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Environmental

  • October 03, 2025

    Up First At High Court: Election Laws & Conversion Therapy

    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in six cases during the first week of its October 2025 term, including in disputes over federal candidates' ability to challenge state election laws, Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, and the ability of a landlord to sue the U.S. Postal Service for allegedly refusing to deliver mail. 

  • October 03, 2025

    Biden-Era Drilling Ban Memos Overstepped Law, Judge Says

    A Louisiana federal judge handed a partial victory to Republican-led states and oil and gas industry groups in their lawsuits challenging now-rescinded Biden-era memos that closed off waters to offshore drilling, finding that the memos exceeded the president's authority.

  • October 03, 2025

    4 Top Supreme Court Cases To Watch This Term

    After a busy summer of emergency rulings, the U.S. Supreme Court will kick off its October 2025 term Monday with only a few big-ticket cases on its docket — over presidential authorities, transgender athletes and election law — in what might be a strategically slow start to a potentially momentous term. Here, Law360 looks at four of the most important cases on the court's docket so far.

  • October 03, 2025

    NY's Eel Fishing Limits Against Tribal Members Upheld

    A New York federal judge ruled Friday that tribal members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation do not have aboriginal rights to fish, free from state regulation, in Shinnecock Bay on the South Shore of Long Island.

  • October 03, 2025

    Kiewit Deal Would Resolve Fight Over Marine Yard Runoff

    Kiewit Corp. has agreed to pay more than $800,000 and employ new environmental protection practices under a tentative agreement between the construction firm and a Seattle environmental nonprofit, the parties told a federal judge in Washington.

  • October 03, 2025

    Kentucky Derby Owner Churchill Downs Sued In Escrow Fight

    Churchill Downs Inc., the owner of the Kentucky Derby, has been sued in Delaware Chancery Court for allegedly withholding escrow funds for environmental compliance violations owed under a 2022 deal with hospitality company Enchantment Holdings LLC.

  • October 03, 2025

    Fla. $608M FEMA Grant May Revive Detention Center Suit

    A spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed Friday that it awarded Florida $608 million in reimbursement funds for building and running mass detention centers, including the so-called Alligator Alcatraz facility in Big Cypress National Preserve.

  • October 03, 2025

    Denver Tries To Ditch Suit Over Building Emissions Ordinance

    The city and county of Denver have pushed for the dismissal of a suit filed by real estate trade groups challenging regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, arguing on Friday in federal court the goal of the regulations is "to avoid the injuries plaintiffs ascribe to it."

  • October 03, 2025

    Court Limits In Congress' NEPA Reform Push Spark Debate

    Congressmembers' hopes to facilitate the faster approval of projects that require environmental reviews like pipelines and other energy infrastructure may be an uphill battle despite bipartisan support due to accompanying provisions, such as limited judicial review, that have invited opposition.

  • October 03, 2025

    Benzene At NC BASF Plant Caused Cancer, Ex-Worker Says

    A former worker at a North Carolina vitamin plant is suing BASF Corp. and affiliates of Takeda America Holdings Inc. in North Carolina federal court, alleging BASF exposed her to benzene, resulting in her developing cancer later in life.

  • October 03, 2025

    Native Groups Urge Action As Shutdown Threatens Services

    Federal lawmakers and Native American nonprofits are calling for funding to continue certain services during the U.S. government shutdown, saying they're concerned about the disproportionate harm it could have on tribal communities.

  • October 03, 2025

    FERC Finding Friendlier Courts In Gas Project Approval Fights

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is getting more leeway from courts in lawsuits challenging its gas project approvals following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that curtailed federal environmental reviews, which may ultimately speed up the agency's consideration of projects.

  • October 03, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Exxon Must Pay Atty Fees For 'Absurd' Args

    The Second Circuit on Friday said energy giants including Exxon Mobil Corp. must pay attorney fees to New York City, which is suing them for deceptive practices around climate change, for advancing "absurd" arguments in remand proceedings.

  • October 03, 2025

    The Roberts Court At 20: How The Chief Is Reshaping America

    Twenty years after John Roberts became the 17th chief justice of the United States, he faces a U.S. Supreme Court term that's looking transformative for the country and its institutions. How Justice Roberts and his colleagues navigate mounting distrust in the judiciary and set the boundaries of presidential authority appear increasingly likely to define his time leading the court.

