Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Biden filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio interview, arguing the release would be improper. The action has sparked political commentary, including remarks from former President Trump.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
25-1568 - Gattenby V. Kay County District Court
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma issued an order on April 21, 2026 requiring the plaintiff in Gattenby v. Kay County District Court to file a formal complaint by May 5, 2026. The order, signed by Chief Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti, warns that failure to meet the deadline will result in dismissal of the action. This procedural directive moves the case from a pleading‑less status toward a substantive filing, setting a clear timetable for the parties. The deadline reflects the court’s emphasis on timely case progression and docket management.
26-480 - Garcia-Falcon V. Noem Et Al
Garcia‑Falcon v. Noem et al is a federal lawsuit filed in the Western District of Oklahoma in 2026, docket number 26‑480. The plaintiff, Garcia‑Falcon, alleges wrongdoing by Governor Kristi Noem and other state officials. The complaint is pending, with limited...
26-323 - Nguyen V. Warden of Diamondback Correctional Facility
On April 21, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma issued an order in Nguyen v. Warden of Diamondback Correctional Facility. The court accepted the Report and Recommendation (Doc. 11) in full and dismissed the petition...
Motor Finance Law Firm to Launch JR of Lifetime Smoking Ban
Sentinel Legal, a motor‑finance claims firm, will fund a judicial review against the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill that bans anyone born after 1 January 2009 from ever purchasing tobacco, arguing the measure breaches ECHR rights and creates age‑based discrimination. The firm...
AI Playing “Vital Role” In Managing Legal Aid Work
Duncan Lewis, the UK’s largest legal‑aid provider, has rolled out the LexisNexis AI system Protégé to its 220 lawyers and appointed an AI governance lead. The technology is being applied across departments, especially high‑volume housing and immigration matters, to automate research,...
After Mazur, Is Bad Supervision Really a Criminal Offence?
The Court of Appeal issued a revised judgment on the Mazur case, clarifying that non‑authorised staff may perform litigation tasks under proper supervision without creating a criminal offence. The court rejected the Law Society’s interpretation that inadequate supervision could itself...
The SRA Needs to Admit It Got It Wrong About SLAPPs
A High Court judgment in Ashley Hurst v SRA exposed flaws in the regulator’s handling of alleged SLAPP cases. The SRA’s three high‑profile prosecutions—against Ashley Hurst, Claire Gill and Chris Hutchings—have all collapsed, with the regulator ordered to pay roughly $500,000 in...
Parliamentary Committee Submissions on Internal Trade Barriers
Professor Paul Daly testified before the Standing Committee on International Trade, arguing that Canada remains fragmented by provincial trade barriers that restrict the free movement of goods, services, labor, and capital. He highlighted that the Constitution bars unilateral federal action,...
Turkiye Enacts First Law Regulating Game Platforms
Turkey’s Grand National Assembly approved the country’s first dedicated law governing gaming platforms. The legislation targets services with more than 100,000 daily active users and imposes baseline obligations covering consumer protection, data security, licensing, reporting and content moderation. Platforms that...
26-305 - Karimov V. Cerna Et Al
On April 21, 2026, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick issued an order denying Doston Karimov’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus in the Western District of Oklahoma. Karimov, a foreign national, had sought judicial relief to challenge his...
Duffy Demands Transparency Before Risking Taxpayer Funds
More from @SecDuffy on @SpiritAirlines from our interview yesterday: ""We also have to be good stewards of the tax dollar, and we can't make dumb investments. We can't put taxpayer money that is going to be lost or just forestall...
Republicans Silent as Spirit Bailout Mirrors 2009
A lot of comparisons being made to the 2009 auto bailouts; that was a 363 sale vs a senior DIP https://t.co/8qyU5NDFkj
Can The Police Really Crack Down On Montana License Plates?
