Today's Legal Pulse
Biden sues DOJ to block release of interview audio
President Joe Biden has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to prevent the Department of Justice from publishing an audio recording of his interview. The action, reported by Axios and TIME, aims to keep the interview confidential amid political controversy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader clear final merger hurdles
MRA Pushes Back On MD Governor’s Pricing Comments
The Maryland Retailers Alliance (MRA) is contesting Governor Wes Moore’s description of the new Protection From Predatory Pricing Act, saying it mischaracterizes the law’s scope. Moore claimed the legislation bans individualized grocery pricing based on personal data, but MRA points out that such practices are already prohibited under the existing Maryland Consumer Protection Act. The alliance also argues that the state’s thin grocery margins and intense competition make widespread price gouging unrealistic. It urges officials to communicate consumer‑protection laws accurately, noting that dynamic pricing is more prevalent in other sectors.
Meta Threatens to Pull Its Apps From New Mexico if Forced to Make ‘Technologically Impractical’ Changes
Meta warned it could pull Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp from New Mexico if the state’s attorney general’s demands are enforced. The AG seeks a ban on end‑to‑end encryption for minors, mandatory age verification and a 99 percent detection rate for child sexual...
Microsoft Launches Legal Agent in Word
Microsoft announced a new Legal Agent feature built into Word, extending its Copilot AI suite to the legal workflow. The tool can analyze documents, draft edits, and review contracts while automatically tracking changes and verifying suggestions. By embedding the assistant...
Supreme Court Ruling on Voting Won’t Change California Districts, but Could Hurt Democrats
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 decision that narrows Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, limiting courts' ability to block racially based redistricting. The ruling does not alter California’s newly adopted congressional maps, which were approved by voters through...
Tech Companies Demanding Redundant Court Orders From Estate Reps Should Pay the Cost: Judge
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench ruled that a grant of administration is sufficient authority for estate administrators to access a deceased person’s Apple account, rejecting Apple’s demand for a separate, specific court order. The decision arose from the Wada...
Rare Securities Class Action Lawsuit Trial Results in Defense Verdict
A federal jury in the Northern District of California found hedge fund Armistice Capital and its executives not liable for insider trading or a pump‑and‑dump scheme tied to the sale of roughly $200 million of Vaxart stock during the COVID‑19 pandemic....
Judge Blasts Colony Ridge Settlement, Declines Oversight
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett dismissed a civil suit against Texas land developer Colony Ridge after the Justice Department approved a $68 million settlement that provides no direct compensation to alleged Hispanic borrowers. The agreement earmarks $48 million for infrastructure improvements...
‘Digital Trust’ a Value Proposition, Author Argues
Veteran compliance specialist Amy Reeder Worley argues that traditional compliance is increasingly a façade, calling it "a little bit of a lie." She promotes "digital trust" as a new value proposition for private‑fund managers, emphasizing immutable data, blockchain audit trails,...
BREAKING NEWS: DISBARMENT COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS FOR CORRUPTION
In this episode, host and guest Christopher Armitage discuss a disbarment complaint filed against Chief Justice John Roberts, alleging massive undisclosed income—estimated at $10‑$20 million—derived from his wife Jane Sullivan Roberts' lucrative legal recruiting business and undisclosed equity stakes. They link...
The Supreme Court’s Racist Rerun
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6‑3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, effectively gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by requiring proof of intentional racial discrimination rather than disparate impact. The decision leaves the statutory text intact but strips...
Small Firms Can Train Great Lawyers Too
Small and midsize law firms are urged to replace the old "throw‑them‑in‑the‑deep‑end" model with a deliberate, repeatable training program. The article outlines a seven‑step framework—orientation, skills labs, purposeful shadowing, real mentoring, early business‑development habits, responsible AI use, and accountability structures....
When to Invest in Sales Tax Automation Software
The article outlines when businesses should invest in sales tax automation software, emphasizing that expanding jurisdictional footprints, e‑invoicing mandates, and the rising cost of manual compliance make automation increasingly essential. It identifies key triggers such as operating in multiple states...
