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Environmental
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September 03, 2025
DOI Casino Approval Overturned For Ignoring Tribal Input
The U.S. Department of the Interior went beyond its authority and failed to properly consult with another local tribe when it approved the Koi Nation's plan to build a casino on newly acquired trust land, a California federal judge has ruled.
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September 03, 2025
Ex-Latham Atty Who Quit Over Trump Deal Joins Stoel Rives
Former BigLaw associate Sam Wong, who publicly quit Latham & Watkins LLP earlier this year in response to a deal it reached with the Trump administration to avoid executive orders targeting the firm, said he has joined Stoel Rives LLP, where he will be advising clients on energy projects, regulatory matters and more.Â
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September 03, 2025
Feds Move To Sink Mass. Offshore Wind Farm Approval
The federal government said Wednesday it will yank approval for a Massachusetts offshore wind farm 20 miles south of Martha's Vineyard, the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to stymie U.S. offshore wind development.
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September 03, 2025
Enviro Groups Urge 11th Circ. To Keep Detention Center Shut
Seven environmental groups filed an amicus brief Tuesday in the appeal of an order shutting down an Everglades immigration detention center, arguing that the district court was right to enjoin the center because the federal government failed to fulfill its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act.
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September 03, 2025
9th Circ. Upholds Ruling Against Wash. Tribe's Fishing Claims
A Ninth Circuit panel Wednesday affirmed a lower court's ruling that determined a Washington tribe fell short of its evidentiary burden to establish that a 19th century treaty included its customary fishing grounds near the Puget Sound after vacating the dispute for further review last year.
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September 03, 2025
4th Circ. Says Md. Immunity Doesn't Apply In Tugboat Case
The Fourth Circuit said Wednesday that a tugboat owner's petition seeking to limit its liability over a 2015 accident involving Maryland's Nanticoke River Memorial Bridge does not infringe on the state's sovereign immunity, so it can proceed in the district court.
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September 03, 2025
Feds Seek $140M Fine For Mich. Energy Co. Over Air Pollution
The federal government on Tuesday advocated for $140 million in penalties for a Michigan energy company the government alleges shares responsibility for air pollution resulting from coke production, while the energy company maintained it tried to comply with the state-issued permit, in briefs filed this week ahead of a bench trial later this month.
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September 03, 2025
9th Circ. Saves Tribes' Cultural Superfund Claims Against Teck
The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday revived the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation's natural resource damages claims against Teck Cominco Metals Ltd. for the company's alleged pollution of the Columbia River.
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September 03, 2025
Wash. Court Pressed To Immediately End EV Funding Freeze
Clean energy advocates have urged a Washington federal judge to wipe out the Trump administration's decision to freeze funding for new electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, saying the government can't be allowed to drag its feet on a pledge to restore funding.
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September 03, 2025
EPA Withdraws Slaughterhouse Water Pollution Rule
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday withdrew a Biden-era proposal that would have imposed stricter water discharge regulations on meat and poultry slaughtering, processing and rendering facilities across the country.
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September 03, 2025
Calif. Senate Panel OKs Property Tax Break For Tribes
Native American tribes in California would be eligible for open space exemptions to property taxes under legislation approved by a state Senate panel that's heading for a final vote.
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September 02, 2025
DC Circ. Says EPA Can Freeze Climate Grant Funds
A D.C. Circuit panel vacated an injunction on Tuesday ordering Citibank to relinquish grant funding frozen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, finding green groups are not likely to succeed on the merits of their "essentially contractual" claims.
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September 02, 2025
Two Unions Fight Trump Order Ending Labor Rights
Unions representing thousands of employees of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Weather Service challenged in a lawsuit Tuesday in D.C. federal court an executive order by President Donald Trump ending their collective bargaining agreements.Â
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September 02, 2025
11th Circ. Affirms Slashing Ex-Braves' $47M Easement Break
A $47 million conservation easement deduction for a partnership founded by two former Atlanta Braves players was overvalued, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed Tuesday, saying none of the partnership's arguments undermined the U.S. Tax Court's finding that the easement property was worth far less than it claimed.
