Public Policy

  • February 14, 2025

    CFPB's Vought Agrees To Pause Layoffs Amid Union Litigation

    The Trump administration on Friday agreed to a temporary reprieve for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, promising not to fire more of its employees or delete any of its data amid a challenge by the agency's union.

  • February 14, 2025

    Trump Illegally Fired FLRA Chair, Suit Says

    The former chair of the Federal Labor Relations Authority is the latest government official to sue President Donald Trump, saying in a complaint filed in D.C. federal court that she was fired illegally.

  • February 14, 2025

    DOJ Takes Military Bias Dispute With Nev. To 9th Circ.

    The U.S. Department of Justice said it will appeal to the Ninth Circuit after a federal judge tossed its suit accusing the state of Nevada and its public employees retirement system of overcharging service members for pension credits.

  • February 14, 2025

    Judge Leaves Curbs On DOGE Treasury Access After Hearing

    A Manhattan federal judge on Friday left in place temporary curbs on sweeping powers handed by President Donald Trump to Elon Musk's government-slashing Department of Government Efficiency, after 19 states challenged the organization's access to U.S. Treasury payment systems.

  • February 13, 2025

    House Dems Push Against GOP's Proposed Tax Cuts

    House Budget Committee Republicans on Thursday passed a resolution that would allow for the passage of up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and the repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act.

  • February 13, 2025

    More CFPB Employees Axed As Union Presses For Injunction

    The Trump administration moved late Thursday to slash more of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's workforce, initiating another round of layoffs shortly after lawyers for the agency's union petitioned a D.C. federal court for an emergency injunction to prevent it.

  • February 13, 2025

    9th Circ. Panel Doubts SEC's 'Gag Rule' Violates Free Speech

    A Ninth Circuit panel on Thursday appeared to doubt a First Amendment challenge to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's "gag rule" that settling parties cannot deny allegations against them, as each judge noted that the agreements are voluntary.

  • February 13, 2025

    DeepSeek's Rapid Rise Adds Fuel To AI Policy Push

    Chinese startup DeepSeek has made waves globally with an artificial intelligence chatbot app that it claims to have made more efficiently than its competitors, but experts say its quick ascent is likely to accelerate efforts to broadly regulate data privacy and national security risks presented by the emerging technology. 

  • February 13, 2025

    Fed. Unions' New Suit Fights Layoffs, Resignation Incentive

    A second group of unions representing federal workers has challenged the Trump administration's attempt to shrink the federal workforce through layoffs and a resignation incentive program, telling a D.C. federal judge that the executive branch's actions violate separation-of-powers principles because Congress largely controls federal agencies.

  • February 13, 2025

    DOD Says Injunction Isn't Needed In Transgender Ban Suit

    The U.S. Department of Defense has urged a D.C. federal judge to deny a preliminary injunction in a challenge to an executive order effectively barring transgender troops from serving in the military, saying the motion is premature and unlikely to succeed.

  • February 13, 2025

    Wash. Justices Wary Of Pay Transparency Law Stances

    Washington's highest court grilled attorneys on both sides of a debate over state pay transparency law on Thursday, with some justices suggesting the employer's stance put too much onus on workers while another expressed doubt the protections should extend to people who apply for jobs they have no chance to get.

  • February 13, 2025

    Bus Co. Sues NYC For 'Frivolous' Migrant Busing Suit

    Roadrunner Charters told the Southern District of New York that New York City's complaint seeking $708 million from it and 16 other charter bus companies for transporting migrants from Texas to New York was "unprecedented and frivolous," and violated its constitutional rights. 

  • February 13, 2025

    Apple Pushes DC Circ. To Intervene In Google Remedies Case

    Apple has urged the D.C. Circuit to undo a district court order barring the company from intervening in the U.S. Justice Department's remedies case against Google, arguing it moved with all speed to step in when it saw a government proposal "designed to force Apple to develop its own general search engine."

  • February 13, 2025

    Tax Atty's Firing Not Due To Husband's Testimony, Judge Says

    A man failed to prove that his testimony against a Connecticut Department of Revenue Services official during a state legislative hearing cost his high-level tax attorney wife her job, a federal judge has ruled, issuing a win to two agency leaders.

