Public Policy

  • April 14, 2025

    EU Not 'Sitting Back' With US Tariffs, German Official Says

    "Simply sitting back" isn't an option for the European Union in response to wide-ranging tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump's administration, Germany's finance minister said Monday in defense of the bloc's countermeasures.

  • April 14, 2025

    Court OKs $7.9M Deal For UPitt Pandemic Tuition Refunds

    The University of Pittsburgh has agreed to a $7.85 million deal to end claims that it should have refunded students' tuition when it moved classes online at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a federal judge gave the deal his preliminary approval Monday.

  • April 14, 2025

    Four State Govs. Call On EPA To Increase Biofuel Targets

    Governors of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to boost the amount of biofuel blended into fuel supplies as a way to help meet the Trump administration's domestic energy goals and strengthen investment in agriculture and rural communities.

  • April 14, 2025

    CFPB's Vought Looks To Roll Back 'Weaponized' Guidance

    Acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Russell Vought has called for a crackdown on so-called regulation through guidance at the agency, launching a sweeping review that could cull bulletins, circulars and other advisory materials dating back years.

  • April 13, 2025

    DC Circ. Limits CFPB Layoff Ban Amid Trump Admin Appeal

    A D.C. Circuit panel has cleared a path for the Trump administration to resume job cuts at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as it pursues an appeal of a preliminary injunction barring it from shutting down the agency. 

  • April 11, 2025

    DC Judge Won't Block ICE From Raiding Churches Amid Suit

    A D.C. federal judge on Friday declined to issue an injunction barring the Trump administration from carrying out immigration raids or arrests in places of worship while litigation over the raids is ongoing, ruling that religious groups haven't shown a credible threat of enforcement, "at least at this juncture."

  • April 11, 2025

    SEC Digs Into Policing Crypto Trading At Roundtable

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's acting chairman said Friday the agency should consider granting temporary regulatory relief for crypto firms while the agency crafts long-term solutions to oversee digital asset markets, one of many ideas discussed during a roundtable on tailoring regulation to crypto trading.

  • April 11, 2025

    NC Judge Keeps Bulk Of Win In High Court Ballot Fight

    North Carolina's highest court on Friday largely let stand a lower appeals court ruling siding with the Republican challenger in the state's still-undecided Supreme Court race, declining to throw out ballots based on incomplete registrations but still drawing scathing rebukes from two justices who said their colleagues were rushing to a decision "in the dark of night."

  • April 11, 2025

    21 AGs Back WilmerHale, Jenner & Block Over Trump Order

    A coalition of 21 attorneys general Friday filed briefs in support of WilmerHale and Jenner & Block LLP as the firms challenge President Donald Trump's retaliatory executive orders in D.C. federal court, arguing that the directives unconstitutionally punish the firms for representing people and causes the president doesn't like.

  • April 11, 2025

    CFPB To Pull Medical Debt Opinion, May Ax Nonbank Registry

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Friday that it will scrap recent guidance aimed at reining in medical debt collectors and may close out its new national nonbank enforcement registry, extending the agency's pullback from its Biden-era policies.

  • April 11, 2025

    Judge OKs Foreign Policy Grounds For Khalil's Removal

    A Louisiana immigration judge ruled Friday that the Trump administration can proceed with its bid to deport a Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist based on the secretary of state's determination that his ongoing presence in the country threatens U.S. foreign policy.

  • April 11, 2025

    CFPB Cuts Loose Comerica Suit After Missing Filing Deadline

    The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Friday dismissed at least for now its suit against Comerica Bank in Texas federal court that accused the bank of mismanaging a government benefit card program after missing a filing deadline and losing out on a bid to have the action stayed.

  • April 11, 2025

    Feds Say Judge Should Limit Foreign Aid Freeze Injunction

    The Trump administration asked a D.C. federal judge on Friday to commit to dissolving part of a preliminary injunction requiring it to pay all grant recipients and contractors for foreign assistance work done prior to Feb. 13, in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

  • April 11, 2025

    DOGE, OMB Ordered To Ready 1,000s Of Pages In FOIA Suit

    A D.C. federal judge ordered the Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Government Efficiency to start processing 1,000 pages of documents per month to potentially hand over to a watchdog group seeking insight into DOGE's "secretive operations," saying DOGE's actions were of "highest national concern."