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September 02, 2025
Dow Faces Investor Suit Over Tariff-Related Disclosures
Raw materials supplier Dow Chemical Co. has been hit with a proposed shareholder class action alleging its decision to reduce shareholder payouts earlier this year contradicted its earlier claims of its ability to withstand economic uncertainty, including tariffs.
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September 02, 2025
Judge Dumps Challenge To Portland Fuel Terminal Ban
An Oregon federal judge on Tuesday tossed a lawsuit challenging a ban on new oil and gas terminals in Portland, Oregon, agreeing that the state of Montana and fuel industry groups failed to show that the ordinance is unconstitutional.
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September 02, 2025
FERC Faces 4th Circ. Heat Over Grid Policy Revamp
A coalition of utilities and Republican-led states have told the Fourth Circuit that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's recent overhaul of its regional transmission policy exceeds its authority, while consumer and clean energy advocates said that the agency didn't go far enough.
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September 02, 2025
Md. Says Liability Shield Doesn't Apply To Dali Ship Manager
The state of Maryland, injured plaintiffs and other claimants have told a federal judge that the manager of the container ship that slammed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge last year cannot invoke a nearly two centuries old maritime law to limit its liability for the wreck.
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September 02, 2025
Plains Takes Majority Stake In EPIC Crude In $1.57B Deal
Plains All American Pipeline said Tuesday that a subsidiary has agreed to acquire a 55% non-operated stake in EPIC Crude Holdings LP, owner of the EPIC Crude Oil Pipeline, from subsidiaries of Diamondback Energy and Kinetik Holdings in a deal valued at about $1.57 billion, including roughly $600 million of debt.
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September 02, 2025
Texas Mall Settles $7.3M Hailstorm Coverage Dispute
A Texas shopping center owner told a federal court Tuesday that it has "amicably" settled its dispute with insurers for roughly $7.3 million in hail damage it incurred, roughly three months after it took them to court.
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September 02, 2025
Colorado Pipeline Co. Challenges $314M Property Valuation
Colorado assets of a petroleum pipeline company were wrongly valued by the state for property tax purposes at $314 million, the company said, challenging its valuation for at least the third straight year.
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August 29, 2025
Nuke Plant Restarts: Chances Exist, But Challenges Await
Growing U.S. electricity demand has sparked moves to restart shuttered nuclear power plants in order to help feed that appetite for power, but the recommissioning process is far from simple. Here, attorneys who work on nuclear matters outline to Law360 several considerations that go into bringing a plant out of mothballs.
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August 29, 2025
Amazon Can't Scrap Toilet Paper Suit, Consumers Say
Plaintiffs suing Amazon in a proposed class action that accuses the retail juggernaut of lying to consumers about the environmental impacts of its toilet paper and other paper products said the company's effort to hide behind third-party forestry certifications doesn't justify the suit's dismissal.
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August 29, 2025
Real Estate Recap: School Housing, Texas Land, Miami Transit
Momentum in the student housing sector, limits to foreign ownership of Texas land and incentives in Miami transit zones were among the key developments covered this week in Law360 Real Estate Authority.
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August 29, 2025
DC Circ. Backs Biden Gulf Drilling Plan Amid Trump Revamp
The D.C. Circuit rejected environmental groups' bid to scale back the U.S. Department of the Interior's 2024-2029 offshore oil and gas leasing program, finding the plan satisfied all legal requirements.
Expert Analysis
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Move Beyond Surface-Level Edits To Master Legal Writing
Recent instances in which attorneys filed briefs containing artificial intelligence hallucinations offer a stark reminder that effective revision isn’t just about superficial details like grammar — it requires attorneys to critically engage with their writing and analyze their rhetorical choices, says Ivy Grey at WordRake.
