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
Judges Fired After Blocking Deportations of Pro-Palestinian Students
The Justice Department dismissed two immigration judges, Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, after they ruled against high‑profile deportation cases involving pro‑Palestinian students Rumeysa Ozturk and Mohsen Mahdawi. The firings, part of a broader purge of dozens of judges, underscore the Trump administration’s effort to reshape immigration courts, which are staffed by DOJ employees rather than independent judges. Since President Trump’s second term began, deportations have hit record levels and asylum approvals have fallen to their lowest rate since 2009. The rapid case resolutions are also reducing the backlog that expanded under the previous administration.
“The FTC Does Not Have Our Backs, that Much Is Clear”
The FTC reached a settlement with Match Group’s OKCupid over the app’s undisclosed sharing of user photos with facial‑recognition firm Clarifai. The agreement imposes a permanent ban on misrepresenting data practices but carries no monetary penalty, despite executives holding financial...
DOJ Indictment Puts Mississippi School Sports Bid-Rigging in the Criminal Antitrust Spotlight
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division has indicted Jon Christopher Burt, Gerald Steven Lavender, and Jack Nelson Purvis Jr. for allegedly rigging bids on sports‑equipment contracts for Mississippi public schools. The indictment underscores that bid‑rigging is a per se antitrust violation,...
Formosa Petrochemical Declares Force Majeure, Triggering Supply Chain Disruption
Formosa Petrochemical announced a force majeure event that is expected to interrupt the flow of petrochemical products to downstream manufacturers. The legal commentary highlights the ripple effects on supply chains and the complex insurance issues that may follow.
Intuit Cuts Tax‑Code Rollout to Hours with AI‑Driven Workflow
Intuit’s TurboTax team leveraged large‑language models, a proprietary domain‑specific language and a custom unit‑test framework to compress a multi‑month tax‑code implementation into a matter of hours. The workflow, built around the 2023 “One Big Beautiful Bill,” demonstrates a repeatable process...
Judge Told to Reconsider National Security Implications of Halting Trump's White House Ballroom
An appeals court panel ordered a federal judge to revisit the national‑security implications of halting President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom project. The panel said it lacks sufficient information to determine how much of the construction can be paused...
Vineyard Wind Sues GE Vernova over $545 Million Claim in Massachusetts Offshore Wind Dispute
Vineyard Wind has filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts demanding GE Vernova stay on its 800‑MW offshore wind farm and pay $545 million for blade failures and delays. GE Vernova counters that Vineyard owes $300 million for work performed, setting up a high‑stakes...
Rental Housing Industry Embraces RETTC AI Governance Framework to Standardize Ethical AI
At OPTECH 2025, the Rental Housing Technology and Transparency Council (RETTC) unveiled its first AI Governance Framework for multifamily housing. RealPage and other industry players have pledged to adopt the eight‑principle model, marking the sector’s first shared standard for ethical...
Sheppard Expands AI Practice to Add Robotics and Quantum Teams
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton announced the expansion of its Artificial Intelligence practice to include robotics and quantum, forming a unified AI, Robotics and Quantum industry team led by Jim Gatto, Dan Schnapp and newly appointed co‑leader Townsend Bourne. The...
Japan Tightens Biometric Rules in APPI Amendments, Boosts AI Incentives
Japan's cabinet approved a sweeping amendment to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) that tightens biometric data rules, adds parental consent requirements for minors, and expands AI‑related consent exemptions. The bill also raises fines to the level...
Judge Blocks Arizona's Criminal Case Against Kalshi After Federal Intervention
U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi issued a temporary restraining order that stops Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes from moving forward with a 20‑count criminal case against prediction‑market platform Kalshi. The order follows a lawsuit filed by the Commodity Futures Trading...
FAA, Pentagon Seal Deal to Deploy Counter‑Drone Lasers Along Mexico Border
The Federal Aviation Administration and the Pentagon signed an agreement on Friday that authorizes the use of high‑energy laser counter‑drone systems along the southern U.S. border. The deal follows a safety review that cleared the technology, aiming to curb more...
