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Public Policy
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October 22, 2025
Judge Voids HHS Rule Banning Gender Identity Discrimination
A Mississippi federal judge on Wednesday struck down a Biden-era U.S. Department of Health and Human Services rule that protected gender-affirming care under the Affordable Care Act, ruling that federal officials exceeded their authority by broadening the definition of sex discrimination to cover gender identity.
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October 22, 2025
State AGs Push Back In First Amendment Subpoena Fight
A coalition of state attorneys general is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to safeguard their fundamental investigative authority, warning in an amicus brief filed Tuesday that a New Jersey anti-abortion center's challenge could allow subpoenaed entities to routinely bypass state courts and tie up enforcement actions in federal litigation.
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October 22, 2025
Banks Want Ill. Fee Law Block Extended To Card Networks
Banking industry groups urged an Illinois federal judge Wednesday to permanently block an Illinois law that bans swipe fees on tax and tip portions of payment card transactions, arguing she has already correctly held that national banks are federally preempted from its reach, and that the court should extend that relief to card networks and others involved in the payment process.
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October 22, 2025
Trump's Takeover Of Calif. Guard 'Unreviewable,' 9th Circ. Told
A U.S. Department of Justice attorney told the Ninth Circuit on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's federalization of the California National Guard in June is "unreviewable" by the courts, while an attorney for California said the president's order is reviewable and far exceeded his statutory authority.
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October 22, 2025
US Hits Russian Oil Cos. With Sanctions Over Ukraine War
The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions targeting Russia's two biggest oil companies Wednesday, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin's "lack of serious commitment to a peace process" to end the war in Ukraine.
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October 22, 2025
Holland & Hart Partner Confirmed To Montana Seat
The U.S. Senate voted 52-45, along party lines, Wednesday evening on the confirmation of William Mercer, a Holland & Hart LLP partner and veteran government attorney, to the District of Montana.
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October 22, 2025
NIH Sued For Access To Research On Trans Youth Care
A conservative government watchdog group sued the National Institutes of Health on Wednesday seeking access to data from a multiyear study on the impact of gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender youth.
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October 22, 2025
Ill. Judge Extends National Guard Block For Justices' Review
An Illinois federal judge's order temporarily blocking the deployment of National Guard troops to the state will remain in place indefinitely as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether President Donald Trump has the authority to send in hundreds of federalized troops and whether the justices are entitled to review his decision at all.
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October 22, 2025
UVA Strikes Deal To End DOJ's Civil Rights Probes
The U.S. Department of Justice paused five civil rights investigations into the University of Virginia on Wednesday after the school agreed to follow discrimination guidance the DOJ issued in July for federal funding recipients that looked to rein in diversity, equity and inclusion programs and discourage transgender athletes.
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October 22, 2025
Texas Book Rating Law Struck Down As Unconstitutional
A Texas federal judge ruled Tuesday that a Texas law aimed at regulating the types of books available at public school libraries still "misses the mark" on achieving its goal and is unconstitutional for a number of reasons, including forcing booksellers to take on the state government's preferred messages.
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October 22, 2025
Ed Dept. Must Face States' Case Over Mental Health Grants
A Seattle federal judge declined to throw out a lawsuit accusing the U.S. Department of Education of illegally discontinuing grants for student mental health programming, recognizing that Washington and other states have valid claims that the move will cut them off from money meant for reducing violence in schools.
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October 22, 2025
DHS Unveils Proposal To Reduce EB-5 Investor Visa Fees
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday rolled out a proposed fee schedule for the EB-5 foreign investor visa program that will see investors paying about 14% less in form fees after a steep fee increase in 2024.
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October 22, 2025
USPTO Cuts TM Backlog Below 350K, Surpassing FY25 Goal
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said Wednesday it has reduced the backlog of unexamined trademark applications to under 350,000, exceeding the goal the government agency set to finish the 2025 fiscal year that concluded Sept. 30.
