Public Policy

  • April 02, 2025

    Wis. Town Asks Court To Vacate 500-Acre Land Trust Order

    A Wisconsin town has asked a federal judge to hand it a win in its challenge against a U.S. Department of the Interior Board of Indian Appeals decision affirming that eight properties totaling nearly 500 acres may be held in trust for the Oneida Nation.

  • April 02, 2025

    5th Circ. Presses Jackson, Miss., About Lead Levels In Water

    A Fifth Circuit panel pressed the city of Jackson, Mississippi, about its allegedly slipshod handling of lead contamination in city drinking water during oral arguments Wednesday, with one judge saying city officials seemingly "very artfully avoided" questions about poisoned drinking water to skirt culpability.

  • April 02, 2025

    NIH Sued By Researchers Over 'Ideological Purge' On Grants

    The American Public Health Association and others sued the federal government in Massachusetts federal court on Wednesday over the cancellations of billions of dollars worth of National Institutes of Health research grants on such issues as gender identity, diversity, vaccine hesitancy and climate change, claiming the "ideological purge" is illegal.

  • April 02, 2025

    DC Judge Probes EPA's Reasons For Freezing Climate Funds

    A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday pressed a U.S. Department of Justice lawyer about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's explanation for cutting off $20 billion in grant money for climate change projects as a trio of nonprofits seek to turn the funding back on.

  • April 02, 2025

    Justices' Ghost Gun Decision Worrisome Win For Gun Control

    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision upholding a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives rule restricting so-called ghost gun kits is a clear-cut win for gun control proponents, but experts said it also signals a problematic shift to a supervisory role for the courts.

  • April 02, 2025

    DC Circ. To Hear Trump Admin's Bid To Stay CFPB Injunction

    A D.C. Circuit panel said Wednesday that it will hold a hearing next week on whether to stay a federal judge's order barring the Trump administration from shutting down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, taking up what has also become a jurisdictional dispute.

  • April 02, 2025

    Congress Demands VA Update Health Record System Costs

    A bipartisan group of congressional leaders has sent a letter demanding that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs update its schedule and cost estimate for its problem-ridden, multibillion-dollar electronic health record modernization program, just as the VA announced it would roll out the system to nine additional sites in 2026.

  • April 02, 2025

    Attys Call Ending DOJ Tax Division 'Epic Failure' In Efficiency

    The U.S. Department of Justice's plan to dissolve its Tax Division would jeopardize effective tax enforcement nationwide, a slew of tax controversy lawyers told the DOJ Wednesday, saying such a move would defeat President Donald Trump's stated overarching goal to improve government efficiency.

  • April 02, 2025

    Immigration Officials Restrict Sex Recognition To The Binary

    U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said Wednesday that it will recognize only two biological sexes — male and female — ending the Biden administration's short-lived policy of allowing nonbinary immigrants to select an "X" gender marker on some forms.

  • April 02, 2025

    Serial Acquisitions Are Still On The FTC's Radar

    The previous administration's focus on private equity firms making serial acquisitions in the same industry may continue under the Federal Trade Commission's new leadership, an agency official said Wednesday.

  • April 02, 2025

    Sotomayor Seems Wary Of 'Magic Words' For Medicaid Rights

    The U.S. Supreme Court's liberal bloc on Wednesday bristled at the notion that "magic words" were necessary to cement a public insurance program recipient's right to sue, suggesting that a private right of action is inherent in the Medicaid Act's provider choice provision.

  • April 02, 2025

    5th Circ. Asks If Miss. Discount Drug Law Is Constitutional

    A Fifth Circuit panel struggled to untangle a Mississippi state law requiring drugmakers to distribute products to pharmacies at a discount, asking Wednesday whether the law unconstitutionally deprives drugmakers of their right to decide what they do with their property.

  • April 02, 2025

    Boeing CEO Tells Senate Panel Safety Overhaul Progressing

    Boeing's CEO told a Senate panel Wednesday that the company remains focused on overhauling its corporate culture and plugging safety gaps on production lines, as the plane-maker continues to stabilize its business after being rocked by two 737 Max 8 crashes and a door-plug blowout.

  • April 02, 2025

    Florida Sued Over New Criminal Penalties For Migrants

    Advocates for immigrant and farmworker rights lodged a putative class action Wednesday challenging a Florida law criminalizing the entry of unauthorized migrants into the state, saying the law gives state officials unprecedented power to prosecute noncitizens and no defense to asylum seekers.

