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
UN Experts Call for Fairness and Transparency in Brazil Murder Trial
UN human‑rights experts urged Brazil to ensure fairness and transparency in the upcoming trial of the Brazão brothers, accused of ordering the 2018 murder of councilwoman Marielle Franco and driver Anderson Gomes. The trial follows convictions of the gunmen and is seen as a pivotal moment to confront structural impunity for racism, gender‑based violence, and attacks on LGBTIQ+ defenders. Experts called for adherence to the UN‑endorsed Minnesota Protocol to guarantee rigorous investigation standards. While the brothers face up to 90 years in prison, the broader fight for justice for human‑rights defenders in Brazil continues.
Florida Beach Access Fight Returns to 11th Circuit
Two Florida waterfront owners appealed to the 11th Circuit to overturn Redington Beach’s ordinance that permits public use of dry sand up to 15 feet from private property. The case hinges on the “customary use” doctrine, which allows public access...
National Crime Agency Calls for ‘Whole-System Approach’ to Tech-Enabled Abuse
The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) warns that generative AI image tools and end‑to‑end encryption are expanding opportunities for child sexual abuse online. It urges regulators, particularly Ofcom, to wield powers under the Online Safety Act to hold tech platforms...
Conveyancing Costs Surge – What’s Driving the Jump?
The Property Solvers study reveals conveyancing fees in the UK climbing well above inflation, with freehold sale costs hitting £1,317 in 2026—a 10.6% rise year‑on‑year. Leasehold and remortgage fees also posted double‑digit increases, outpacing the 3% CPI. Regulatory, AML, and...
Freightos Weekly Update: Uncertainty Surges Again as SCOTUS Decides and Trump Responds
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs, prompting President Trump to issue an executive order that imposes a 10% global tariff under Section 122, with a possible...
Legal Leaders Say Finding Talent with Right Skills Harder Today than It Was a Year Ago: Survey
A recent Robert Half survey of 138 Canadian legal leaders finds hiring skilled talent is harder than a year ago. Two‑thirds report shortages, especially in legal technology, operations, research, and data privacy. 58% say they must train existing staff, while...
Loot Box Crackdown? South Korea Eyes Revenue Penalties for Probability Disclosure Breaches
South Korea is set to amend the Game Industry Promotion Act, allowing regulators to impose an administrative surcharge of up to 3% of revenue or KRW 1 billion on games that fail to disclose or misrepresent loot‑box probabilities. The proposal follows a...
Training of Lawyers “Not Good Enough”, MPs Told
Leading legal academic Dr Liz Curran told the Justice Select Committee that lawyer training in England and Wales, both at law schools and through continuing professional development, is inadequate. She urged regulators to adopt an Australian‑style CPD framework that includes...
Public Sector and Probate Drive 7% Rise in High Court Claims
High Court claims rose 7% in 2025, reaching 8,271 filings, driven primarily by a 34% surge in public‑sector disputes and a 13% increase in probate matters. Public‑sector litigation grew across central government, local authorities and regulators, while probate claims reflected...
Lammy Backs LawtechUK for Next Three Years as He Sets Out AI Vision
Lord Chancellor David Lammy announced £4.5 million in funding for LawtechUK over the next three years, extending the programme’s total investment to £12 million since 2019. He outlined an AI‑focused vision for the courts, including a pilot AI listing assistant (J‑AI) for...
FCC Takes a Swing at the State of Sports Broadcasting
The FCC’s Media Bureau issued a public notice seeking comment on the evolving live‑sports distribution landscape, highlighting concerns over consumer access and the ability of local broadcasters to fulfill public‑interest duties. The notice asks whether market fragmentation—driven by streaming platforms...
Georgia Dream Government Strives to Enforce Its Legitimacy
Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party has pushed amendments that criminalize "systematic" non‑recognition of the government, imposing up to three years in prison. The law targets dissent over the contested October 2024 parliamentary elections, which international observers deemed neither free nor fair....
Checking In On Dr. Reddy’s FCPA Scrutiny
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories disclosed that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission concluded its multi‑year Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation in February 2026 and, for now, will not recommend any enforcement action. The probe, triggered by an anonymous 2020 complaint about...
What Separates Rainmakers From Service Lawyers
Jennifer Gillman explains that lawyers who become rainmakers—those who generate their own business—gain autonomy over staffing, timelines, and work‑life balance, unlike service partners who operate on firm‑assigned schedules. She emphasizes early, consistent business‑development habits, such as dedicating fifteen minutes weekly...
Discord Delays Age Verification Measures as It Admits What It Got 'Wrong'
Discord announced it will postpone the global rollout of its "teen‑by‑default" age verification system until the second half of 2026, after user backlash and privacy concerns. The company will still enforce verification in jurisdictions with legal mandates such as Australia,...
Connecticut Supreme Court Reckons With AI Hallucinations
The Connecticut Supreme Court confronted the reliability of AI‑generated evidence, focusing on the risk of hallucinations that blur fact from fiction. Justice Ecker warned that AI makes truth verification increasingly difficult. The justices examined recent filings that relied on AI...