California police are unlikely to launch a broad crackdown on vehicles bearing Montana license plates. Records from the California Highway Patrol show only 91 out‑of‑state plate investigations last year, none resulting in citations. Recent policy changes in Los Angeles and...
VA Supreme Court Expected to Uphold Voter Will
The VA Supreme Court will likely have the final say and it’s highly doubtful it will ignore the will of the voters.
Kalshi Suspended Three Political Candidates From Its Platform for Insider Trading
Kalshi, a US‑based prediction market, suspended three political candidates after accusing them of insider trading on campaign‑related events. The company’s newly introduced guardrails flagged the misconduct, leading to settlements with Matt Klein and Ezekiel Enriquez—each fined under $1,000 and suspended...
Injunction Against Publicly Identifying Pseudonymous Litigants Is Content-Based Prior Restraint,
The Fourth Circuit upheld a protective order that bars defendants from revealing the identities of pseudonymous plaintiffs and their families without a non‑disclosure agreement. The panel declared the gag order a content‑based prior restraint on speech. It clarified that courts...
Former UCSF Doctor Claims University Defamed Him in 2022 Report on Unethical Prison Experiments
A San Francisco dermatologist, Dr. Howard Maibach, has filed a lawsuit alleging that UCSF’s 2022 historical‑reconciliation report falsely portrayed him as having conducted unethical prison experiments in the 1960s‑70s. Maibach claims the university used him as a scapegoat to shield faculty...
When Is a Crypto Interface a Broker? SEC Staff Draws a Functional Line
The SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets issued an April 13, 2026 staff statement that draws a functional line between crypto‑asset trading interfaces and broker‑dealer registration. It holds that a nondiscretionary interface that lets users set all transaction parameters can avoid broker...
High Numbers of Law Firm Associates Are Departing Within First Five Years of Being Hired: Survey
The National Association for Law Placement Foundation’s 2025 report shows that 83% of associate departures happen within five years of hire, with lateral hires and associates of colour exiting at higher rates. Canadian firms experienced an even steeper early‑attrition rate...
Fourth Circuit Upholds Injunction Against Disclosing Names of Perceived Afghan Collaborators
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court protective order that bars the disclosure of the identities of Afghan plaintiffs—known as the Does—in Doe v. Mast. The court classified the order as a content‑based prior restraint but held it met strict‑scrutiny...
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Soldier Who Sued Contractor over 2016 Bagram Bombing
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 6‑3 decision, affirmed Army Specialist Winston Hencely’s right to sue Fluor Corp. for negligence after a Fluor employee detonated a suicide bomb at Bagram Air Base in 2016, killing five and injuring 17. The...
NYT Calls for 20-Year Hard Labor for Shoplifters
For all the complaints about left-leaning media bias, the NYT published a piece today that makes a pretty strong case for sentencing shoplifters to a minimum of twenty years of hard labor.
How Legal Teams Can Stay Relevant In Product-Led Companies
Legal departments in product‑led firms must evolve from reactive bottlenecks to growth partners. In a recent UpLevel View episode, Betsy Cantrell, VP of Legal at HighLevel, explained how she restructured her team for speed and alignment with product goals. AI...
Limits on Private Equity in CT Hospitals Passes State Senate
The Connecticut Senate approved Senate Bill 196, which bars private‑equity firms from acquiring or increasing control of hospitals after October 1, 2026 and requires annual certifications that no private‑equity influence exists. The bill also prohibits sale‑leaseback transactions on hospital campuses starting the...
Nebraska Joins DOJ Effort to End In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
Nebraska has joined the U.S. Department of Justice in a federal lawsuit seeking to strike down state statutes that grant in‑state tuition rates to certain undocumented students. If the court rules in favor of the DOJ, Nebraska will become the...
Calif. Law Requiring Federal Officers to Wear Identification Blocked by Federal Appeals Court
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California’s law requiring federal law‑enforcement officers to wear identification likely violates the Supremacy Clause. The decision overturns a lower court’s partial endorsement of the identification requirement and reaffirms that states cannot...
