Public Policy

  • March 25, 2025

    Judge Mulls Limits On Columbia Sharing Info With Congress

    A Manhattan federal judge on Tuesday considered whether to limit Columbia University's sharing of student records with Congress after students there, including detained activist Mahmoud Khalil, claimed the Trump administration and congressional Republicans want to "punish and suppress" pro-Palestinian views.

  • March 25, 2025

    A Look At 6 States Tussling Over Tort Reform Legislation

    There are six state legislatures, mostly in the South, that are debating whether to install business-friendly tort reform legislation or dismantle medical malpractice guardrails. The bills run the gamut from potential game-changing legislation in Georgia, to efforts in Texas to cap certain types of personal injury damages.

  • March 25, 2025

    Mich. Residents, Some Claims Cut From Frozen Benefits Case

    A Michigan federal judge has slashed a union and claimants' lawsuit alleging the state's unemployment insurance agency improperly automatically denied or clawed back payments, finding that temporary COVID-19 pandemic assistance benefits are not constitutionally protected rights and the claimants received proper notice of an end to their benefits.

  • March 25, 2025

    Va. Gov. Youngkin Blocks Recreational Cannabis Sales Again

    Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor of Virginia, on Monday once again vetoed lawmaker-approved legislation that would have taxed and regulated the sale of adult-use cannabis.

  • March 25, 2025

    Florida High Court Forms Group To Examine Judicial Security

    The Florida Supreme Court has created a new working group on judicial security and tasked it with developing a report over the next year on threat reduction, detection and response.

  • March 25, 2025

    No Easy Out In $5M Mich. Dispensary Flip-Flop Suit

    A Michigan federal court has refused to hand a win to either party in developer American 5 LLC's suit alleging a Michigan township improperly revoked its permit for a marijuana dispensary, finding that the parties hadn't resolved whether the permit was the developer's to begin with.

  • March 25, 2025

    USDA Must Face Logging Emissions Suit, DC Judge Rules

    A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday rejected the U.S. Department of Agriculture's bid to toss allegations that the U.S. Forest Service never assessed the emissions effect of its logging program under the National Environmental Policy Act from environmental activists, clearing the way for the litigation to proceed.

  • March 25, 2025

    DEA Seeks Exit From Hemp Group's Suit Over Raid

    Federal drug enforcers have asked a Texas federal judge to release them from a hemp industry trade group and retailer's lawsuit challenging the legality of a raid on a smoke shop, saying that the enforcement actions at issue were conducted by local authorities.

  • March 25, 2025

    Ariz. AG Warns Cops, Retailers About Illegal THC Sales

    Arizona's attorney general has sent letters to both retailers and law enforcement over the sale of THC products by unlicensed shops, clarifying that such sales are illegal and giving them a month to prepare for enforcement by the attorney general's office.

  • March 25, 2025

    Kirkland Adds 31-Year V&E Energy Group Veteran

    A longtime Vinson & Elkins LLP attorney, who spent the past 31 years there working on energy regulatory matters related to natural gas and the electric power industry, has moved his practice to Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

  • March 24, 2025

    Columbia Student Asks Court To Block Deportation Efforts

    A Columbia University student who is a legal permanent resident claimed Monday that the Trump administration was trying to arrest and deport her simply because she attended protests against the Israel-Hamas war, a clear violation of the First Amendment, according to a suit filed in New York federal court.

  • March 24, 2025

    Trump Picks Acting CDC Head After Weldon Nomination Fails

    President Donald Trump on Monday nominated acting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention head Susan Monarez to take over as the agency's director, a move that comes after Trump pulled his nomination of Dr. Dave Weldon for the position when it became clear Weldon lacked needed support.

  • March 24, 2025

    DOJ Opposes Bid To Block Cornell Student's Deportation

    The Trump administration asked a New York federal judge to reject a bid to block deportation proceedings against a noncitizen Cornell University student over his pro-Palestinian advocacy as well as two executive orders accused of chilling the free speech rights of foreign students.