Tesla Launches Legal War over ‘Cybercab’ Name Against Seltzer Company
Tesla has filed a 167‑page, five‑count opposition at the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board to block French beverage wholesaler UNIBEV’s “Cybercab” trademark. The filing alleges fraud, bad‑faith intent, likelihood of confusion, dilution, and false association with Tesla’s existing CYBER‑...
Maryland Federal Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby Acknowledges Creating ‘Abusive’ Workplace
A Fourth Circuit disciplinary order revealed that U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby created an abusive work environment for her law clerks, including bullying, intimidation, and humiliating incidents. Despite two clerks being reassigned in late 2022, the Administrative Office and...
Eight Questions (and Expert Answers) on What’s Next for US Tariff Policy
President Donald Trump announced a 10 percent tariff on most imports, revising his earlier 15 percent target. The move follows a Supreme Court decision that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not grant the president authority to impose such duties. Experts...
'Chaotic': Big Law Trade Attorneys Deluged With Client Inquiries After Tariff Ruling
Big law trade attorneys are experiencing a flood of client inquiries after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated key Trump-era tariffs. The ruling enables importers to seek refunds, prompting firms like Quinn Emanuel to launch a dedicated tariff‑refund litigation task force....
What Is a Water Quality Certification and Why Does Air Products Need One?
Air Products has moved to secure a Water Quality Certification from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, a prerequisite for its federal permit to build a blue‑hydrogen and carbon‑capture facility. The certification confirms compliance with Clean Water Act sections governing...
Why This 30-Year-Old Vanderbilt Valedictorian Left Her Big Law Job to Start an AI Company
Logan Brown, a former Cooley associate and Vanderbilt valedictorian, quit big‑law in May 2025 to launch Soxton, an AI‑powered legal startup. Soxton uses artificial intelligence to draft contracts and other documents, then has human lawyers review them for a flat...
UK Stablecoin Caps Threaten Global Digital Economy Competitiveness
Stablecoin rules in the UK are being finalized, and are at risk of preventing the UK from being globally competitive in the digital economy. For example, the Bank of England is proposing a cap on stablecoin holdings for individuals and businesses. The...
AHA Sends Letter Supporting FTC Chairman’s Position on Bringing Merger Challenges to Federal Court
The American Hospital Association (AHA) praised FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson’s call to shift merger challenges from the agency’s in‑house adjudicatory process to federal Article III courts. The AHA argues that court litigation would lend greater credibility to the FTC’s antitrust...
Legislation to Kill Double Brokering Hits Senate Floor
The Senate has placed the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act on its calendar, restoring the FMCSA’s authority to levy civil penalties for unauthorized brokerage activities after a 2019 court decision stripped that power. The bill mandates a physical business...
Mandatory Retirement Program for NY Employers Deadlines Begin in March 2026
Effective March 2026, New York’s Secure Choice Savings Program obligates private‑sector employers with ten or more New York employees and at least two years in business to either register for the state‑administered Roth IRA or certify an exemption. Registration requires using a unique...
Benefits Monthly Minute - February 2026
The Department of Labor settled with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan for $28.3 million plus a $2.8 million penalty, mandating reforms to its mental‑health provider network. The Fifth Circuit, in Parrott v. International Bancshares, applied the effective vindication doctrine to strike down arbitration...
New York Times, AP, Guardian And Others Urge Court To Block FTC Probe Of Media Matters
Major news organizations, including The New York Times and the Associated Press, have filed an amicus brief urging the D.C. Circuit Court to block the Federal Trade Commission from resuming its investigation of Media Matters for America. The FTC’s demand...
From The Special Counsel’s Office To The Campaign Trail: Former Trump Prosecutor Turns Firing Into Political Launchpad
J.P. Cooney, a former federal prosecutor who served as principal deputy to special counsel Jack Smith in two criminal cases against Donald Trump, says he was dismissed by the president for his commitment to the rule of law. Cooney is...
Class Action Challenges DHS’ Use of Facial Recognition Against Protesters
A class action filed in Maine accuses the Department of Homeland Security of deploying the Mobile Fortify facial‑recognition app to photograph, scan and record protesters documenting immigration arrests, then threatening them with placement on a domestic‑terrorist watchlist. The complaint alleges systematic...
LawNext on Location: The View From Tiburon – A Conversation with Pablo Arredondo, Casetext Cofounder
Pablo Arredondo, co‑founder of legal‑tech startup Casetext, discussed his journey from early experiments to the launch of CoCounsel, the first GPT‑4‑powered AI legal assistant. CoCounsel debuted on Morning Joe in March 2023, leading to Thomson Reuters acquiring Casetext for $650 million cash four...
Final Version, "Data Scanning and the Fourth Amendment"
Law professor Kevin Volokh published the final version of his article "Data Scanning and the Fourth Amendment" in the Boston College Law Review, arguing that the scope of a Fourth Amendment search should be measured by filter settings rather than...
