Public Policy

  • July 01, 2024

    Washington State, Tribes Can Wade Into Water Regs Dispute

    A D.C. federal judge said Washington state and five Native American tribes can intervene in a business group's lawsuit trying to overturn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to reestablish water quality standards for the Evergreen State that it had rolled back during the Trump administration.

  • July 01, 2024

    Juror Didn't Taint Trial Before Removal, Colo. Justices Say

    The Colorado Supreme Court said Monday that a trial judge's rejection of a Black defendant's challenge to a juror for alleged racial bias did not infringe on the defendant's rights, according to a majority decision that concluded the error was harmless because the juror was ultimately sent home.

  • July 01, 2024

    Judge Partially Ends Flores Deal For Detained Migrant Kids

    A California federal judge has partially terminated the long-running Flores settlement governing detention conditions for immigrant children, giving the federal government the green light to partly replace the settlement with an April regulation.

  • July 01, 2024

    CFPB, Loan Trusts Push Back On PIMCO Deal Objections

    The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and multiple student loan trusts have urged a Pennsylvania federal judge to ignore objections from investment giant PIMCO to a proposed $5 million settlement of claims tied to alleged servicing violations by Pennsylvania's Higher Education Assistance Agency.

  • July 01, 2024

    Could Trump Get Jail In NY? We Dug Into 10 Years Of Data

    Donald Trump could well be sentenced to a prison term after a New York state jury found him guilty on 34 felony counts, according to criminal justice data showing that many New York defendants convicted of those crimes face incarceration.

  • July 01, 2024

    IRS Faces Rulemaking Pressure Following Chevron's Demise

    The Internal Revenue Service will likely face more pressure to develop tax regulations that are more firmly grounded in the law and tailored to ensure certainty for individuals, businesses and other organizations after the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision to overturn the decades-old Chevron doctrine.

  • July 01, 2024

    No Resolution In Sight For Trade Pact Auto Rules Dispute

    The U.S. automotive industry is weighed down by a trade dispute over treaty requirements to source locally manufactured parts and uncertainty regarding how the rules will apply to electric vehicles, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a report Monday.

  • July 01, 2024

    Colo. Justices To Mull If Xcel Is Immune From Injury Suits

    Colorado's justices announced Monday that they will consider whether a state-approved utility tariff governing Xcel's relationship with its customers can immunize the company from lawsuits about powerline injuries, including those brought by noncustomers.

  • July 01, 2024

    Ill., Northshore Say Anti-Vax Case Not About Religious Liberty

    A nurse working for a Northshore Health unit in Illinois should be permanently blocked from pursuing employment deprivation claims over her initial denial of a COVD-19 religious vaccine exemption, the health facility said, arguing she is using a state conscience law as a "sword" against COVID-19 protections. 

  • July 01, 2024

    School Supply Co. Seeks Duty Erasure For Pencil Imports

    A classroom supplies company urged the U.S. Court of International Trade to free its pencil imports from an anti-dumping duty on Chinese goods, saying U.S. trade officials mistakenly broadened the duty to include pencils made in the Philippines.

  • July 01, 2024

    How Broad Immunity Could Upend Trump's 4 Criminal Cases

    The U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision Monday that presidential immunity shields Donald Trump from criminal charges connected to his official acts creates a "nearly impossible burden" for the special counsel prosecuting Trump in the historic federal election interference case and complicates his other criminal matters, experts say.

  • July 01, 2024

    RNC, Arizona Lawmakers Can't Pause Voting Rights Order

    The Republican National Committee and two top Arizona lawmakers can't pause a decision that bars provisions of voting legislation from being enforced pending an appeal to the Ninth Circuit, an Arizona federal judge said Friday, while also determining that the state's Republican Party can't weigh in on the dispute.

  • July 01, 2024

    4th Circ. Hikes Damages In 'Unite The Right' Rally Suit

    The Fourth Circuit ruled Monday that Virginia's punitive damages cap must be applied on a per-plaintiff basis, reversing a federal district court ruling that had limited a nearly $24 million verdict against white supremacists accused of planning violence at the 2017 "Unite the Right" rally to a total of $350,000.