  • April 11, 2025

    9th Circ. Won't Renew Wash. DACA Recipient's Loan Bias Suit

    The Ninth Circuit declined on Friday to revive a woman's discrimination suit against a Washington credit union, saying she cannot show she was refused a car loan because of her status as a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipient.

  • April 11, 2025

    FTC Democrat Members Seek Quick Win In Trump Firing Suit

    Recently fired Federal Trade Commission Democrat members Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro M. Bedoya on Friday asked a D.C. federal court for an expedited summary judgment ruling in their case challenging their removals, arguing that President Donald Trump's attempted firings run afoul of decades-old precedent and the FTC Act.

  • April 11, 2025

    SEC Taps 2 Agency Staffers For Senior Enforcement Roles

    The former director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Philadelphia office has been promoted to overseeing the agency's trial team while an adviser to acting SEC Chair Mark Uyeda has been given the role of associate director of enforcement, according to a pair of recent announcements.

  • April 11, 2025

    Ill. Sen.'s Ex-Intern Thought He'd 'Eventually' Get Job For Pay

    A former intern for whom federal prosecutors say an Illinois senator illegally solicited a job testified Friday that he received several payments despite performing no work for a red-light camera company executive who said he was getting the job as "an assist" to the senator.

  • April 11, 2025

    3M Fights 4th Circ. Bid To Undo Removal Of PFAS Suits

    Lawsuits accusing 3M Inc. of "forever chemical" contamination of Maryland and South Carolina waterways should be kept in federal court, the company has argued, urging the Fourth Circuit to decline the states' request for full panel review.

  • April 11, 2025

    Permit Suit Can't Sidestep ICE's Immunity, GEO Group Says

    GEO Group Inc. told a New Jersey federal judge that the city of Newark's lawsuit aiming to block development of an immigration detention facility over permitting and inspections can't proceed without naming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a defendant.

  • April 11, 2025

    EchoStar Wants FCC To Cut Satellite Cos.' Political File Reg

    Dish Network parent company EchoStar Corp.'s wishlist to curb Federal Communications Commission regulations includes a proposal to drop a requirement that satellite providers keep tabs on paid political ads.

  • April 11, 2025

    Seattle Port Says Housing Project 'Poor Fit' In Industrial Core

    The Port of Seattle has gone to court to block a rezoning ordinance that allows nearly 1,000 new residential units near the city's sports stadiums, a project the port said threatens to snarl the nearby movement of cargo from a seaport that is a key driver of the region's economy.

  • April 11, 2025

    DOJ Torches Biden-Era Enviro Justice Deal With Alabama

    The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday terminated a groundbreaking civil rights law-based environmental justice settlement intended to improve water infrastructure in a low-income Black community in Alabama, calling it another step in the Trump administration's effort to eliminate anti-discrimination initiatives.

  • April 11, 2025

    Feds Still Mulling Wartime Removal Notice And Process

    The Trump administration hasn't worked out what kind of notice it will give alleged Venezuelan gang members subject to removal under the 1878 Alien Enemies Act in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that it must do so, a government attorney told a Texas federal judge Friday.

  • April 11, 2025

    FTC Starts Process That May Nix Chevron, Exxon Deal Limits

    The Federal Trade Commission took the first steps Friday toward potentially lifting bans on the CEOs of Hess and Pioneer Natural Resources serving on the boards of Chevron and Exxon, respectively, under agreements assailed by the FTC's Republican leadership who want to permit the Chevron-Hess and Exxon-Pioneer mergers without those restrictions.

Expert Analysis

  • Deportation Flights May End Up A Legal And Strategic Error

    Author Photo

    Officials in the Trump administration could face criminal contempt charges if a D.C. judge finds that they flouted his orders last weekend to halt deportation flights to El Salvador, which could ultimately make mass deportations more difficult — and proving noncompliance a self-defeating strategy, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.