My Sister’s Will and What It Taught Me.
The article recounts how the author’s sister, Victoria, left a handwritten, non‑notarized will that proved legally invalid. Without a valid will, the estate entered probate, requiring court approval for asset sales and extending the settlement timeline. The author, appointed personal...
AI Boosts Lawyer Demand, Not Reduces It
We will likely have more lawyers in the future than today, because: 1) AI will cause so many more people to ask legal questions which will encourage them to need to verify or execute through an actual lawyer. 2) AI will...
Can Both Spouses Claim the QSBS Exclusion? What Section 1202 Does and Doesn't Say About Married Couples
Section 1202 lets a taxpayer exclude up to $15 million of qualified small‑business stock (QSBS) gains, but the law is silent on whether a married couple filing jointly receives one $15 million cap or two. The statute only specifies that married filing separately...
Think ChatGPT Can Replace Your Lawyer? Think Again
Artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are being marketed as legal assistants, but they are not licensed to practice law. Recent high‑profile incidents—Krafton's $250 million contract dispute in South Korea and OpenAI’s $10 million punitive lawsuit in Illinois—show that...
“Appeals Court Says Trump White House Ballroom Construction Can Proceed for Now”
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an order that allows construction of a new ballroom in the West Wing of the White House to proceed while the underlying lawsuit continues. The panel overturned a lower‑court injunction,...
PTAB Grants Unopposed Lead Counsel Substitution in PGR2025-00086
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) granted an unopposed motion to withdraw the existing lead counsel and substitute new lead counsel in post‑grant review case PGR2025‑00086. The order follows 37 C.F.R. §42.10, which governs counsel recognition and changes, and...
A Safety-Critical Architecture for Institutional Authority
The author presents a new framework called "attribution safety" that treats institutional authority as a safety‑critical system. Drawing on formal methods and telecom performance analysis, the model defines authority as a load‑bearing process that must terminate at a verifiable source....
Meta Pays Up/Impeachment Symposium
In this episode of the Ralph Nader Radio Hour, policy counsel Haley Hinkle of Fair Play discusses recent jury verdicts—$375 million against Meta in New Mexico and a similar ruling against Google/YouTube in California—highlighting how big‑tech platforms knowingly design addictive features...
Florida Pulls 176 Foreign Truck Drivers Off Highways in Operation Highway Shield
Florida officials removed 176 foreign commercial‑driver license holders during a three‑day sweep, citing language deficiencies and illegal licenses. The crackdown follows a fatal crash last year and raises questions about freight flow and regulatory reach.
Judge Modifies Orders, Extends TRO in $6.2 B Nexstar‑Tegna Merger
U.S. District Judge Troy A. Nunley softened parts of his March order blocking Nexstar Media Group’s $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc., while extending the temporary restraining order another week. The move leaves the merger on hold as the court weighs...
Miami Lawyer Unveils 1‑Year AI Adoption Blueprint for Law Firms
Miami trial lawyer Frank Ramos released a detailed one‑year roadmap for law firms to adopt artificial intelligence safely. The blueprint promises a step‑by‑step approach that balances technological gains with ethical obligations, addressing growing resistance among firms wary of AI’s impact...
South Africa Releases Draft National AI Policy to Steer Responsible Innovation
South Africa's Communications and Digital Technologies Department published a draft National Artificial Intelligence policy on April 10, 2026, inviting public comment. The draft, built around six core pillars, aims to position the country as a continental leader in AI while...
Comptroller Defends Dual Banking, Praises Wyoming’s Crypto Rules
🚨🚨🚨--@USComptroller just gave one of the most significant speeches about US bank regulation in recent years, partly bc @ProfJulieHill asked probing questions. https://t.co/DNe7wwFSaA ✅-he strongly defended the dual banking system; working to end the federal "bigfooting" of states' bank chartering decisions,...