  • July 01, 2024

    Court Tosses Constitutional Challenge To Pot Prohibition

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Monday granted the U.S. Department of Justice's bid to dismiss a constitutional challenge to federal marijuana prohibition, delivering a blow to an effort brought by a group of cannabis companies represented by litigator David Boies.

  • July 01, 2024

    Enforcers Push Antitrust Agenda, Brace For Google Ruling

    The first half of 2024 was marked by U.S. antitrust enforcers' pursuit of groundbreaking cases alleging anticompetitive conduct.

  • July 01, 2024

    State AGs Get Stay Lifted In Generic Drug Pricing Litigation

    A Connecticut federal judge on Monday agreed to lift a partial discovery stay in a trio of generic drug pricing antitrust suits led by the attorneys general of New York and Connecticut, according to a short, text-only order posted to each of the case dockets.

  • July 01, 2024

    FCC Chief Floats Rules To Secure Emergency Alerts

    The Federal Communications Commission will consider new rules to beef up security of the nation's emergency alerts for broadcasts and mobile devices, which the agency says face increasing vulnerability.

  • July 01, 2024

    House Republicans Call For ACA Enrollment Probe

    Three House Republican committee chairs are asking government watchdogs to investigate Affordable Care Act enrollments after a third-party report alleged a significant number of Americans are fraudulently accessing low-income healthcare subsidies. 

  • July 01, 2024

    FCC Chief Says Time Right To Reexamine Bulk Billing In Apts.

    The Federal Communications Commission needs to consider establishing rules that would limit bulk billing deals for broadband service because its record on the issue is outdated, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel told a Florida Democrat concerned that new rules could harm low-income consumers.

  • July 01, 2024

    DOL's Overtime Rule Survives Texas Marketer's Injunction Bid

    A Texas federal judge refused Monday to grant a marketing company's request to block a U.S. Department of Labor rule that raises the salary thresholds for claiming overtime-exemption under federal law, saying the firm failed to show it will be harmed by the new standards.

  • July 01, 2024

    EPA Inks Deal To Take Action On States' Haze Plans

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to take action on plan revisions submitted by more than 30 states aimed at curbing haze-forming air pollution, resolving environmental groups' claims the agency has unlawfully delayed approving or denying the various plan revisions.

  • July 01, 2024

    Commerce Bulks Up Chinese Pea Protein Duties To 355%

    The U.S. Department of Commerce announced final countervailing duties topping 355% for four Chinese makers of pea protein, while producers considered to be under government control will face anti-dumping duties approaching 270%.

  • July 01, 2024

    Fla. Telecom To Pay $1M Fine For FCC Underpayments

    Florida-based telecom PayG will be shelling out a $1 million penalty to the Federal Communications Commission after the agency said it contributed some $400,000 less than it should have to the Universal Service Fund.

  • July 01, 2024

    Judge Blocks Okla. Law Barring Unauthorized Immigrants

    An Oklahoma federal judge has temporarily barred Oklahoma from enforcing a law preventing unauthorized immigrants from living in the state, agreeing with the Biden administration that the policy likely conflicted with the federal immigration scheme.

  • July 01, 2024

    NC Doctor Takes Abortion Drug Limits Fight To 4th Circ.

    A North Carolina doctor who challenged the state's restrictions on abortion drug mifepristone asked the Fourth Circuit to review a district court's decision to allow certain limits to stand.

Expert Analysis

  • Protecting Trade Secrets In US, EU Gov't Agency Submissions

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Mintz compare U.S. and European Union trade secret laws, and how proprietary information in confidential submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency is protected in the face of third-party information requests under government transparency laws.