NAB Hires FCC Staffer Ben Arden as SVP, Deputy General Counsel
Ben Arden, a former special counsel in the FCC’s Media Bureau, has been hired by the National Association of Broadcasters as senior vice president and deputy general counsel. In his new role, Arden will lead NAB’s policy and legal advocacy...
The Top 20 Most Profitable Law Firms (2025)
The 2025 Am Law 100 data show Biglaw generating $178.95 billion in gross revenue, a 13% jump from the prior year, while revenue per lawyer rose to $1.39 million and profits per equity partner (PEP) climbed to $3.59 million, up 14%. Partner compensation...
The Netherlands: Holiday Accrual During Dormant Employment?
Dutch courts are wrestling with whether employees in "dormant employment" – a status after 104 weeks of incapacity when salary payments stop – continue to accrue holiday entitlement. In August 2025, the Gelderland District Court aligned Dutch practice with EU law,...
Police Opposition Kills Colorado Effort to Limit Flock Safety Cameras
Two bipartisan Colorado bills seeking to curb warrantless access to license‑plate‑reading camera data and third‑party broker information were defeated in early March 2026. Senate Bill 70, which would have required a warrant for law‑enforcement use of Flock Safety‑type data, was...
The FCC Approves Plans to Speed Up Internet From Space
The FCC voted to replace its decades‑old spectrum‑sharing rules with a performance‑based framework that eases power‑flux limits for non‑geostationary (NGSO) satellites. The new regime lets NGSO constellations use adaptive coding, potentially boosting space‑based broadband capacity up to seven times and...
Search of Golden Gate Bridge Protesters’ Social Media Was Illegal, Attorneys Argue
Seven pro‑Palestinian activists who blocked the Golden Gate Bridge two years ago are headed to a felony trial after the California Highway Patrol secured a warrant for three months of their Facebook and Instagram data from Meta. Defense attorneys argue...
Your Trust Probably Covers Everything Except Your Crypto
Living trusts were crafted for real estate, brokerage accounts and tangible assets, not digital currencies. As a result, most standard trustee‑power clauses omit any reference to hardware wallets, seed phrases, staking or DeFi positions, leaving crypto holdings in a legal...
US Telecoms Agency Votes to Expand Tech Crackdown on China
The FCC voted unanimously to advance a proposal that would bar all Chinese laboratories from testing electronic devices destined for the United States. The agency says about 75% of U.S. electronics are currently tested in China and will streamline approvals...
Skiers Could Face Misdemeanor Charges If New North Carolina Law Is Passed
North Carolina lawmakers are considering a Ski Safety Act that would criminalize the misuse of ski passes as a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 120 days of active community service. The bill also obligates skiers to provide personal information...
FDA Warning Letter Breakdown: A Manufacturer Tells Investigators Its AI Agent Never Said Process Validation Was Required
The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research issued a warning letter to a Michigan‑based homeopathic drug manufacturer after an October 2025 inspection uncovered multiple CGMP violations, including unsanitary conditions, missing microbiological testing, and inadequate component verification. The letter’s standout...
Court: No Rule That "a Transgender Parent Should Not Be Awarded Tiebreaking Authority over a Cisgender Parent on Matters of...
The Maryland Court of Appeals upheld a lower‑court ruling granting joint legal custody with conditional tiebreaking authority to a transgender parent, BAK, over a cisgender parent, AST. The appellate panel rejected AST's argument for a per‑se rule that a trans...
🌟Upcoming🌟 Blue Avocado Presents: Why Nonprofits Need Directors and Officers Insurance – Live Q&A
Blue Avocado is hosting a live webinar on June 11, 2026 to demystify Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance for nonprofit organizations. The 60‑minute session will explore key coverage components, optional endorsements, and how D&O differs from general liability. Panelists Peter...