Immigration Lawyers Cite Judge’s Order as ICE Detention Site Faces Alleged Beatings and Phone Cutoff
Immigration attorneys filed a federal lawsuit claiming ICE guards beat and pepper‑sprayed detainees at the “Alligator Alcatraz” tent jail after phones were disabled, violating a March court order that guarantees legal access. The case pits the ACLU and local advocates...
Coatue Co‑founder Calls for Recording All Meetings to Boost Hedge‑Fund Governance
Coatue Management co‑founder Thomas Laffont urged the hedge‑fund industry to record internal meetings, saying it would create a clear paper trail and curb misconduct. Employment lawyer Evan Fray‑Witzer warned the idea could hurt morale and raise data‑security concerns, sparking a...
Bellows Butchers Girls’ Sports Ballot Question in Bid to Rig Another Election
On April 7, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows released a draft ballot question for the “An Act to Designate School Sports Participation & Facilities by Sex,” a citizen‑initiated measure that would require public schools to base bathroom, locker‑room and sports...
Brazil's Microcredit Boom Accelerates as New Rules and Digital Tools Lure Banks
Santander now holds a R$3.8 billion (≈$760 million) microcredit portfolio serving 1.2 million borrowers, while Caixa plans to disburse R$3 billion (≈$600 million) in 2026. A 2021 regulatory shift that created independent credit agents and eased quota rules is fueling a rapid expansion of the...
Why the PCC Must Act on Oil Prices Now
Economic Secretary Arsenio Balisacan warned that the Philippines' oil market is effectively colluding, as weekly price changes move in lockstep across firms. The 1998 Downstream Oil Deregulation Law left the Department of Energy powerless to intervene directly, creating a regulatory...
US Open Banking Rule Stalls as Courts Block Enforcement, Banks Turn to Private Deals
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Section 1033 open‑banking mandate missed its April 1, 2026 enforcement deadline after a federal judge issued an injunction. With the rule in legal limbo, JPMorgan Chase, Truist and other large banks are signing private API...
Petitioner's Regret No Grounds for Sealing of 8-Year-Old Restraining Order Documents
An California Court of Appeal rejected a petitioner's request to seal the record of an eight‑year‑old domestic‑violence restraining order. The petitioner, who later claimed to be a public figure and cited reputational harm, failed to demonstrate an overriding interest that...
Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Federal Law Banning Home Alcohol Distilleries
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit unanimously struck down the 1868 federal ban on home alcohol distilleries in McNutt v. DOJ, finding the statute exceeds Congress' taxing power and the Necessary and Proper Clause. The opinion, authored...
AI to Rank Judges by Sentencing Impact
Feel like I want to build an AI agent to scrape every Judge’s sentencing history, then cross reference that with court records and arrest records to calculate recidivism rates, then rank the recipients crimes by level of severity/violence, then rank...
Jockeying for Attorney General Spot Begins
President Trump dismissed former Attorney General Pam Bondi, igniting a scramble for her replacement. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is now acting AG and has begun issuing memos that frame a “safe America” narrative while promising aggressive prosecutions. A shortlist...
Battles Brew over In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students
A coalition of 22 states and the District of Columbia currently permits undocumented students, including DACA recipients, to pay in‑state tuition at public colleges. The policy, once bipartisan, is now under attack as states like Texas repeal the benefit and...
Rubio Revokes Green Cards of Iranian Regime Affiliates
Secretary Rubio Terminates Green Cards of Foreign Nationals Tied to Infamous Iranian Regime Propagandist @SecRubio Fully support. https://t.co/w6zD05w5Uj Eissa Hashemi is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, also known as “Screaming Mary,” the infamous spokeswoman for the Islamist militants who stormed the U.S. Embassy...
