Public Policy

  • April 25, 2025

    Judge Asks How Ed Dept. Can Fulfill Mandates Without Staff

    A Massachusetts federal judge on Friday appeared skeptical of arguments by the Trump administration that it can continue delivering legally mandated services without reinstating hundreds of U.S. Department of Education employees who were fired last month.

  • April 25, 2025

    Judge Blocks Trump Order Limiting Fed. Worker Bargaining

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump's order last month seeking to end collective bargaining for workers at more than a dozen federal agencies with national security roles, two days after suggesting during oral arguments that Trump's order was retaliatory.

  • April 25, 2025

    Feds Fight Unions' Bid To Reverse Cuts To FMCS

    A group of unions lack standing to ask a New York federal judge to reverse staffing cuts and field office closures at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, the federal government has argued, opposing the group's bid for an injunction undoing the shrinkage of the labor-management dispute resolution agency.

  • April 25, 2025

    Low-Power Stations Seek To Avoid Next-Gen TV Mandate

    Low-power TV broadcasters are urging the Federal Communications Commission not to force stations like theirs to transition to "NextGen TV," calling the consumer uptake of NextGen-enabled televisions "laughable" and saying advancements are still being made in standard HDTV technology.

  • April 25, 2025

    Feds Say Tariff Fight Belongs In International Trade Court

    The Trump administration wants to litigate a challenge to its tariffs in a federal trade court, not the D.C. district court, arguing that the U.S. Court of International Trade is the only venue with jurisdiction to hear the case.

  • April 25, 2025

    Sen. Crapo Calls Exec Session For Commerce, Treasury Noms

    U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, announced Friday that it will hold an executive session Tuesday to consider President Donald Trump's picks for roles at the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Department of the Treasury.

  • April 25, 2025

    Hemp Co. Says Seller Can't Pass Buck On Pot Arrest

    A hemp company and its affiliates are urging a Wisconsin federal court to throw out a seller's claim that his shop was raided and he was convicted of drug possession because their products were falsely labeled as legal hemp, saying that the complaint fails to show the products had anything to do with the arrest.

  • April 25, 2025

    Is The 'Prevailing Party' Over For Civil Rights Attys?

    The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that preliminary injunctions don't entitle civil rights plaintiffs to recoup attorney fees was partly an attempt to reduce lengthy fee litigation, but it may have also reduced litigants' ability to vindicate their rights in court.

  • April 25, 2025

    With $1.2M Deal, Pattern Of NY Prison Abuse Cases Emerges

    A New York man who says prison guards tortured him during a medical emergency recently secured a $1.2 million settlement — one of the largest known payouts for abuse in state custody — as part of litigation that exposed a correction officer's alleged recurrent violent behavior.

  • April 25, 2025

    Broadcasters Oppose FCC Adding New Local Notice Regs

    Broadcasters said they don't like the idea of new local notice requirements for some types of new stations as part of a Federal Communications Commission plan to otherwise cut down on rules covering the industry that it believes are no longer needed.

  • April 25, 2025

    Feds Accused Of Illegal Education Data Collection Rollback

    The Department of Education is defying congressional mandates requiring the collection and analysis of national education data, including by canceling $900 million in data maintenance and collection contracts, educational organizations said in a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., federal court.

  • April 25, 2025

    NY Settles Class Action Over Delays In Special Ed Hearings

    New York City and state officials agreed to overhaul how special education complaints are handled, settling a 2020 class action brought by students with disabilities who waited months for crucial services.

  • April 25, 2025

    Trump Pressed To Roll Back Ligado Network Order

    A broad collection of navigation, transportation, weather and agricultural interest groups are urging President Donald Trump and Congress to roll back the Federal Communications Commission's controversial Ligado order, arguing that the company's proposed terrestrial mobile service would cause harmful interference to GPS, satellite communications and weather forecasting services.

  • April 25, 2025

    Ex-Sen. Menendez Can't Avoid Prison During Appeal

    A New York federal judge on Friday refused to allow former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and two of the businessmen who purportedly bribed him to avoid prison pending their appeal on a blockbuster corruption conviction.

  • April 25, 2025

    NJ Industrial Remediation Claims Not Time-Barred, Panel Says

    A Garden State appellate panel on Friday revived New Jersey's suit seeking the remediation of a contaminated industrial property in the city of Camden and associated damages, ruling that the state's remediation claims are not time-barred.

  • April 25, 2025

    Aggressive USPTO Policy Push Suggests 'It's Lutnick's Show'

    U.S. Patent and Trademark Office acting Director Coke Morgan Stewart's three months in charge have featured an unprecedented level of policymaking for an interim leader, suggesting that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has a vision for the agency and he's not waiting for the U.S. Senate to confirm a new director to pursue it.

  • April 25, 2025

    Feds Push To Keep Trial Date For 'Compromised' Texas Rep

    Prosecutors told a federal judge Friday that U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and his wife have plenty of time to review discovery and get their attorneys security clearances before a September trial on bribery and corruption charges.

  • April 25, 2025

    Teachers Union Blocks Feds From Freezing Funds Over DEI

    The federal government can't revoke funding from schools associated with the National Education Association and two other educator groups because of the institutions' diversity, equity and inclusion policies, a New Hampshire federal judge ruled, saying the organizations will likely succeed in their suit claiming government guidance was unlawfully vague.

  • April 25, 2025

    House Republicans Seek Info On DeepSeek Ties To CCP

    Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are pressing Chinese AI company DeepSeek for information on their data practices and relationship with the Chinese Communist Party.

  • April 25, 2025

    Spencer Fane Adds Former Oklahoma Higher Ed. Chancellor

    Spencer Fane LLP said Thursday it has hired Allison Garrett, Oklahoma's former chief executive for its higher education system, as an of counsel in its litigation and dispute resolution practice.