  • Mitigating The Risk Of Interacting With A Designated Cartel

    Author Photo

    There are steps companies doing business in Latin America should take to mitigate risks associated with the Trump administration's designation of several cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and the terrorism statute's material-support provisions, which may render seemingly legitimate transactions criminal, say attorneys at Covington.

  • How Health Cos. Can Navigate Data Security Regulation Limbo

    Author Photo

    Despite the Trump administration's freeze on proposed updates to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act security rule, there are critical cybersecurity steps healthcare organizations can take now without clear federal guidance, says William Li at Axiom.

  • Preparing For Tariffs On Canadian Power In The Northeast

    Author Photo

    The on-again, off-again risk of import and export tariffs on energy transactions between the U.S. and Canada may have repercussions for U.S. energy stakeholders in the ISO New England and New York Independent System Operator electricity markets — but there are options that could help reduce cost impacts, say attorneys at Husch Blackwell.

  • How Calif.'s Wildfire Insurance Crisis Might Affect Texas

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Munsch Hardt examine the implications of California's wildfire insurance crisis for Texas, including potential shifts in coverage availability, regulatory differences and how the insurers in the second-largest U.S. state may react to a major wildfire event.

  • New SEC Guidance May Change How Investors, Cos. Talk

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent updates to the Schedules 13D and G compliance and disclosure interpretations may mean large institutional investors substantially curtail the feedback they provide companies about their voting intentions in connection with shareholder meetings, which could result in negative voting outcomes for companies, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • 4 Key Payments Trends For White Collar Attys

    Author Photo

    As the payments landscape continues to innovate and the new administration looks to expand the role of digital currency in the American economy, white collar practitioners should be aware of several key issues in this space, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Calif. Antitrust Bill Could Alter Enforcement Landscape

    Author Photo

    If enacted, a recently proposed California bill that would strengthen the state’s antitrust law could signal a notable shift in the U.S. enforcement environment, but questions remain about the types of cases the state could pursue, whether other states will follow suit and more, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Series

    Performing Stand-Up Comedy Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Whether I’m delivering a punchline on stage or a closing argument in court, balancing stand-up comedy performances and my legal career has demonstrated that the keys to success in both endeavors include reading the room, landing the right timing and making an impact, says attorney Rebecca Palmer.

  • Opinion

    Upholding Tribal Sovereignty Benefits US And Indian Country

    Author Photo

    The Trump administration's broad moves to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs are negatively affecting many tribal programs, but supporting tribal sovereignty would serve the federal government's deregulatory goals and ensure that tribes have the resources they need, says Ellen Grover at BB&K.

  • Constitutional Foundations Of Gov't-Guaranteed Investments

    Author Photo

    For attorneys advising clients with exposure to government-backed investments, understanding the constitutional guardrails on presidential impoundment offers essential guidance for risk assessment, contract strategy and litigation planning, says Mauni Jalali at Quinn Emanuel.

  • Investor Essentials For Buying Federally Owned Property

    Author Photo

    Investors and developers can take advantage of the Trump administration's plan to sell government-owned real estate by becoming familiar with the process and eligible to bid, and should prepare to move quickly once the U.S. General Services Administration posts the list of properties for sale, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • How 2025 Is Shaping The Future Of Bank Mergers So Far

    Author Photo

    Whether the long-anticipated great wave of consolidation in the U.S. banking industry will finally arrive in 2025 remains to be seen, but the conditions for bank mergers are more favorable now than they have been in years, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From SEC To BigLaw

    Author Photo

    As I adjusted to the multifaceted workflow of a BigLaw firm after leaving the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, working side by side with new colleagues on complex matters proved the fastest way to build a deep rapport and demonstrate my value, says Jennifer Lee at Jenner & Block.

  • What's Old And New In The CFTC's Self-Reporting Advisory

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Blank Rome analyze the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's recent advisory that aims to provide clarity on self-reporting violations of the Commodity Exchange Act, and review whether market participants should shift their thinking — or not — when it comes to cooperation with the CFTC.

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!