  • October 03, 2025

    Stay In Camp Lejeune Case Would Harm Claimants, Court Told

    Pressing pause on Camp Lejeune water litigation after the federal government shutdown is unduly detrimental to the thousands of people waiting for a remedy from exposure to contaminated water, a North Carolina federal court was told Friday.

  • October 02, 2025

    Dozens Of Localities Say Feds Can't Withhold Disaster Funds

    A coalition of nearly 30 localities led by San Francisco and Santa Clara County, California, have sued the Trump administration over "unlawful" threats to withhold $350 million in funding for disaster and emergency response, claiming the government has placed conditions on the funding that exceed its authority.

  • October 02, 2025

    DHS Blocked From Pulling $233M In Funds From States

    A Rhode Island federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from reallocating $233 million in federal funds away from a coalition of Democratic-led states, the same day an appropriation for the funds was set to expire.

  • October 02, 2025

    Feds Say Tribes In Ore. Casino Dispute Misconstrued Ruling

    The U.S. Department of the Interior has asked a D.C. federal judge to approve its motion for summary judgment and to oppose three tribes' bid for a win in a suit over the agency's decision to take land into trust for another tribe's casino project.

  • October 02, 2025

    FERC Issues Trump-Ordered Rule To Phase Out 53 Regs

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has finalized a rule to phase out dozens of its regulations, making it the first, and apparently only, federal agency to fully comply with an executive order to sunset energy-related rules.

  • October 02, 2025

    Judge Ends USDA Rule On Chilean Grape Fumigation

    A D.C. federal judge has vacated a 2024 rule change by the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowing the import of Chilean table grapes that have not been fumigated with methyl bromide for pest mitigation, ruling that regulators ignored the reliance interests of domestic growers when making the change.

  • October 02, 2025

    NC State Demands Monsanto Pay For 'Toxic' PCB Cleanup

    North Carolina State University is looking to hold Monsanto Co. accountable for the contamination of one of its buildings, accusing the former agrochemical giant in North Carolina state court of marketing a chemical used in building materials despite knowing it was toxic.

  • October 02, 2025

    Mich. Judge Says State Must Face Edenville Dam Trial

    A Michigan claims court judge has cleared the way for a January trial on Michigan's liability for the collapse of a privately owned dam that unleashed widespread flooding, denying the state's bid to end the litigation.

  • October 02, 2025

    Wind Co.'s Pre-Ch. 11 Uptier Deal Draws Suit From Creditors

    The official committee of unsecured creditors in the Chapter 11 of wind turbine blade maker TPI Composites has brought an adversary action against the debtor in Texas bankruptcy court, alleging a prepetition uptier transaction made preferred equity holder Oaktree a secured creditor to the detriment of unsecured noteholders.

  • October 02, 2025

    Rust-Oleum Buyers' $1.5M Greenwashing Deal Gets Final OK

    A California federal judge on Thursday gave her final blessing to a $1.5 million settlement to a class of Rust-Oleum Corp. customers who accused the company of "greenwashing" its cleaning products with representations like "non-toxic" and "Earth Friendly," noting the deal provides significant monetary and nonmonetary benefits to the plaintiffs.

  • October 02, 2025

    Toshiba Seeks Trial Time Limits In $500M Hydro Plant Case

    Toshiba Corp. urged a Michigan federal judge on Wednesday to set time limits for a trial over claims that one of its units botched a $500 million upgrade to a power plant owned by DTE Electric Co. and Consumers Energy, saying the complicated case is one that "cries out" for such constraints.

Expert Analysis

  • FAR Rewrite May Cloud Key Gov't Contract Doctrine

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    The Trump administration's government procurement overhaul, under which sections of the Federal Acquisition Regulation are eliminated by default, is bound to collide with a doctrine that allows courts to read omitted clauses into government contracts if they represent long-standing pillars of federal procurement law, say attorneys at Rogers Joseph.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From US Attorney To BigLaw

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    When I transitioned to private practice after government service — most recently as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia — I learned there are more similarities between the two jobs than many realize, with both disciplines requiring resourcefulness, zealous advocacy and foresight, says Zach Terwilliger at V&E.