  • April 25, 2025

    NJ AG Gives Chief Counsel Role To Former Civil Rights Head

    The top assistant to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has been appointed chief counsel for the state's Department of Law and Public Safety, an appointment that follows high-profile civil rights stints in and out of the Garden State.

  • April 25, 2025

    Apache Want To Pause Enviro Study Until High Court Ruling

    An Apache nonprofit has urged an Arizona federal judge to issue an emergency injunction barring the government from transferring an ancient worship site to a mining company until the U.S. Supreme Court can rule on the group's petition, which seeks to block the endeavor.

  • April 25, 2025

    NJ Towns Challenge State Affordable Housing Framework

    A coalition of nearly two dozen New Jersey municipalities has filed suit against state officials, arguing a provision of the state's affordable housing framework unfairly places all responsibility for building such housing on non-urban municipalities.

  • April 25, 2025

    Ex-FCC Chair Back At HQ To Lobby For Mobile Biz

    A former chief of the Federal Communications Commission made a cameo appearance at the agency's Washington, D.C., headquarters in his new role as top lobbyist for the mobile services industry, calling for more spectrum to feed boundless growth in the wireless business.

  • April 25, 2025

    Atkins Vows SEC Will Pursue 'Common-Sense' Crypto Policy

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new Chair Paul Atkins told crypto industry experts on Friday that the SEC will work to establish a "fit-for-purpose" framework for digital assets, while industry participants urged a principles-based approach to cover its rapid innovation.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Preparing For Corporate Work

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    Law school often doesn't cover the business strategy, financial fluency and negotiation skills needed for a successful corporate or transactional law practice, but there are practical ways to gain relevant experience and achieve the mindset shifts critical to a thriving career in this space, says Dakota Forsyth at Olshan Frome.

  • 6 Ways The Dole Act Alters USERRA Employment Protections

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    The recently passed Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act continues a long-standing trend of periodically increasing the scope of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, expanding civilian employment rights for service members and veterans with some of the most significant changes yet, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Opinion

    Federal Limits On Counter-Drone Options Need Updating

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    As malicious actors swiftly and creatively adapt drone technology for nefarious ends, federal legislation is needed to expand the authority of state and local governments, as well as private businesses and individuals, to take steps against such threats, says Carter Lee at Woods Rogers.

  • FTC Focus: Synthetic Data Yields Antitrust Considerations

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    Attorneys at Proskauer explore the burgeoning world of synthetic data, the antitrust implications involved, the Federal Trade Commission's role in regulating this space and practical takeaways from these emerging issues.

  • OCC Patriot Bank Order Spotlights AML Issues For Managers

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    The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's focus on payments and prepaid card program managers in its recent consent order with Patriot Bank is noteworthy and shows regulators are unlikely to back down on enforcement related to Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

  • FDIC Shift On ALJs May Show Agencies Meeting New Norms

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    The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s recent reversal, deciding to not fight a Kansas bank’s claim that the FDIC's administrative law judge removal process is unconstitutional, shows that independent agencies may be preemptively reconsidering their enforcement and adjudication authority amid executive and judicial actions curtailing their operations, say attorneys at Snell & Wilmer.

  • Opinion

    The SEC Must Protect Its Best Tool For Discovering Fraud

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    By eliminating the consolidated audit trail's collection of most retail customer information, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deter securities market fraud and abuse, something new Chair Paul Atkins must ensure doesn't happen, says former SEC data strategist Hugh Beck.

  • 7 Things Employers Should Expect From Trump's OSHA Pick

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    If President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is confirmed, workplace safety veteran David Keeling may focus on compliance and assistance, rather than enforcement, when it comes to improving worker safety, say attorneys at Fisher Phillips.

  • How Cos. Can Mitigate Increasing Microplastics Liability Risk

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    Amid rising scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe of microplastics' impact on health and the growing threat of litigation against consumer product and food and beverage manufacturers, companies can limit liability through compliance with labeling laws, careful contract management and other practices, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • Strategizing For Renewable Energy Project Success In Texas

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    The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has long been a key market for renewable energy projects, but rising financial and regulatory uncertainty means that developers and investors must prepare for inflation and policy risks, secure robust insurance coverage, and leverage tax equity transferability to ensure success, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Opinion

    Slater Heralds Return To US Antitrust Norms, Innovation

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    Under recently confirmed Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice can fulfill President Donald Trump's objective to reestablish American economic dominance on the global stage while remaining faithful to antitrust's core principles, says Ediberto Roman at the Florida International University College of Law.

  • A Cold War-Era History Lesson On Due Process

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    The landmark Harry Bridges case from the mid-20th century Red Scare offers important insights on why lawyers must be free of government reprisal, no matter who their client is, says Peter Afrasiabi at One LLP.

  • How Latin American Finance Markets May Shift Under Trump

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    Changes in the federal government are bringing profound implications for Latin American financial institutions and cross-border financing, including increased competition from U.S. banks, volatility in equity markets and stable green investor demand despite deregulation in the U.S., says David Contreiras Tyler at Womble Bond.

  • Series

    Improv Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Improv keeps me grounded and connected to what matters most, including in my legal career where it has helped me to maintain a balance between being analytical, precise and professional, and creative, authentic and open-minded, says Justine Gottshall at InfoLawGroup.

  • TikTok Bias Suit Ruling Reflects New Landscape Under EFAA

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    In Puris v. Tiktok, a New York federal court found an arbitration agreement unenforceable in a former executive's bias suit, underscoring an evolving trend of broad, but inconsistent, interpretation of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

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