Motion Capture Gives AI Stories Legal Copyright Protection
Pure AI-generated content has no clear copyright protection. Without that protection, an emerging generation of AI storytellers has no business model. Two creators—Kavan Cardoza aka @Kavanthekid and Josh Wallace Kerrigan aka @NeuralViz " —found a solution: photograph yourself, perform every character,...
Paramount Waives MAE Clause, Adds Cash for Lender Solvency
Paramount is waiving Material Adverse Effect clause for cable network biz. In other words, any declines before close won't effect deal price. Also Paramount agrees to put in more $$ to satisfy lenders if necessary to support the solvency certificate....
When Trusted Access Becomes a Threat: The US V. Linwei Ding Conviction and Escalating Insider Risk
Former Google engineer Linwei Ding was convicted of economic espionage after transferring over 1,000 confidential AI‑chip files to a personal cloud and later launching a China‑based startup. The case illustrates how trusted insiders can bypass traditional perimeter defenses by using...
Jane Street Delays Reform Until Investigation Day
If true, it's kinda crazy and reckless that Jane Street waited until the exact day of the investigation to be announed to stop their bad behavior...
Ex‑Trenchant Exec Gets 7‑year Sentence
Peter Williams, the former Trenchant exec who stole zero-day exploits from his employer and sold them to a Russian exploit buyer, was sentenced today to 7 years and 3 months in a hearing that was partially closed to the public...
What the Science Says About Hallucinations in Legal Research
A growing body of academic research shows that AI hallucinations in legal research are both common and systematic, with general‑purpose models like GPT‑4 fabricating or mischaracterizing authority in over half of pure‑question queries. Specialized, retrieval‑augmented tools such as Lexis+ AI and...
Wall Street Lawyer Randall Guynn Named Fed Supervision Director
Randall Guynn, a prominent Wall Street lawyer, will become the next director of supervision and regulation at the Federal Reserve, effective March 8 w/@AidenReiter https://t.co/WIPFQbILxz
WBD Board Holds Off Decision on PSKY vs Netflix
“The Board has not made a determination as to whether the revised PSKY proposal is superior to the merger with Netflix. WBD will engage further with PSKY to determine if a proposal that constitutes a “Company Superior Proposal,” as defined...
DJI Appeal Sets Stage for Legal Showdown over Future of US Ag Spray Drone Market
Chinese drone leader DJI has filed a Ninth Circuit appeal against the FCC's December 22 ruling that places all new foreign‑made drones and critical components on a covered list, effectively halting FCC authorization for future imports. The decision has already...
SCOTUS Decision Redefines Future of Energy
I learned a lot in this timely deep dive about what the new SCOTUS decision means for energy. Check it out
Telework as a Reasonable Accommodation After the EEOC’s New Guidance: What Actually Changes for Employers?
The EEOC and OPM released new guidance on February 11 2026 clarifying when telework qualifies as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA and Rehabilitation Act. The agency stresses that remote work is required only if it effectively enables participation in hiring, performance...
Administrative Law SSRN Reading List, January 2026 Edition
The Yale Journal on Regulation posted its January 2026 Administrative Law SSRN Reading List, highlighting the ten most‑downloaded recent papers from the SSRN U.S. Administrative Law eJournal. The list, compiled by editor Bill Funk with research assistant Drake Marsaly, features works...
IRS-CI Uses Bank Filings in Nearly All Criminal Investigations
The IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS‑CI) unit relied on Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) filings for 94% of its FY25 probes, conducting over 3.9 million searches. BSA data linked to 89% of cases, directly originating 11.7% of investigations. Tax‑related fraud investigations uncovered $2.9 billion...
Payoneer Pursues OCC Trust Charter, Stablecoin Insights
Payoneer is applied for an OCC National Trust Charter Head of Stablecoins Rob Morgan gave @TokenizedPod an exclusive interview: https://t.co/X8PzdyA5AB
Court Holds that U.S. Postal Service Can’t Be Sued over Intentionally Misdelivered Mail
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, held that the Federal Tort Claims Act’s postal exception bars lawsuits against the United States Postal Service for intentionally misdelivered mail. Justice Thomas wrote that both “loss” and “miscarriage” encompass deliberate nondelivery,...
Overtime Tax Break Is More Complex than It Appears
One of the OBBBA's signature provisions aims to let some hourly employees keep more of the pay earned during their most grueling workweeks. Although the White House has characterized this provision as "no tax on overtime," experts say it's "not...
Europe Aligns on CE Marking and Design Rules for GFRP Reinforcement
In January 2026 the European Rebar Association reaffirmed that CE marking via European Technical Assessment (ETA) is the reference route for placing GFRP reinforcing bars on the European market. The Italian CNR DT 203 R1 guideline now explicitly recognises CE‑marked GFRP as...
Commonwealth AI Usage Disclosures Found Sorely Wanting
An independent audit by the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision‑Making and Society found that nearly one‑third of federal agencies have failed to meet mandatory AI usage disclosure requirements. The probe highlights widespread non‑compliance with transparency rules...