Public Policy

  • April 03, 2025

    Feds Back Prison Treatment For Man Who Threatened Judges

    Federal prosecutors say the Federal Bureau of Prisons offers therapy programs sufficient to treat a Connecticut man who pled guilty to mailing more than 150 threatening letters to two U.S. Supreme Court justices, state and federal judges and other figures, answering a judge's presentence questions about available treatments.

  • April 03, 2025

    Pa. Transit Agency Beats Appeal In Platform Collapse Case

    The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority did not have "constructive notice" that a train platform was defective or dangerous before it crumbled beneath a commuter, so it was protected from her lawsuit by sovereign immunity, a state appellate panel ruled Wednesday.

  • April 03, 2025

    Pick For DC's US Atty Exits Roles To Prepare For Confirmation

    The nominee for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Ed Martin, has made his law firm inactive and resigned from other roles in preparation for his confirmation.

  • April 03, 2025

    Ginnie Mae Wins Fight Over Reverse Mortgage Collateral

    A Texas federal judge granted a win to Ginnie Mae and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over challenges to their decision to extinguish Texas Capital Bank's lien on reverse mortgage assets, holding that Ginnie Mae's statutory authority extends to the entire mortgage once an issuer defaults.

  • April 03, 2025

    Senate Advances Noms Of Trump's SEC, OCC Picks

    The U.S. Senate Banking Committee voted along party lines Thursday to advance the nominations of President Donald Trump's chosen leaders for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, sending both to the full Senate for a final confirmation vote.

  • April 03, 2025

    Senate Passes Long-Shot Bill To End Trump's Canada Tariffs

    The U.S. Senate on Wednesday evening passed a resolution to eliminate the national emergency President Donald Trump declared to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian imports, but the measure is likely to stall in the House and certain to be vetoed.

  • April 03, 2025

    7th Circ. Agrees Insurer Must Cover Chicago's $3.75M Atty Fees

    The Seventh Circuit has affirmed a lower court's finding that StarStone Insurance must foot the bill for $3.75 million in attorney fees to the city of Chicago from a civil rights lawsuit that settled for nearly $19 million, rejecting the insurer's argument that its policy with the city only covers damages.

  • April 03, 2025

    South Korea To Support Industries Hit By US Tariffs

    Acting South Korean President Han Duck-soo called Thursday for support to industries like automobiles and others affected by the "global tariff war" that he said was kicked off by the U.S. when it placed a 25% tariff on the country, according to local media.

  • April 03, 2025

    Mich. High Court Kicks Stalled-Bill Dispute To Appeals Court

    The Michigan Senate won't get an immediate hearing at the state's highest court on the Michigan House's refusal to send passed legislation to the governor for signature, the court said late Wednesday.

  • April 03, 2025

    Ky. Allows Special Property Tax In Development Project Areas

    Kentucky authorized taxing districts organized as part of regional economic development projects to impose a special tax on property located within their boundaries under a bill signed by Gov. Andy Beshear.

  • April 03, 2025

    Adams Case Threatens NY Southern District's 'Supremacy'

    The controversial end to New York City Mayor Eric Adams' historic criminal corruption prosecution could threaten the Southern District of New York's privileged status within the Justice Department and its leverage over other districts when it comes to vying for the lead on high-profile cases, experts say.

  • April 03, 2025

    Trump FCC Nominee Set For Senate Hearing Next Week

    The Senate Commerce Committee will hold an April 9 confirmation hearing on Olivia Trusty, the White House nominee for a third Republican seat on the Federal Communications Commission.

  • April 03, 2025

    Nadine Menendez Trial Paused Due To Health Concerns

    Nadine Menendez's trial on charges that she facilitated bribe payments for her husband, former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, was paused for the week Thursday morning after the defendant appeared to be in discomfort and expressed unspecified health concerns.

  • April 03, 2025

    IRS Considering 16 Additions To List Of Taxable Substances

    The Internal Revenue Service is seeking comments on proposals from four companies to add 16 chemicals to the Internal Revenue Code's list of taxable substances, the agency said.

  • April 02, 2025

    RealPage Sues Berkeley Over Rent Pricing Software Ban

    RealPage on Wednesday asked a California federal judge to block Berkeley, California's impending ordinance prohibiting the use of software to set rent prices, claiming the ban is unconstitutional and based on the "groundless" claim that the algorithmic real estate pricing company's software has contributed to rising rent.

  • April 02, 2025

    Perkins Coie Urges Court To End Trump's 'Assault' On Firm

    Perkins Coie LLP on Wednesday asked a D.C. federal judge to permanently block enforcement of President Donald Trump's "unconstitutional assault" on the firm and the rule of law, filing a summary judgment bid the same day the federal government pushed for the firm's suit to be tossed.