ICE Agent Charged with Assault of Protester by Colo. Prosecutors
A Colorado prosecutor has charged ICE officer Nicholas Rice with third-degree assault and criminal mischief after video showed him placing protester Franci Stagi in a chokehold during a demonstration outside a Durango ICE facility. The protest erupted over the detention...
FMReps Consulting Enterprises, LLC V. Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company successfully defended a patent‑infringement suit alleging its certified‑pre‑owned vehicle software violated two patents. A Michigan district court dismissed the case with prejudice, finding the patents invalid as abstract ideas under U.S. patent law. The decision hinged on...
Virginia Judge Voids Redistricting Amendment, Invalidates All Votes From Tuesday's Special Election
Virginia circuit court Judge Jack Hurley ruled the voter‑approved redistricting amendment unconstitutional, declaring it void from the start and invalidating every vote cast in Tuesday’s special election. He issued a permanent injunction that bars certification of the results and any...
E&C Comprehensive Data Privacy Bill Includes HIPAA Carveout
The House Energy & Commerce Committee released a draft national data privacy bill that explicitly carves out HIPAA‑covered entities from its preemptive framework. The exemption aligns with recommendations health groups submitted to the committee last year. By preserving state‑level health...
Laura Loomer Loses Defamation Suit Against Bill Maher Over "Who's Trump Fucking? … Might Be Laura Loomer" Lines
A federal judge in Miami granted summary judgment to Bill Maher, dismissing Laura Loomer's defamation lawsuit over his September 13, 2024 "Real Time" joke linking her to Donald Trump. The court found the remark was a comedic statement, not a...
Why Clarence Thomas Just Handed a Major Legal Victory to Wounded Veterans
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 decision in Hencely v. Fluor Corp., allowing veteran Spc. Winston Hencely to sue the defense contractor under South Carolina state law. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion, joined by both conservative and...
Roosevelt Island Hotel Lender Looks to Claw Back $77M
ACRES Capital is suing AJ Capital and its Graduate hotel fund to recover $76.5 million after the Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel ceased operations and Cornell University terminated its 65‑year ground lease. The loan, issued in 2022, became fully recourse when the...
Raise a Glass: ‘Grandparents Happy Hour’ Law Passed In Minnesota
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz signed the “Grandparents’ Happy Hour” law, removing the requirement that nursing homes and assisted‑living facilities hold a liquor license to serve alcohol. The change permits organized happy‑hour events for residents, with safeguards that staff serving drinks...
Court Rules Frontier Kept $5.4M TSA Taxes
Frontier Airlines Kept $5.4 Million In TSA Security Taxes For Themselves, Court Rules - View from the Wing https://t.co/Rl3BJRaA2v
Dr. Oz Announces a 50-State Audit of Medicaid Program Oversight
Dr. Mehmet Oz, CMS administrator, announced a nationwide audit requiring all 50 states to revalidate Medicaid providers within 30 days, expanding the federal anti‑fraud push beyond the states previously targeted. The audit focuses on high‑risk areas and follows recent errors in...
What Is the Delaware Court of Chancery?
The Delaware Court of Chancery is a specialized equity court that resolves corporate and commercial disputes without juries. The blog post links to a Federalist Society video that explains the court’s jurisdiction, procedures, and why it wields outsized influence over...
New York Falafel-Taco Fusion Joint Accuses Visa, Mastercard of Price-Fixing Monopoly over Card Fees
A Westchester restaurant, Falafel Taco, filed a class‑action lawsuit accusing Visa and Mastercard of anticompetitive price‑fixing that inflates interchange fees for merchants. The complaint alleges the card networks have overcharged businesses by billions of dollars since a 2019 settlement, prompting...