  • March 24, 2025

    Bank Groups Take Aim At Fed's Stress-Test Methodology

    Top bank trade groups are pressing their Ohio federal court challenge to the Federal Reserve Board's stress tests of big banks, asking for a ruling that would force major changes to the way the annual assessments of firm resilience are designed and executed.

  • March 24, 2025

    Contract Consolidation Under GSA Could Hurt Innovation

    The pending consolidation of more than $490 billion in annual federal procurement under the General Services Administration could exacerbate the ongoing shrinking of the federal contracting base and stymie contracting innovation, undercutting its stated efficiency goal.

  • March 24, 2025

    DC Circ. Appears Divided In Venezuelan Deportation Appeal

    A D.C. Circuit panel seemed split on Monday as the appellate judges contended with the Trump administration's bid to dissolve a trial court order blocking the deportations of some Venezuelan nationals to El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.

  • March 24, 2025

    Kimmel's Use Of Santos Videos Not Fair, 2nd Circ. Told

    Cameo videos recorded by former U.S. Rep. George Santos were designed to be satirical jokes, and their rebroadcast by ABC comedian Jimmy Kimmel was not a transformative work protected by the copyright law's fair use doctrine, Santos' attorney told the Second Circuit on Monday.

  • March 24, 2025

    Ore. Tribe Backs Hydro Utility's Eminent Domain Bid At Falls

    The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians has asked an Oregon federal judge to approve a utility company's attempt to condemn five acres of public land for the operation of a hydroelectric project, saying another tribe believes wrongly that condemnation would eliminate its fishing platform.

  • March 24, 2025

    Venezuelans Seek Hold On End To DHS Removal Protections

    Lawyers representing Venezuelans living in the United States urged a California federal judge on Monday to pause actions by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that would end temporary deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the country, saying the actions were driven in part by racial animus.

  • March 24, 2025

    NC Urges Court To Rule Fla. Realty Co. Duped Homeowners

    The North Carolina Attorney General's Office has urged a state business court to find that a Florida real estate company targeted homeowners and tricked them into signing long-term predatory agreements in exchange for small cash advances, saying it is undisputed that the law was broken.

  • March 24, 2025

    Colo. Judge Doubts Iffy Firing Facts Can Get Restaurant A Win

    A Colorado federal judge was skeptical Monday that he, rather than a jury, should be the one to decide whether a seafood restaurant fired a worker because of her nationality or because she drank alcohol before a shift, in a suit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

  • March 24, 2025

    'Enough Is Enough': Tornado Cash Users Demand Judgment

    Challengers to the Treasury Department's now-dissolved sanctions of crypto mixer Tornado Cash on Monday urged a Texas federal judge to make clear that the designation was unlawful despite the government's claims that the case is moot now that it has removed Tornado Cash from its blocked persons list.

  • March 24, 2025

    HHS To Share Immigration Status Of Migrant Kid Sponsors

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday removed part of a regulation barring it from sharing the immigration status of potential sponsors of unaccompanied children with law enforcement or immigration enforcement agencies.

  • March 24, 2025

    T-Mobile, UScellular Deal Could Cut Service, FCC Warned

    The planned multibillion-dollar tie-up between T-Mobile and UScellular wireless operations could harm consumers by shutting down cell towers in areas that can't be served without government deployment aid, the deal's opponents told the Federal Communications Commission.

  • March 24, 2025

    4th Circ. Halts Removal Of PFAS Suits Against 3M

    The Fourth Circuit agreed on Monday to halt a panel's split decision allowing 3M to remove to federal court lawsuits brought by Maryland and South Carolina alleging environmental contamination from forever chemicals, while it considers their request for rehearing.

Expert Analysis

  • IRS Basis-Shifting Rule Poses Notable Reporting Obligations

    Author Photo

    While the IRS’ recently finalized rule requiring partnerships to report certain related-party basis adjustment transactions is narrower than originally proposed, taxpayers and their advisers will still need to comb through myriad transactions to comply, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • How Cos. Can Prepare Now For SEC E-Filing System Changes

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's amendments to the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system are designed to improve access to and management of EDGAR accounts, and with the March 24 effective date fast approaching, and the transition requiring significant coordination, companies should begin planning now, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • The Tides Are Changing For Fair Access Banking Laws

    Author Photo

    The landscape of fair access banking laws, which seek to prevent banks from denying services based on individuals' ideological beliefs, has shifted in the last few years, but a new presidential administration provides renewed momentum for advancing such legislation against the backdrop of state efforts, say attorneys at Latham.

