The National Law Journal
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The suit challenges the U.S. Department of State's indefinite pause on immigrant visa processing from countries whose nationals are likely to become “public charges” in the U.S. The policy took effect on Jan. 21. https://loom.ly/vhzsmAA
'All About Discrimination': Immigration Organizations Challenge Green Card Pause for 75 Countries | Law.com
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. and African Communities Together argued that the Trump administration was peddling a false narrative to institute a “categorical, nationality-based ban” on immigration, even though the Immigration and Nationality Act prohibits nationality discrimination and requires public charge determinations to be made on a case-by-case basis.
www.law.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:43 PM
The suit challenges the U.S. Department of State's indefinite pause on immigrant visa processing from countries whose nationals are likely to become “public charges” in the U.S. The policy took effect on Jan. 21. https://loom.ly/vhzsmAA
“A recycling of unadorned allegations with no reference to a source does not corroborate them,” Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote in his order dated Dec. 19, 2025, and made public on Saturday. https://loom.ly/4QXL7sU
'Unadorned Allegations': US Circuit Judge Dismisses DOJ's Judicial Misconduct Complaint | Law.com
A repetition of uncorroborated statements rarely supplies a basis for a valid misconduct complaint, Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit wrote in an order dismissing U.S. Department of Justice allegations claiming U.S. District Chief Judge James E. Boasberg made anti-Trump statements at a private gathering of the nation's chief federal jurists.
www.law.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:33 PM
“A recycling of unadorned allegations with no reference to a source does not corroborate them,” Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote in his order dated Dec. 19, 2025, and made public on Saturday. https://loom.ly/4QXL7sU
AI will reshape legal risk management in 2026, driving new litigation, compliance pressures and data governance challenges as organizations move from experimentation to everyday deployment, according to a new global report from FTI Technology. https://loom.ly/VRwXMfo
Governance Woes Likely to Mushroom as Legal Teams Accelerate AI Adoption | Law.com
FTI managing director Tom Barce predicts that overreliance on AI is going to cause a discovery problem. It is only a matter of time before someone blames a large language model for a privilege waiver or inadvertent production of highly confidential information.”
www.law.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:27 AM
AI will reshape legal risk management in 2026, driving new litigation, compliance pressures and data governance challenges as organizations move from experimentation to everyday deployment, according to a new global report from FTI Technology. https://loom.ly/VRwXMfo
The latest email releases highlight that Karp sought to help get his son a job on a Woody Allen movie production, and asked for Epstein’s help to attend Woody Allen screenings and have a closer relationship with Allen, according to the emails on the DOJ website. https://loom.ly/zwUJTfw
Responding to Latest Email Release, Paul Weiss Chair Expresses 'Regrets' Over Epstein Interactions | Law.com
Brad Karp and Jeffrey Epstein corresponded about getting Karp's son involved with a Woody Allen film, among other topics, the records show.
www.law.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:21 AM
The latest email releases highlight that Karp sought to help get his son a job on a Woody Allen movie production, and asked for Epstein’s help to attend Woody Allen screenings and have a closer relationship with Allen, according to the emails on the DOJ website. https://loom.ly/zwUJTfw
“I don’t think I’m giving too much away,” Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Moyne said, noting that Giuliani counsel Adam Katz conceded Noelle Dunphy's battery claims during oral arguments. https://loom.ly/l4P45Ew
Manhattan Judge Hints That $10 Million Lawsuit Against Giuliani Will Move Forward | Law.com
Following oral arguments on Monday, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Moyne reserved decision on a motion to dismiss, but teased that the parties should set a discovery schedule.
www.law.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:15 AM
“I don’t think I’m giving too much away,” Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Nicholas Moyne said, noting that Giuliani counsel Adam Katz conceded Noelle Dunphy's battery claims during oral arguments. https://loom.ly/l4P45Ew
The spending package guarantees at least $245 million in funding for the department’s antitrust arm, a 5% increase from fiscal year 2025 and the largest funding increase in a decade, according to Gail Slater. https://loom.ly/Krp9RpQ
DOJ Antitrust Funding Jumps 5% as Congress Lifts Cap on Merger Fees | Law.com
The antitrust division has collected excess merger fees just once, in fiscal year 2022.
www.law.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:09 AM
The spending package guarantees at least $245 million in funding for the department’s antitrust arm, a 5% increase from fiscal year 2025 and the largest funding increase in a decade, according to Gail Slater. https://loom.ly/Krp9RpQ
The letters, which alleged labor market collusion due to the firms’ participation with Diversity Lab’s Mansfield certification, could influence firms’ decisions on future Mansfield participation, according to several antitrust lawyers. https://loom.ly/s-Qn6kQ
'It’s a Bullying Move That Might Work' — Antitrust Experts on FTC Mansfield Letters | Law.com
While the antitrust claims in recent FTC letters to law firms are meritless, according to experts, the administration’s willingness to use the trade regulator to achieve political goals could influence firms’ decisions on Mansfield.
www.law.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:01 AM
The letters, which alleged labor market collusion due to the firms’ participation with Diversity Lab’s Mansfield certification, could influence firms’ decisions on future Mansfield participation, according to several antitrust lawyers. https://loom.ly/s-Qn6kQ
Fenwick & West has reached a proposed settlement with lawyers for FTX investors over claims that the law firm helped the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange misappropriate customer funds and conceal the misconduct before its collapse. https://loom.ly/7tdCr0M
Fenwick & West Agrees to Settle Claims in FTX Investor MDL | Law.com
Fenwick & West has reached a proposed settlement with FTX investors, moving the prominent Silicon Valley law firm closer to exiting the sprawling post-collapse FTX litigation.