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October 22, 2025
Investor Advocates Criticize SEC's New Arbitration Stance
Two investor advocacy groups are speaking out against a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission decision to allow some newly public companies to adopt mandatory arbitration clauses, arguing that the move undermines shareholder rights and could make the U.S. a less attractive place to invest.
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October 22, 2025
Squires Confirms USPTO Has Funds To Last The Year
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has enough funds to last through the year in the event that the government shutdown continues, Director John Squires told agency personnel on Wednesday.
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October 22, 2025
NC Lawmakers Probe 'Rogue' Legal Services Grants Process
North Carolina State Bar leaders faced the third degree Wednesday in a state House committee hearing where Republicans sounded the alarm on grants for legal assistance programs going to what the GOP lawmakers view as left-leaning organizations, prompting a funding freeze that has threatened the operations of the state's largest legal aid group, which itself is not political.
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October 22, 2025
Energy Secretary Urges EU To Rethink Sustainability Rules
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday urged European leaders to scrap, or at least revise, proposed European Union corporate sustainability rules, claiming they will hamper exports of liquefied natural gas to the continent.
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October 22, 2025
Australia Issues Guidance For Minimum Tax Safe Harbor
Australia released guidance Wednesday detailing when companies can forgo detailed top-up tax calculations for a jurisdiction under a safe harbor for the 15% global minimum tax that is based on country-by-country reporting.
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October 22, 2025
Fifth Attorney For Michigan Pastor Exits Zoning Suit
A Michigan federal judge Wednesday allowed the fifth lawyer who represented a pastor in a zoning ordinance and retaliation dispute against a township to withdraw from the case, a few months after refusing to recuse himself from the case over a comment about the turnover rate for the pastor's counsel.
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October 22, 2025
Feds Urge Justices To Back Machinists Fund In Pension Fight
The federal government wrote in support of trustees of an International Association of Machinists pension fund in a dispute with employers at the U.S. Supreme Court, backing the union's argument that a pension plan actuary could change the methods and assumptions used to calculate withdrawal payments.
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October 22, 2025
H-1B Fee May Hinder University Hiring And Gut Programs
The Trump administration framed recent changes to the H-1B visa program as a way to bolster a homegrown STEM workforce and protect U.S. jobs, but experts think it could do the opposite — shrinking budgets and opportunities for American students the policies are meant to foster.
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October 22, 2025
Tax Court Judge Warns Against Unchecked AI Use In Filings
A U.S. Tax Court judge cautioned attorneys Wednesday against relying on artificial intelligence to write filings without verifying the information it generates, saying recent "unfortunate incidents" have prompted the court to double down on accuracy in using such tools.
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October 22, 2025
States Back Boston Hospital In Fight Over Trans Care Records
A group of states backed a Boston hospital in its bid to block the Trump administration from accessing transgender care records, warning a federal judge that allowing the government's request could expose a wide variety of doctors to criminal charges.
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October 22, 2025
'The Right Facts' Can Reduce Cos.' Tariff Impacts, Atty Says
Multinational companies with U.S. distributors that typically bear fewer business risks and earn low profit margins may be able to mitigate the effect of U.S. tariffs on their business as a whole by having a foreign principal bear the tariff costs, an attorney said Wednesday.
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October 22, 2025
Gutting Broadband Labels Erodes Consumer Trust, FCC Told
A pro-consumer group is warning that reducing the data disclosed on broadband "nutrition" labels will undermine consumer trust about the online services they're receiving.
Expert Analysis
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'Solicit' Ruling Offers Proxy Advisers Compliance Relief
The D.C. Circuit recently found that proxy voting advice does not fall under the legal definition of "solicitation," significantly narrowing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's regulatory power over such advisers, offering stability to the proxy advisory industry and providing temporary relief from new compliance burdens, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.
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SAM Update May Ease Tricky Timing Technicalities
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council's recent rule update, clarifying the System for Award Management's registration requirement, may reduce the number of disqualifications and bid protests resulting from minor lapses, but government contractors should still implement​ procedures t​o ensure early submission​ of registration renewals, say attorneys at Butzel Long.