  • Imagine The Possibilities Of Openly Autistic Lawyering

    Author Photo

    Andi Mazingo at Lumen Law, who was diagnosed with autism about midway through her career, discusses how the legal profession can create inclusive workplaces that empower openly autistic lawyers and enhance innovation, and how neurodivergent attorneys can navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with disclosing one’s diagnosis.

  • A Halftime Analysis Of DOJ's Compensation Pilot Program

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Department of Justice appears to consider the first half of its three-year pilot program on compensation incentives and clawbacks to be proceeding successfully, so companies should expect prosecutors to emphasize the program and other compliance-related considerations early in investigations, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Opinion

    How Congress Can Stem Consumer Finance Law Uncertainty

    Author Photo

    In the face of rising uncertainty about consumer finance laws that are based largely on fluctuating administrative rules, Congress should cement certain existing laws into statute and clarify federal agencies' delegations of authority, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • Top 10 Healthcare And Life Sciences Issues To Watch In 2025

    Author Photo

    Under the new Trump administration, this coming year may benefit some healthcare and life sciences stakeholders, while creating new challenges for others amid an increasingly complex regulatory environment, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Birthright Order Denies 14th Amendment's Purpose, Origin

    Author Photo

    President Trump's executive order ending birthright citizenship invokes logic explicitly rejected by the framers of the 14th Amendment, demonstrating the administration's fundamental misunderstanding of the citizenship clauses' origins, jurisprudence, and impact on how Americans understand equality and national belonging, says Mauni Jalali at Quinn Emanuel.

  • A Look At Order Ending Federal Contractor Affirmative Action

    Author Photo

    To comply with President Donald Trump's executive order revoking affirmative action requirements in the next 90 days, federal contractors should focus on identification of protected groups, responsibilities of "diversity officer" positions and annual compliance reviews, says Jeremy Burkhart at Holland & Knight.

  • Parsing 3rd Circ. Ruling On Cannabis, Employee Private Suits

    Author Photo

    The Third Circuit recently upheld a decision that individuals don't have a private right of action for alleged violations of New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act, but employers should stay informed as the court encouraged the state Legislature to amend the law, say attorneys at Mandelbaum Barrett.

  • Why Trump's FTC May Not U-Turn On Robinson-Patman

    Author Photo

    The Federal Trade Commission's recent revival of Robinson-Patman Act enforcement may well be here to stay under the Trump administration — albeit with some important caveats for businesses caught in the government's crosshairs, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • 4 Keys To Litigating In An Active Regulatory Environment

    Author Photo

    For companies facing litigation influenced by government regulatory action — a recent trend that a politically charged atmosphere will exacerbate — there are a few principles that can help to align litigation strategy with broader public positioning in the regulatory and oversight context, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.

  • Perspectives

    How High Court May Rule In First Step Act Resentencing Case

    Author Photo

    U.S. Supreme Court justices grappled with verb tenses and statutory intent in recent oral arguments in Hewitt v. U.S., a case involving an anomalous resentencing issue under the First Step Act, and though they may hold that the statute is unambiguous, they could also decide the case on narrow, practical grounds, say attorneys at Bracewell.

  • Series

    Documentary Filmmaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Becoming a documentary filmmaker has allowed me to merge my legal expertise with my passion for storytelling, and has helped me to hone negotiation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are important to both endeavors, says Robert Darwell at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Litigation Funding Disclosure Debate: Strategy Considerations

    Author Photo

    In the ongoing debate over whether courts should require disclosure of litigation funding, funders and plaintiffs tend to argue against such mandates, but voluntarily disclosing limited details about a funding arrangement can actually confer certain benefits to plaintiffs in some scenarios, say Andrew Stulce and Marc Cavan at Longford Capital.

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!