2026 Excess and Surplus Lines Law Manual
Troutman Pepper Locke released the 26th edition of its Excess and Surplus Lines Law Manual, updating the 2026 regulatory landscape for all 50 states and U.S. territories. The firm also launched an interactive online portal that delivers weekly updates on statutes,...
Not All About The Benjamins: Sean Combs’ $100M Defamation Suit Against NBCU Thrown Out
Sean “Diddy” Combs sued NBCUniversal for $100 million, claiming the Peacock documentary “Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy” defamed him. On April 22, 2026, New York Supreme Court Justice Phaedra F. Perry‑Bond dismissed the case, finding no additional reputational harm because Combs’...
Allegation: The Southern Poverty Law Center Is a Massive Fraud and Hate Operation
The U.S. Department of Justice announced an indictment accusing the Southern Poverty Law Center of fraudulently channeling donor money to extremist groups, including the KKK, to manufacture hate for fundraising. The complaint alleges SPLC has raised more than $170 million annually,...
Laura Loomer’s Defamation Lawsuit Against Bill Maher Over Trump Affair Allusion Thrown Out by Federal Judge
Federal Judge James S. Moody Jr. granted summary judgment to Bill Maher and HBO, dismissing Laura Loomer’s defamation lawsuit over jokes suggesting an affair with Donald Trump. The court held the remarks were comedic satire, not statements of fact, and...
GE’s $36 Million ITAR Penalty — A Wake-Up Call for Export Control Compliance
The U.S. State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls fined General Electric $36 million for 116 ITAR violations spanning 2018‑2024, including unauthorized export of F‑35 engine data to China. The breaches stemmed from misclassifying items, faulty licensing, and inadequate controls over...
Law Firms Are Drowning In Cash. Trump’s PAC Is Drowning In Legal Bills.
The 2026 Super Rich list shows 37 law firms surpassing $1.45 million revenue per lawyer and $625 thousand profit per lawyer thresholds, highlighting abundant cash reserves in the legal sector. Kirkland & Co. cemented its hiring power by pledging an $80 million guaranteed compensation...
Proper CLARITY Act Crucial to Safeguard Crypto Future
If the CLARITY Act isn’t done properly now, an anti-crypto administration could come in next and cause major destruction within the industry. I sat down with Cardano founder @IOHK_Charles to discuss this and more. WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE https://t.co/HBtV52wNJU https://t.co/5bfkIIMbva
DOJ Updates Title II Web, App Nondiscrimination Rule Timelines for State and Local Governments; HHS Section 504 Rules Remain Unchanged
The Justice Department issued an interim final rule on April 20, 2026 that pushes back Title II web‑accessibility deadlines for state and local governments. Jurisdictions with populations of 50,000 or more now must comply by April 26, 2027, while smaller entities and special districts have...
Ninth Circuit Upholds Order Forcing Cemex to Bargain with Union
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the National Labor Relations Board’s Gissel bargaining order requiring Cemex Construction Materials Pacific to recognize and bargain with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, despite a 179‑166 vote against unionization. The court found substantial...
Washington Court Warns Employers over Expired Workplace Safety Equipment Penalties
The Washington Court of Appeals reinstated a $6,000 penalty against Cache Valley Electric for keeping expired rubber insulating blankets on a boom truck, ruling that merely having non‑compliant protective gear on site counts as "use" under state safety law. The...
Japan Moves Toward Age Verification for Social Media Filters and Risk Labels
Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is drafting rules that would require social‑media platforms to enable age‑based content filtering by default, aiming to curb youth addiction. The proposal includes a government‑backed age‑verification system that could leverage mobile‑carrier identity data...
Court Greenlights Gay Officer's Discrimination Lawsuit Against D.C. Housing Authority
A federal judge in Washington, D.C. on April 21 allowed a former special police officer’s discrimination lawsuit against the District of Columbia Housing Authority to proceed. The officer, Tyreem Fosque, alleges he was fired after a fabricated sexual assault accusation,...