  • Big Banks Face Potential Broader Recovery Plan Rules

    Author Photo

    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's recent call for potentially subjecting more banks to recovery planning standards would represent a significant expansion of the scope of the recovery guidelines, and banks that would be affected should assess whether they’re prepared, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • New Laws, Regs Mean More Scrutiny Of Airline Carbon Claims

    Author Photo

    Recent climate disclosure laws and regulations in the U.S. and Europe mean that scrutiny of airlines' green claims will likely continue to intensify — so carriers must make sure their efforts to reduce carbon emissions through use of sustainable aviation fuel, hydrogen and carbon offsets measure up to their marketing, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Recruitment Trends In Emerging Law Firm Frontiers

    Author Photo

    BigLaw firms are facing local recruitment challenges as they increasingly establish offices in cities outside of the major legal hubs, requiring them to weigh various strategies for attracting talent that present different risks and benefits, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • How Uyghur Forced Labor Law Affects Importing Companies

    Author Photo

    Amid a growing focus on forced labor in supply chains and a likely increase in enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, companies may face costly import delays unless they develop and implement compliance best practices, say Thad McBride and Lauren Gammer at Bass Berry.

  • Series

    Glassblowing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    I never expected that glassblowing would strongly influence my work as an attorney, but it has taught me the importance of building a solid foundation for your work, learning from others and committing to a lifetime of practice, says Margaret House at Kalijarvi Chuzi.

  • What Employers Need To Know About Colorado's New AI Law

    Author Photo

    The Colorado AI Act, enacted in May and intended to regulate the use of high-risk artificial intelligence systems to prevent algorithmic discrimination, is broad in scope and will apply to businesses using AI for certain employment purposes, imposing numerous compliance obligations and potential liability, say Laura Malugade and Owen Davis at Husch Blackwell.

  • What DOL Fiduciary Rule Means For Private Fund Managers

    Author Photo

    Attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss how the U.S. Department of Labor's recently released final fiduciary rule, which revises the agency's 1975 regulation, could potentially cause private fund managers' current marketing practices and communications to be considered fiduciary advice, and therefore subject them to strict prohibitions.

  • Best Practices For Chemical Transparency In Supply Chains

    Author Photo

    A flurry of new and forthcoming regulations in different jurisdictions that require disclosure of potentially hazardous substances used in companies' products and processes will require businesses to take proactive steps to build chemical transparency into their supply chains, and engage robustly and systematically with vendors, says Jillian Stacy at Enhesa.

  • What 11th Circ. Fearless Fund Ruling Means For DEI In Courts

    Author Photo

    The Eleventh Circuit's recent backing of a freeze on the Fearless Fund's grants to women of color building new companies marks the latest major development in litigation related to diversity, equity and inclusion and may be used to question other DEI programs targeted at providing opportunities to certain classes of individuals, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

  • Opinion

    Paid Noncompetes Offer A Better Solution Than FTC's Ban

    Author Photo

    A better alternative to the Federal Trade Commission's recent and widely contested noncompete ban would be a nationwide bright-line rule requiring employers to pay employees during the noncompete period, says Steven Kayman at Rottenberg Lipman.

  • Opinion

    Flawed Fintiv Rule Should Be Deemed Overreach In Tech Suit

    Author Photo

    A pending federal lawsuit over the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's unilateral changes to key elements of the America Invents Act, Apple v. Vidal, could shift the balance of power between Congress and federal agencies, as it could justify future instances of unelected officials unilaterally changing laws, say Patrick Leahy and Bob Goodlatte.

  • Unpacking The Latest Tranche Of Sanctions Targeting Russia

    Author Photo

    Hundreds of new U.S. sanctions and export-control measures targeting trade with Russia, issued last week in connection with the G7 summit, illustrate the fluidity of trade-focused restrictions and the need to constantly refresh compliance analyses, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

  • How Associates Can Build A Professional Image

    Author Photo

    As hybrid work arrangements become the norm in the legal industry, early-career attorneys must be proactive in building and maintaining a professional presence in both physical and digital settings, ensuring that their image aligns with their long-term career goals, say Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners and Estelle Winsett at Estelle Winsett Professional Image Consulting.

  • High Court's Abortion Pill Ruling Shuts Out Future Challenges

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court's unanimous ruling in U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine maintains the status quo for mifepristone access and rejects the plaintiffs' standing theories so thoroughly that future challenges from states or other plaintiffs are unlikely to be viable, say Jaime Santos and Annaka Nava at Goodwin.

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!