  • Opinion

    Aviation Watch: A Supersonic 'Boom' Going Nowhere Fast

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    Legislation recently introduced in Congress to repeal the Federal Aviation Administration's ban on supersonic flight over U.S. territory appears to benefit a single company with an uncertain business plan, and is not truly in the public interest, says Alan Hoffman, a retired attorney and aviation expert.

  • Measuring The Impact Of Attorney Gender On Trial Outcomes

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    Preliminary findings from our recent study on how attorney gender might affect case outcomes support the conclusion that there is little in the way of a clear, universal bias against attorneys of a given gender, say Jill Leibold, Olivia Goodman and Alexa Hiley at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • The Ins And Outs Of Consensual Judicial References

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    As parties consider the possibility of judicial reference to resolve complex disputes, it is critical to understand how the process works, why it's gaining traction, and why carefully crafted agreements make all the difference, say attorneys at Pillsbury.

  • Opinion

    The BigLaw Settlements Are About Risk, Not Profit

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    The nine Am Law 100 firms that settled with the Trump administration likely did so because of the personal risk faced by equity partners in today's billion‑dollar national practices, enabled by an ethics rule primed for modernization, says Adam Forest at Scale.

  • House Bill Tax Tweaks Would Hinder Renewable Projects

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    Provisions in the budget reconciliation bill recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would rapidly phase out clean energy tax credits, constrain renewable energy financing arrangements and impose sweeping restrictions on projects with foreign ties, which may create compliance and supply chain issues for many developers, say attorneys at Paul Hastings.

  • What Gene Findings Mean For Asbestos Mesothelioma Claims

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    Recent advances in genetic research have provided substantial evidence that significant numbers of malignant mesothelioma cases may be caused by inherited mutations rather than asbestos exposure — a finding that could fundamentally change how defendants approach personal injury litigation over mesothelioma, say David Schwartz at Lumanity and Kirk Hartley at LSP Group.

  • Series

    Brazilian Jiujitsu Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in Brazilian jiujitsu – often against opponents who are much larger and younger than me – has allowed me to develop a handful of useful skills that foster the resilience and adaptability necessary for a successful legal career, says Tina Dorr of Barnes & Thornburg.

  • Oft-Forgotten Evidence Rule Can Be Powerful Trial Tool

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    Rule 608 may be one of the most overlooked provisions in the Federal Rules of Evidence, but as a transformative tool that allows attorneys to attack a witness's character for truthfulness through opinion or reputation testimony, its potential to reshape a case cannot be overstated, says Marian Braccia at Temple University Beasley School of Law.

  • Energy Order Brings Risks For Lenders And Borrowers Alike

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    A recent executive order directing the attorney general to submit a report next month with recommendations for halting enforcement of state laws the administration says are hampering energy resources presents risks for lenders and borrowers using state-generated carbon credits, but proactive steps now can help insulate against adverse consequences, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • What's At Stake As Trump Admin Targets Carbon Markets

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    Trading in greenhouse gas emissions and reductions has long been touted as a way to leverage market forces to tackle climate change cost-effectively, and that theory may be put to the test amid momentous progress and fresh challenges, particularly as the Trump administration takes aim at climate initiatives, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: An Untapped Source For Biz Roles

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    Law firms looking to recruit legal business talent should consider turning to paralegals, who practice several key skills every day that prepare them to thrive in marketing and client development roles, says Vanessa Torres at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Tariff Strategies For The US Renewable Energy Sector

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    The Trump administration's tariff actions over the last few months are challenging for the renewable energy industry — but there are strategies for contending with the uncertainty, including diversifying supply chains, seeking certification about equipment origins, and adding tariff-related language to supply contracts and offtake agreements, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Series

    Playing Poker Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Poker is a master class in psychology, risk management and strategic thinking, and I’m a better attorney because it has taught me to read my opponents, adapt when I’m dealt the unexpected and stay patient until I'm ready to reveal my hand, says Casey Kingsley at McCreadyLaw.

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