  • February 13, 2025

    Senate Dems Say FCC Looking To 'Punish' Broadcasters

    A trio of Senate Democrats wrote to Republican leaders on the Federal Communications Commission questioning recent agency decisions they said "appear politically motivated and designed to punish, censor or intimidate" broadcasters.

  • February 13, 2025

    Ga. Sheriff Must Face $11M Excessive Force Suit, Judge Says

    A Georgia federal judge on Thursday refused to dismiss a suit against a county sheriff accused of using excessive force against a man who says he was wrongly arrested for groping the lawman's wife, finding qualified immunity does not apply.

  • February 13, 2025

    Exec Cops To Conspiring To Overbill Gov't In Station Project

    A former executive for a masonry contractor involved in the multimillion-dollar restoration of Philadelphia's historic 30th Street Station has admitted to a scheme that involved bribing an Amtrak employee to overcharge the federal government $2 million for the project, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Philadelphia said Thursday.

  • February 13, 2025

    Madigan Verdict Caps Stunning Fall For Powerful Chicago Pol

    Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's conviction Wednesday on bribery and wire fraud charges marked a stunning fall from grace for a man who was the longest-serving legislative leader in the country and who wielded considerable influence in the state and the city of Chicago for decades.

  • February 13, 2025

    USAID Workers Sue Over Legitimacy Of Musk, DOGE Actions

    More than two dozen U.S. Agency for International Development workers sued billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his Department of Governmental Efficiency on Thursday, arguing that their actions taking control of various federal agencies are unconstitutional. 

  • February 13, 2025

    Wash. Justices Say Cops At Jan. 6 Riot Can't Stay Incognito

    The Washington State Supreme Court on Thursday said four Seattle police officers who attended the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" mayhem in D.C. can't litigate their privacy claims under John Doe pseudonyms as the justices rejected their claim that their identities should be shielded under the state's public records law.

  • February 13, 2025

    GOP Lawmakers Seek To Vacate CFPB Overdraft Rule

    Top U.S. House and Senate Republicans introduced legislation on Thursday to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's $5 overdraft fee rule, a move that could help ensure big banks retain more regulatory flexibility to charge higher amounts.

  • February 13, 2025

    Boeing, DOJ Want More Time To Rework 737 Max Plea Deal

    The U.S. Department of Justice and The Boeing Co. told a Texas federal judge on Thursday that they need another month to rework a plea agreement in the American aerospace giant's 737 Max criminal conspiracy case, saying new senior DOJ officials are still being briefed on a potential new deal.

  • February 13, 2025

    Walmart Says CFPB Suit Should Wait Amid Agency Chaos

    Walmart and fintech company Branch Messenger Inc. asked a Minnesota federal judge to stay the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement case over allegedly mandatory deposit accounts for delivery drivers until policymakers untangle the agency's role under the Trump administration.

  • February 13, 2025

    Judge Extends Restraining Order On USAID Gutting

    A D.C. federal judge extended his temporary restraining order barring USAID from placing thousands of employees on administrative leave for another week on Thursday, saying he needed more time to rule on the plaintiff employees unions' preliminary injunction request to stop the agency's overhaul while the case proceeds.

  • February 13, 2025

    SafeMoon CEO's Trial Not Delayed By Crypto Policy Shifts

    A Brooklyn federal judge has declined to delay the late March start to a trial for the CEO of bankrupt cryptocurrency asset company SafeMoon LLC despite the executive's arguments that recent crypto policy shifts could cut the securities fraud charge from the counts against him.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Judge Should Not Have Been Reprimanded For Alito Essay

    Author Photo

    Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor's New York Times essay critiquing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for potential ethical violations absolutely cannot be construed as conduct prejudicial to the administration of the business of the courts, says Ashley London at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.

  • A Look At Drug Price Negotiation Program's Ongoing Impact

    Author Photo

    More than two years after the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the rapid implementation of the drug price negotiation program, attorneys at Ropes & Gray discuss how the IRA has influenced licensing strategies, and how maximum fair prices under the law have economically affected certain drugs.

