, at a warehouse in West Memphis, a state judge has ruled.
Expert Analysis
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Carbon Offset Case A Win For CFTC Enviro Fraud Task Force
An Illinois federal court's decision in Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Ikkurty — earning the CFTC a sizeable monetary award that will likely incentivize similar enforcement pursuit — shows the impact of the commission's Environmental Fraud Task Force, say attorneys at Steptoe.
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RealPage Suit Shows Growing Algorithm, AI Pricing Scrutiny
The U.S. Department of Justice's suit against RealPage for helping fix rental rates, filed last week, demonstrates how the use of algorithmic and artificial intelligence tools to assist with pricing decisions is drawing increasing scrutiny and action across government agencies, and specifically at the Federal Trade Commission and the DOJ, say Andre Geverola and Leah Harrell at Arnold & Porter.
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Whistleblowers Must Note 5 Key Differences Of DOJ Program
The U.S. Department of Justice’s recently unveiled whistleblower awards program diverges in key ways from similar programs at other agencies, and individuals must weigh these differences and look first to programs with stronger, proven protections before blowing the whistle, say Stephen Kohn and Geoff Schweller at Kohn Kohn.
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What NFL Draft Picks Have In Common With Lateral Law Hires
Nearly half of law firm lateral hires leave within a few years — a failure rate that is strikingly similar to the performance of NFL quarterbacks drafted in the first round — in part because evaluators focus too heavily on quantifiable metrics and not enough on a prospect's character traits, says Howard Rosenberg at Baretz+Brunelle.
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Calif. Ruling Clarifying Paystub Compliance Is Win For Cos.
In rare good news for California employers, the state Supreme Court recently clarified that workers couldn’t win extra penalties in wage and hour cases by claiming their employer intentionally violated state paystub law if the employer believed it had complied in good faith, say Drei Munar and Kirk Hornbeck at Hunton.
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Considering Noncompete Strategies After Blocked FTC Ban
A Texas district court's recent decision in Ryan v. Federal Trade Commission to set aside the new FTC rule banning noncompetes does away with some immediate compliance obligations, but employers should still review strategies, attend to changes to state laws and monitor ongoing challenges, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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Open Questions 3 Years After 2nd Circ.'s Fugitive Ruling
The Second Circuit’s 2021 decision in U.S. v. Bescond, holding that a French resident indicted abroad did not meet the legal definition of a fugitive, deepened a circuit split on the fugitive disentitlement doctrine, and courts continue to grapple with the doctrine’s reach and applicability, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert.
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Replacing The Stigma Of Menopause With Law Firm Support
A large proportion of the workforce is forced to pull the brakes on their career aspirations because of the taboo surrounding menopause and a lack of consistent support, but law firms can initiate the cultural shift needed by formulating thoughtful workplace policies, says Barbara Hamilton-Bruce at Simmons & Simmons.
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Series
After Chevron: The Future Of AI And Copyright Law
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to overrule the Chevron doctrine, leaders in the artificial intelligence industry may seek to shift the balance of power to courts to exercise more independent statutory interpretation without constraints from the U.S. Copyright Office, says Greg Derin at Signature Resolution.
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Leveraging Policy Changes To Achieve AI Patent Eligibility
With the latest U.S. Patent and Trademark Office guidance in hand and legislation looming in Congress, innovators should file their artificial intelligence patent applications now — and five strategies can maximize their chances of success, says Nicholas Gallo at Troutman Pepper.
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Crypto Regs Could See A Reset Under The Next President
Donald Trump has taken a permissive policy stance favoring crypto, while Kamala Harris has been silent on the issue, but no matter who wins the presidential election, we may see a more lenient regulatory climate toward the digital currency than from the Biden administration, says Liam Murphy at McKool Smith.
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How DOJ May Change FARA Exemption In Forthcoming Rule
Any day now, the U.S. Department of Justice is expected to issue proposed revisions to the Foreign Agents Registration Act regulations, and signs suggest that it will likely narrow one of FARA's broadest exemptions, which may compound public confusion about the law's requirements, says Murad Hussain at Arnold & Porter.
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Planning Law Firm Content Calendars: What, When, Where
During the slower month of August, law firms should begin working on their 2025 content calendars, planning out a content creation and distribution framework that aligns with the firm’s objectives and maintains audience engagement throughout the year, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Key Concerns To Confront In FDIC Brokered Deposit Proposal
Banks and fintech companies should note several fundamental issues with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s recent proposal to widen how it classifies brokered deposits, an attempt to limit prudential risk that could expose the industry and underbanked consumers who rely on bank-fintech apps to widespread unintended consequences, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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3 Presidential Privilege Questions After Trump Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Trump v. U.S., carving out a new evidentiary privilege for presidents, leaves unanswered several key questions concerning whether this new privilege is waivable or subject to various exceptions, says Jeremy Bates at Frankfurt Kurnit.