Biglaw Discovers That Charging $2,000/Hour Is Easier Than Actually Collecting It
Wells Fargo’s Legal Specialty Group reported Q1 2026 revenue up 13.1% as billing rates rose 11.4%, but the surge in billable work has swollen fee inventories, especially among the Am Law 50 where uncollected balances grew 19%. The collection cycle...
Challenging a CICA Stay Override? The Federal Circuit Confirms You Don’t Need to Prove Irreparable Harm
The Federal Circuit affirmed that a disappointed bidder challenging a government override of a Competition in Contracting Act (CICA) stay need only show the override was arbitrary and capricious, rejecting the requirement to satisfy the traditional four‑factor preliminary injunction test....
US Congressional Committee Holds Hearing on Equivalency Standards for Foreign Shrimp
The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on the Safer Shrimp Imports Act, a bill that would require foreign shrimp producers to meet FDA-equivalent food safety standards before entering the U.S. market. Currently, about 90% of shrimp...
The Slaying of the Voting Rights Act by the Coward Samuel Alito
The Supreme Court’s April 2026 decision in Louisiana v. Callais, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, dramatically narrows the scope of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. By replacing the longstanding effects‑based test with an intent‑focused framework, the ruling makes it...
Bill to Ban Sex Offenders From Child-Focused Businesses Passes Michigan House - But 9 Democrats Say No
The Michigan House approved House Bill 5425, which would bar anyone on the state sex‑offender registry from working at businesses that primarily serve minors. The measure expands existing restrictions beyond schools to any venue where children have close contact with...
You Got Served – Now What? An Employer’s Primer on Wage Garnishment Notices and Orders
Employers are increasingly encountering wage garnishment notices as the practice climbs nationwide. A garnishment requires a court or agency order before any earnings can be withheld, and the amount depends on the employee’s disposable income and the debt type. Federal...
Plea Agreement in Multi-Year Bid Rigging Scheme Reinforces Administration Efforts to Root Out Fraud Within and Against the Federal Government
A former U.S. Air Force Contracting Officer’s Representative pleaded guilty to a nine‑year scheme that inflated Department of Defense IT contracts by at least $37 million. He fabricated Independent Government Cost Estimates, inserted unnecessary materials and labor, and used a shell...
Leaves of Absence: Managing Statutory Entitlements and Human Rights Obligations in Alberta
Alberta employers must navigate two parallel legal regimes when granting job‑protected leaves: the Employment Standards Code sets statutory entitlements, while the Alberta Human Rights Act imposes a duty to accommodate employees whose leave needs relate to protected grounds. After a...
Shareholder Proposals and ESG at a Crossroads: What Boards Should Know After the 2026 Proxy Season
The SEC staff’s decision to withhold most shareholder‑proposal exclusion no‑action letters during the 2026 proxy season left boards to decide exclusions under Rule 14a‑8 without clear guidance. Directors responded by adopting a risk‑based framework that emphasizes process oversight, litigation readiness, and...
Wallet to Wall Street: CFTC and SEC Staff Chart Parallel Paths for Noncustodial Crypto Access
Federal regulators have clarified that non‑custodial crypto‑wallet providers can operate without registering as introducing brokers or broker‑dealers, provided they act solely as passive interfaces. The CFTC issued a March 2026 no‑action letter to Phantom Technologies, allowing its wallet to route...
The Supreme Court Gutted the Voting Rights Act
The Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais ruling eliminated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, removing the federal ban on racially discriminatory districting. The decision instantly opened the door for Republican‑led states to redraw congressional maps without the previous “preclearance” safeguard....
Kenneth Suh Discusses How AI Is Reshaping Ethics and the Practice of Law
Kenneth Suh, a partner at Jackson Lewis, warned that AI hallucinations, data drift, and outright dishonesty pose emerging ethical and evidentiary risks for lawyers and corporate counsel. He highlighted how these technical flaws can trigger cybersecurity breaches, compromise data‑privacy obligations,...