  • Opinion

    Congress Must Consider Accurate Data About Patent Thickets

    Author Photo

    If Congress revisits a controversial bill this year aimed at limiting the number of patents pharmaceutical manufacturers could assert, it must make sure to act based on accurate reports — such as a recent U.S. Patent and Trademark Office study that found no evidence of patent thicketing, says David Kappos at the Council for Innovation Promotion.

  • Aviation Watch: Litigation Liabilities After DC Air Tragedy

    Author Photo

    While it will likely take at least a year before the National Transportation Safety Board determines a probable cause for the Jan. 29 collision between a helicopter and a jet over Washington, D.C., the facts so far suggest the government could face litigation claims, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • 5 Key Takeaways From Energy Secretary's Confirmation

    Author Photo

    The recent confirmation hearing for U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright highlighted several important themes, including his vision for transforming the DOE, his nuanced stance on renewables, and a renewed emphasis on energy abundance and affordability, says Connor McCulloch at Ankura Consulting Group.

  • What Day 1 Bondi Memos Mean For Corporate Compliance

    Author Photo

    After Attorney General Pam Bondi’s flurry of memos last week declaring new enforcement priorities on issues ranging from foreign bribery to diversity initiatives, companies must base their compliance programs on an understanding of their own core values and principles, says Hui Chen at CDE Advisors.

  • Lights, Camera, Ethics? TV Lawyers Tend To Set Bad Example

    Author Photo

    Though fictional movies and television shows portraying lawyers are fun to watch, Hollywood’s inaccurate depictions of legal ethics can desensitize attorneys to ethics violations and lead real-life clients to believe that good lawyers take a scorched-earth approach, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

  • SEC Motion Response Could Reveal New Crypto Approach

    Author Photo

    Cumberland DRW recently filed to dismiss the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement action against it for the unlawful purchase and sale of digital asset securities, and the agency's response should unveil whether, and to what extent, the Trump administration will relax the federal government’s stance on digital asset regulation, say attorneys at O'Melveny.

  • What Employers Should Know For Next Round Of H-1B Filings

    Author Photo

    With the fiscal year 2026 H-1B visa period opening soon, employers should brush up on the registration and filing procedures, as well as organize applicable data, to ensure they are ready for this dynamic, multistep process, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Contractors Can Do To Address Material Cost Increases

    Author Photo

    In light of the Trump administration's plans to increase tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, construction industry players should proactively employ legal strategies to mitigate the impacts that price increases and uncertainty may have on projects, says Brenda Radmacher at Seyfarth Shaw.

  • 5 Things For Private Employers To Do After Trump's DEI Order

    Author Photo

    Following President Donald Trump's recent executive order pushing the private sector to narrow, and even end, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, employers should ensure DEI efforts align with their organization's mission and goals, are legally compliant, and are effectively communicated to stakeholders, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • What Calif. Bill Could Mean For Battery Energy Storage

    Author Photo

    A newly proposed bill in the California Legislature would place major restrictions on the development of battery energy storage system projects in the state — but with Gov. Gavin Newsom's strong support for clean energy technology, the legislation will likely face significant obstacles, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • 3 Ways Trump Can Nix SEC's Climate Disclosure Rules

    Author Photo

    Given President Donald Trump's campaign statements and agency appointments, it's likely that his administration will try to annul the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's climate disclosure rules, but his options for doing so present unique opportunities and challenges, with varying levels of permanence and impact, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • A Compliance Update For Credit Card Reward Partnerships

    Author Photo

    While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's interest in credit card rewards programs could fade under the new administration, a recent circular focusing on both issuers and their merchant partners means that co-brand credit card partnerships with banks could be subject to increased scrutiny ahead, say attorneys at Goodwin.

  • Will 4th Time Be A Charm For NY's 21st Century Antitrust Act?

    Author Photo

    New York's recently introduced 21st Century Antitrust Act would change the landscape of antitrust enforcement in the state and probably result in a sharp increase in claims — but first, the bill needs to gain traction after three aborted attempts, says Tyler Ross at Shinder Cantor.

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!