  • April 02, 2025

    Trump Unveils New Tariffs On Dozens Of Countries

    President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on major trading partners Wednesday, including a 10% rate on all goods entering the U.S. to take effect later this week, in a "declaration of economic independence" he says will jump-start domestic industry and production.

  • April 02, 2025

    DOJ Fights Bid To End Suit Over Ill. Sanctuary Laws

    The U.S. Department of Justice responded Tuesday to a bid by Illinois and other sanctuary jurisdictions within the state to dismiss the Trump administration's suit challenging their policies toward immigrants, casting them as an "extraordinary assault" on the federal government's attempt to enforce federal immigration laws.

  • April 02, 2025

    Signal Steals The Show At Cybersecurity Oversight Hearing

    Democrats and Republicans faced off Wednesday morning at a House Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs hearing over how to prevent state-sponsored cyberattacks, crossing swords over whether Democrats were "politicizing" the hearing by bringing up the recent Signal app leak of plans to attack targets in Yemen.

  • April 02, 2025

    With Dems Fired, GOP Recused, FTC Pauses PBMs Case

    The Federal Trade Commission has stayed its insulin price-fixing case against pharmacy benefit managers for more than three months, saying it does not have any commissioners to hear it after two Republican members recused themselves and the two Democratic commissioners were removed from their posts by President Donald Trump last month.

  • April 02, 2025

    'You Sound Like Tobacco Cos.,' 9th Circ. Judge Tells Tech Atty

    A Ninth Circuit judge expressed doubts Wednesday about a tech trade group's effort to preliminarily block California from enforcing a new law barring platforms from using algorithms to deliver addictive feeds to children, telling the group's counsel that social media might be worse than a carcinogen and "you sound like the tobacco companies."

  • April 02, 2025

    Groups Say Interior Is Ignoring Aging Calif. Oil Platforms

    The federal government has failed to require Sable Offshore Corp. to update safety and pollution control plans at oil and gas drilling facilities off the California coast that fed an onshore pipeline that spilled in 2015, a new lawsuit says.

  • April 02, 2025

    Broadcasters Ask FCC To Lift National Ownership Cap

    Broadcasters asked the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday to lift the 39% federal cap on national market share, one of the industry's longest-sought changes to media ownership rules.

  • April 02, 2025

    Colo. Regulators Want Pot Grower's Enforcement Suit Tossed

    The Colorado Department of Revenue is urging a state court to throw out a suit by a cannabis farm alleging that the Marijuana Enforcement Division has failed to enforce its regulations, saying that there's no final agency action for the farm to challenge in the courts.

  • April 02, 2025

    Feds Claim Immunity For ICE Agent Who Made Midtrial Arrest

    Lawyers with the U.S. attorney's office in Boston asked a federal judge Wednesday to toss a state court judge's contempt finding against an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who detained a defendant midtrial, calling the decision a "damaging state intrusion into federal functions."

  • April 02, 2025

    Judge Won't Let Feds Cut Legal Funding For Migrant Kids Yet

    A California federal judge said the federal government can't cut funding for groups that provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children, finding that the public interest strongly weighs in favor of maintaining the status quo. 

  • April 02, 2025

    CVS Asserts DOJ's Opioid Prescription Suit Lacks Facts

    CVS Pharmacy Inc. has told a Rhode Island federal judge that most of the U.S. Department of Justice's claims that it knowingly filed invalid prescriptions for opioids should be tossed, saying the agency failed to adequately allege the company willfully put profits over safety.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Weathering Policy Zig-Zags In Gov't Contracting Under Trump

    Author Photo

    To succeed amid the massive shift in federal contracting policies heralded by President Donald Trump's return to office, contractors should be prepared for increased costs and enhanced False Claims Act enforcement, and to act swiftly to avail themselves of contractual remedies, says Jacob Scott at Smith Currie.

  • How Trump's Crypto Embrace Is Spurring Enforcement Reset

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent willingness to step away from ongoing enforcement investigations and actions underscores the changing regulatory landscape for crypto under the new administration, which now appears committed to working with stakeholders to develop a clearer regulatory framework, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • After CEQ's Rollback, Fate Of NEPA May Be In Justices' Hands

    Author Photo

    The White House Council on Environmental Quality recently announced its intention to rescind its own National Environmental Policy Act regulations, causing additional burdens to existing NEPA challenges, and raising questions for regulated entities and federal agencies that may only be resolved by a pending U.S. Supreme Court case, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

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!