IRS Issues Final Regulations Ending Tip Taxation
Thx @PKubeyEA for telling us Final Regs on "No Tax on Tips" have been issued. #IRS #OBBBA
The People V. The Shredder-in-Chief
Two nonprofit groups, the American Historical Association and American Oversight, have filed a lawsuit in the D.C. District Court to block the Trump administration’s effort to treat the Presidential Records Act (PRA) as dead. The suit challenges a controversial Office...
Hong Kong Enables Iran's Hidden Billions, Weakening U.S. Sanctions
How Hong Kong Helps the Flow of Iran’s Hidden Billions—U.S. sanctions lose their bite in a Chinese city where setting up a company and moving money is easy @austinramzy https://t.co/LUrgqUohBe https://t.co/LUrgqUohBe
Court Backs PacifiCorp's View: Process Unfair for Wildfire Suits
"The decision supports PacifiCorp’s longstanding belief that this process was prejudicial and not appropriate for managing wildfire litigation." https://t.co/8w8tXPWzv2
Crypto Clarity Bill Has 30% Chance of Passing This Year, Wintermute’s Hammond Says
Wintermute policy chief Ron Hammond estimates a 30% chance the Crypto Clarity Act will pass in 2026, citing bank opposition over stable‑coin yield, shifting timelines, and broader political friction. A recent Punchbowl survey of lobbyists placed odds at 26%, while...
Jury Backs Polymarket Rescue, Traders Remain Outraged
"... jury that handles Polymarket disputes ruled that the quick, in-and-out rescue mission satisfied the terms of the contract. Traders on the losing side of the wager were outraged." Polymarket’s $269 Million Question: Did U.S. Forces ‘Enter’ Iran? https://t.co/ETehpX08Zh
Legal Representation in the UAE: Why Dr. Hassan Elhais Is the Best in UAE
The United Arab Emirates’ legal framework is characterized by strict procedures and formalities that make resolving criminal, family, business, or cross‑border disputes challenging. Dr. Hassan Elhais, a dual‑qualified attorney with over 15 years of UAE litigation experience, positions himself as...
HR Consultancy & Employment Law: Expert Guidance for Surrey & London Businesses
The article spotlights a surge in demand for HR consultancy and employment‑law expertise among Surrey and London businesses, highlighting the comprehensive services offered by firms such as The HR Surgery. It outlines core offerings—compliance audits, recruitment support, employee‑relations handling, policy...
Chinese Researcher Sentenced for Smuggling E. Coli DNA as Gene‑Editing Trial Shows New Promise
Youhuang Xiang, a former post‑doctoral researcher at Indiana University, was sentenced to more than four months in prison and a $500 fine for illegally bringing E. coli DNA into the United States. The case arrives as a Chinese‑led collaboration reports a...
Workplace Accommodations in 2026: What HR Needs to Know About ESA Letters
The article outlines how emotional support animal (ESA) letters grant tenants legal housing accommodations under the Fair Housing Act and details the exact elements a letter must contain. It explains who qualifies, the role of state‑licensed mental health professionals, and...
Progressive Sues to Deny Coverage for Fatal Truck Crash over Missing Safety System
Progressive filed a lawsuit on April 8 in federal court seeking a ruling that it owes nothing for a January 9, 2024 fatal crash involving a Freightliner Cascadia that lacked the Detroit Assurance Safety System. The insurer argues the missing technology and a...
CIT Hears Oral Arguments on Trump’s Section 122 Tariffs, Spotlighting Executive Power Limits
The U.S. Court of International Trade heard oral arguments on two lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump’s Section 122 emergency tariffs, filed by 24 state attorneys general and the Liberty Justice Center. The cases question whether a trade deficit can justify the...
DOJ Probe Targets NFL's $10 Billion Media Rights, Raising Stakes for Broadcasters and Streamers
The U.S. Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into the NFL’s multibillion‑dollar media rights agreements, putting the league’s $10 billion‑plus annual contracts and Fox’s $2 billion Sunday‑afternoon deal under scrutiny. Broadcasters and streaming partners face uncertainty as the probe could force...