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9th Circ. Has Muddied Waters Of Article III Pleading Standard
District courts in the Ninth Circuit continue to apply a defunct and especially forgiving pleading standard to questions of Article III standing, and the circuit court itself has only perpetuated this confusion — making it an attractive forum for disputes that have no rightful place in federal court, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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Future Of Enviro Crimes Under Trump's Federal Regs Order
President Donald Trump's recent executive order about fighting overcriminalization in federal regulations creates new advocacy opportunities for defense counsel to argue that particular environmental crime investigations and matters ought to be limited or declined based on the policy priorities reflected in the order, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Series
Competing In Modern Pentathlon Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Opening myself up to new experiences through competing in modern Olympic pentathlon has shrunk the appearance of my daily work annoyances and helps me improve my patience, manage crises better and remember that acquiring new skills requires working through your early mistakes, says attorney Mary Zoldak.
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Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Teaching Yourself Legal Tech
New graduates often enter practice unfamiliar with even basic professional software, but budding lawyers can use on-the-job opportunities to both catch up on technological skills and explore the advanced legal and artificial intelligence tools that will open doors, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.
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State Farm Rate Hike Portends Intensifying Insurance Crisis
The California Department of Insurance's unprecedented emergency approval of a 17% rate increase for State Farm General Insurance, the first interim rate relief granted before completing full actuarial justification, represents a regulatory watershed and establishes precedent that could fundamentally reshape insurers' response to climate-driven market instability, says Daniel Veroff at Merlin Law Group.
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Texas Targets Del. Primacy With Trio Of New Corporate Laws
Delaware has long positioned itself as the leader in attracting business formation, but a flurry of new legislation in Texas aimed at attracting businesses to the Lone Star State is aggressively trying to change that, says Andrew Oringer at the Wagner Law Group.
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How AI May Reshape The Future Of Adjudication
As discussed at a recent panel at Texas A&M, artificial intelligence will not erase the human element of adjudication in the next 10 to 20 years, but it will drive efficiencies that spur private arbiters to experiment, lead public courts to evolve and force attorneys to adapt, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.
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When Legal Advocacy Crosses The Line Into Incivility
As judges issue sanctions for courtroom incivility, and state bars advance formal discipline rules, trial lawyers must understand that the difference between zealous advocacy and unprofessionalism is not just a matter of tone; it's a marker of skill, credibility and potentially disciplinary exposure, says Nate Sabri at Perkins Coie.
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3 Corporate Deposition Prep Tips To Counter 'Reptile' Tactics
With plaintiffs counsel’s rising use of reptile strategies that seek to activate jurors' survival instincts, corporate deponents face an increased risk of being lulled into providing testimony that undercuts a key defense or sets up the plaintiff's case strategy at trial, making it important to consider factors like cross-examination and timing, say attorneys at Dentons.
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Series
Volunteering At Schools Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Speaking to elementary school students about the importance of college and other opportunities after high school — especially students who may not see those paths reflected in their daily lives — not only taught me the importance of giving back, but also helped to sharpen several skills essential to a successful legal practice, says Guillermo Escobedo at Constangy.
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DOE Grant Recipients Facing Termination Have Legal Options
Federal grant recipients whose awards have recently been rescinded by the U.S. Deparment of Energy have options for successfully challenging those terminations through litigation, say attorneys at Bracewell.
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Attacks On Judicial Independence Tend To Manifest In 3 Ways
Attacks on judicial independence now run the gamut from gross (bald-faced interference) to systemic (structural changes) to insidious (efforts to undermine public trust), so lawyers, judges and the public must recognize the fateful moment in which we live and defend the rule of law every day, says Jim Moliterno at Washington and Lee University.
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Statistics Tools Chart A Path For AI Use In Expert Testimony
To avoid the fate of numerous expert witnesses whose testimony was recently deemed inadmissible by courts, experts relying on artificial intelligence and machine learning should learn from statistical tools’ road to judicial acceptance, say directors at Secretariat.
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A Look At Texas Corp. Law Changes Aimed At Dethroning Del.
Seeking to displace Delaware as the preferred locale for incorporation, Texas recently significantly amended its business code, including changes like codifying the business judgment rule, restricting books and records demands, and giving greater protections for officers and directors in interested transactions, say attorneys at Fenwick.