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Evaluating The SEC's Rising Whistleblower Denial Rate
The rising trend of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission whistleblower award claim denials represents a departure from the SEC's previous track record and may reflect a more conservative approach to whistleblower award determinations under the current administration, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.
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State Crypto Regs Diverge As Federal Framework Dawns
Following the Genius Act's passage, states like California, New York and Wyoming are racing to set new standards for crypto governance, creating both opportunity and risk for digital asset firms as innovation flourishes in some jurisdictions while costly friction emerges in others, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.
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How 2nd Circ. Cannabis Ruling Upends NY Licensing
A recent Second Circuit decision in Variscite NY Four v. New York, holding that New York's extra-priority cannabis licensing preference for applicants with in-state marijuana convictions violates the dormant commerce clause, underscores that state-legal cannabis markets remain subject to the same constitutional constraints as other economic markets, say attorneys at Harris Beach.
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Key Insurance Coverage Considerations For AI Data Centers
The burgeoning artificial intelligence industry has sparked a surge in data center projects — a trend likely to be accelerated by the White House's AI Action Plan — but with these complex facilities come equally complex risks, engendering important insurance coverage considerations, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Parenting Skills That Can Help Lawyers Thrive Professionally
As kids head back to school, the time is ripe for lawyers who are parents to consider how they can incorporate their parenting skills to build a deep, meaningful and sustainable legal practice, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.
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Unpacking The New Opportunity Zone Tax Incentive Program
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act brought several improvements to the opportunity zone tax incentive program that should boost investments in qualified funds, including making it permanent, increasing federal income tax benefits in rural areas, redesignating the qualified zones, and requiring more in-depth reporting, says Marc Schultz at Snell & Wilmer.
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Series
Teaching Trial Advocacy Makes Us Better Lawyers
Teaching trial advocacy skills to other lawyers makes us better litigators because it makes us question our default methods, connect to young attorneys with new perspectives and focus on the needs of the real people at the heart of every trial, say Reuben Guttman, Veronica Finkelstein and Joleen Youngers.
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What New sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ Oversight Limits Would Mean For 4 Markets
As the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau continues to centralize its resources, proposals to alter the definition of larger market participants in the automobile financing, international money transfer, consumer reporting and consumer debt collection markets would reduce the scope of the bureau's oversight, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.
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MIT Bros.' Crypto Charges Provide Fraud Test Case For Gov't
As U.S. v. Peraire-Bueno, involving cryptocurrency fraud charges against brothers who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, moves forward after surviving a motion to dismiss, the case provides an early example of how the government might use the federal fraud statutes to regulate decentralized networks, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
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Navigating Brazil's Regulations, Incentives For Green Projects
Brazil's evolving environmental regulatory framework and ongoing moves to attract international capital for climate-focused projects may appeal to U.S.-based companies and investors interested in sustainable development — but taking advantage of these opportunities requires careful planning and meaningful stakeholder engagement, says Milena Angulo at Guimarães.
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Federal AI Action Plan Marks A Shift For Health And Bio Fields
The Trump administration's recent artificial intelligence action plan significantly expands federal commitments across biomedical agencies, defining a pivotal moment for attorneys and others involved in research collaborations, managing regulatory compliance and AI-related intellectual property, says Mehrin Masud-Elias at Arnold & Porter.
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Potential Paths To Modernizing The Bank Secrecy Act
The Bank Secrecy Act's analog design has become increasingly incompatible with today's digital financial ecosystem, but legislative reforms, coupled with regulatory adjustments including updated thresholds, feedback mechanisms and innovation sandboxes, would help adjust the act to the unique challenges of modern technology, says Matthew Biben at King & Spalding.
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Definitions Of 'Waters Of The United States' Ebb And Flow
The issue of defining whether "waters of the United States" include streams and channels that sometimes have water and sometimes do not has been fraught since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2006 Rapanos decision, but a possible new rule may help property owners stay out of court, says Neal McAliley at Carlton Fields.