Despite Potential Pitfalls, an LSO Can Give Your Firm Needed Liquidity
Law firms are increasingly adopting Legal Services Organizations (LSOs) to tap private‑equity capital while retaining attorney ownership. An LSO pairs the firm with an affiliated services entity that provides technology, marketing, finance and other back‑office functions under a fair‑market‑value agreement....
Gift $19K of XRP Tax‑Free Each Year
You can gift up to $19,000 per person per year in XRP without filing a 709 tax form. No tax implications for you or the recipient. Keep a clean transaction record from the purchase wallet to the receiving wallet. Multiple...
Crypto Regulation Shifts: Solana Institute, Clarity Act, Politician Education
My conversation w/ @KristinSmith... We discuss: -@SolanaInstitute mission -Status of Clarity Act -Impact of crypto legislation -Shifting regulatory backdrop -Crypto education among politicians And much more. https://t.co/g4XRK3VGZn via @CryptoPrimePod https://t.co/RsI19MhZhS
The UAE And The FTC
Peter Schiff argues the FTC overestimates the durability of illegal price‑fixing, pointing to the UAE’s recent departure from OPEC as proof that collusive arrangements crumble when cost advantages shift. He notes that OPEC’s quasi‑legal cartel, once stable, fell apart because...
FCC Boosts Satellite Broadband Capacity Sevenfold
✅ PASSED ✅ The FCC voted today to increase the capacity of high-speed satellite broadband by 7X. America leads the way again. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/8zHRUVhnLx
Biglaw Partners Earn up to $40M on Firm Profits
The Top 20 Most Profitable Law Firms (2025) Some Biglaw partners make $40 million a year. And given the profits per partner at their firms, these pay packages are definitely doable—and often necessary. LINK: https://t.co/4C0ADAK23u https://t.co/4ywsZups4L
Anthropic’s Supporters Tell Court “Novel” Fair Use Arguments Put Forward by Music Publishers Are “Unconstitutional”
Anthropic is fighting a copyright infringement suit by music publishers ABKCO, Concord and Universal Music Publishing, arguing that using copyrighted lyrics to train its Claude model qualifies as fair use. A coalition of tech trade groups, the Electronic Frontier Foundation...
Cross‑examination Pulls Hidden Facts Into the Light
cross-examination gets a lot of facts right out into the open. it's a powerful thing.
FCC Chair Calls NAB's ABC Objection Unprecedented, Notes Division
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, about NAB's statement objecting to the ABC license review "nearly unprecedented," said, “NAB’s gonna say what the NAB’s gonna say, I get it… I guess Disney’s a member of NAB. But broadcasters are not all with...
Incomplete ESI Protocol Negotiations Do Not Justify Delay in Production
The U.S. District Court in Northern California held that unfinished ESI protocol negotiations cannot justify postponing electronic evidence production. Citing Pinchi v. Mullin, the judge stressed that discovery is not a tit‑for‑tat process and parties must continue production while negotiations...
Don't Trust Hype: Vibe‑code GRC Replacements Fail
If somebody comes to you and says "we will #vibe code a replacement for our GRC tool?" you say
North Carolina Moves to Ban Prediction Markets Outright
A bill has been filed in the North Carolina General Assembly to prohibit prediction markets. Vague would be an understatement. (h/t @CarolinaDerby) https://t.co/DK1UiStLqm
Taylor Swift's Trademark Playbook Shields Athletes From AI Deepfakes
AI is exploiting athletes’ identities, it will only get worse as AI gets better and NIL protections aren't enough. Enter Taylor Swift’s trademark strategy to protect her NIL. It offers a potential roadmap for athletes battling deepfakes and AI misuse: https://t.co/4TdMv2PYiY.
OpenAI Betrays Early Investors; Musk Sues While Profit‑driven
I think OpenAI did basically betray its commitments to its early investors but it's so absurd to have Musk being the one suing when he 1) didn't seem to care until it affected him personally and 2) is now running...