  • April 02, 2025

    'Zero Support In The Bar': Judiciary Downsizes Amicus Project

    Faced with wide-ranging opposition and potential constitutional challenges, federal judiciary advisers Wednesday sharply scaled back plans to strengthen scrutiny of amicus briefs, a retreat that won praise from disparate corners of the legal industry.

  • April 02, 2025

    Narrowed Challenge To RI Offshore Wind Project Proceeds

    A D.C. federal judge narrowed a suit seeking to halt work on Revolution Wind, a wind farm project off the coast of Rhode Island, tossing claims brought under three separate federal laws and dismissing claims brought by numerous plaintiffs under other environmental and wildlife protection, and historic preservation laws.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

  • Unpacking Trump Admin Plans For Value-Based Care

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    Recent developments from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation suggest the Trump administration intends to put its own stamp on value-based care, emphasizing cost savings assessment in particular, with its recent cancellation of several payment models that had supported primary care, says Miranda Franco at Holland & Knight.

  • Trending At The PTAB: A Pivot On Discretionary Denials

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    Following the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's rescission of the 2022 Vidal memorandum and a reversion to the standards under Apple v. Fintiv, petitioners hoping to avoid discretionary denials should undertake holistic review of all Fintiv factors, rather than relying on certain fail-safe provisions, say attorneys at Finnegan.

  • Key Insurance Issues Likely To Arise From NY Superfund Law

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    The recently enacted New York Climate Change Superfund Act imposes a massive $75 billion in liabilities on energy companies in the fossil fuel industry, which can be expected to look to their insurers for coverage, raising a slew of coverage issues both old and new, say attorneys at Wiley.

  • SDNY Sentencing Ruling Is Boon For White Collar Defendants

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    Defense attorneys should consider how to maximize the impact of a New York federal court’s recent groundbreaking ruling in U.S. v. Tavberidze, which held that a sentencing guidelines provision unconstitutionally penalizes the right to a jury trial, says Sarah Sulkowski at Gelber & Santillo.

  • How Trump Policies Are Affecting The Right To Repair

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    Recent policy changes by the second Trump administration — ranging from deregulatory initiatives to tariff increases — are likely to have both positive and negative effects on the ability of independent repair shops and individual consumers to exercise their right to repair electronic devices, say attorneys at Carter Ledyard.

  • How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

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    As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

  • Justices' TikTok Ruling Sets Stage For 1st Amendment Battle

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling upholding a law requiring TikTok's sale sets the stage for an inevitable clash between free speech and government interests and signals that future cases will turn on whether a regulation poses a substantial burden on speech, say attorneys at Dykema.

  • What Del. Corporate Law Rework Means For Founder-Led Cos.

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    Although the amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law have proven somewhat divisive, they will provide greater clarity and predictability in the rules that apply to founder-led companies navigating transactions concerning controlling stockholders and responding to books-and-records requests, say attorneys at Munger Tolles.

  • Border Cash Transaction Rule Heralds Wider AML Crackdown

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    The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s new order for money services providers near the Mexican border to report cash transactions over $200 should warn financial institutions to prepare for the new administration's heightened scrutiny of cross-border transactions and anti-money laundering compliance, says Daniel Silva at Buchalter.

  • Opinion

    Congress Must Reform The PTAB To Protect Small Innovators

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    Lawmakers must reintroduce the Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership Act or similar legislation to prevent larger companies from leveraging the Patent Trial and Appeal Board to target smaller patent holders, says Schwegman Lundberg's Russell Slifer, former deputy director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

  • Series

    Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

  • DOJ Immigration Playbook May Take Cues From A 2017 Case

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    A record criminal resolution with a tree trimming company accused of knowingly employing unauthorized workers in 2017 may provide clues as to how the U.S. Department of Justice’s immigration crackdown will touch American companies, which should prepare now for potential enforcement actions, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

  • Paul Atkins' Past Speeches Offer A Glimpse Into SEC's Future

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    Following Paul Atkins' Thursday Senate confirmation hearing, a look at his public remarks while serving as a commissioner at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission between 2002 and 2008 reveals eight possible structural and procedural changes the SEC may see once he likely takes over as chair, say attorneys at Covington.

  • McKernan-Led CFPB May Lead To Decentralized Enforcement

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    Though Jonathan McKernan’s confirmation as director would likely mean a less active Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the decreased federal oversight could lead to more state-led investigations, multistate regulatory actions and private lawsuits under consumer protection laws, says Jonathan Pompan at Venable.

  • How Fla. Is Floating A Raft Of Bills To Stem Insurance Woes

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    Proposed reforms that follow a report skewering Florida's insurance industry offer a step in the right direction in providing relief for property owners, despite some limitations, say attorneys at Farah & Farah.

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