www.law.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:57 PM
Fenwick & West has reached a proposed settlement with lawyers for FTX investors over claims that the law firm helped the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange misappropriate customer funds and conceal the misconduct before its collapse. https://loom.ly/7tdCr0M
"If Congress wants to protect consumers, it should protect them from fraud, anticompetitive conduct, discrimination and abuse—not from the capital that allows those wrongs to be challenged." https://loom.ly/C1CQM7o
Arguing Class Actions: If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Tax ‘Em | Law.com
Arguing Class Actions is a monthly column for the National Law Journal.
www.law.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:52 PM
"If Congress wants to protect consumers, it should protect them from fraud, anticompetitive conduct, discrimination and abuse—not from the capital that allows those wrongs to be challenged." https://loom.ly/C1CQM7o
The commission announced Friday that PE-owned Sevita Health must divest 128 intermediate care centers if it wants to close its $835 million acquisition of BrightSpring Health's community living business. https://loom.ly/0-Xg0-0
FTC Signals Unease With PE Buys in Health Care by Ordering Big Change to $835M Deal | Law.com
PE-owned Sevita Health's purchase of BrightSpring would eliminate its top rival in the operation of facilities caring for the developmentally disabled. The commission is requiring Sevita to divest 128 facilities to a third party, a move it says will help foster competition in that niche.
www.law.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:46 PM
The commission announced Friday that PE-owned Sevita Health must divest 128 intermediate care centers if it wants to close its $835 million acquisition of BrightSpring Health's community living business. https://loom.ly/0-Xg0-0
ArentFox Schiff, Sidley Austin, Freshfields, Eversheds Sutherland and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson all announced attorney additions to their Washington, D.C. offices this week.
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https://loom.ly/tKfqb-A
Sidley, ArentFox Schiff Add Lawyers in Washington | Law.com
ArentFox Schiff, Sidley Austin, Freshfields, Eversheds Sutherland and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson all announced attorney hires in the capital in the past week.
www.law.com
February 2, 2026 at 11:40 PM
ArentFox Schiff, Sidley Austin, Freshfields, Eversheds Sutherland and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson all announced attorney additions to their Washington, D.C. offices this week.
https://loom.ly/tKfqb-A
https://loom.ly/tKfqb-A
For employers caught in the EEOC's crosshairs, a new report suggests the enforcement will be public and costly. https://loom.ly/3xZ6waM
Look for the EEOC to Come Out Swinging in 2026 | Law.com
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will likely ramp up enforcement litigation under President Donald Trump. One potential strategy: stepping into appellate matters.
www.law.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:29 PM
For employers caught in the EEOC's crosshairs, a new report suggests the enforcement will be public and costly. https://loom.ly/3xZ6waM
Chairman Andrew Ferguson said Friday that the FTC has sent warning letters to 42 law firms over the firms' “potentially unfair and anticompetitive employment practices,” citing the firms' participation in Diversity Lab's Mansfield Certification program. https://loom.ly/wOqWZ0k
FTC Chairman Warns 42 Big Law Firms of Antitrust Concerns Over Mansfield Participation | Law.com
The regulator warned firms that participating in the Mansfield certification could constitute violations of the Sherman Act and Section 5 of the FTC Act
www.law.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Chairman Andrew Ferguson said Friday that the FTC has sent warning letters to 42 law firms over the firms' “potentially unfair and anticompetitive employment practices,” citing the firms' participation in Diversity Lab's Mansfield Certification program. https://loom.ly/wOqWZ0k
“ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence,” U.S. District Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of the District of Minnesota said in a four-page order filed Jan. 28. https://loom.ly/A5zTV_Y
Minnesota's Chief US District Judge Rebukes ICE Over Habeas 'Noncompliance' | Law.com
ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence, U.S. District Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz wrote in an order blasting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for repeatedly failing to immediately release detainees who had their habeas corpus petitions granted by Minnesota federal jurists.
www.law.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:17 PM
“ICE has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence,” U.S. District Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz of the District of Minnesota said in a four-page order filed Jan. 28. https://loom.ly/A5zTV_Y
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati didn’t view geopolitical tensions as the sole reason to launch a defense tech industry group, but it could stand to benefit from them. https://loom.ly/UAvsVXM
Wilson Sonsini Capitalizes on Growing Needs for Commercial, Government Work With New Defense Tech Practice | Law.com
The firm didn’t view geopolitical tensions as the sole reason to launch a defense tech industry group, but it could stand to benefit from them, as tech companies and startups that act as federal government contractors increasingly need help negotiating and solidifying deals.
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:06 PM
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati didn’t view geopolitical tensions as the sole reason to launch a defense tech industry group, but it could stand to benefit from them. https://loom.ly/UAvsVXM
“Ultimately, the Court cannot discount the high likelihood—as demonstrated by the FTC—that the Proposed Transaction, if consummated, will lead to significant anticompetitive effects,” said Judge Contreras in his 107-page memorandum opinion. https://loom.ly/Xlj9uVg
Medical Device Makers Terminate $945M Merger Plan, Citing US Judge's Adverse Ruling in FTC Case | Law.com
Ultimately, the Court cannot discount the high likelihood—as demonstrated by the FTC—that the Proposed Transaction, if consummated, will lead to significant anticompetitive effects, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras wrote in a decision that prompted defendants Edwards Lifesciences Corp. and JenaValve Technology Inc. to terminate their proposed $945 million merger deal.
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:59 PM
“Ultimately, the Court cannot discount the high likelihood—as demonstrated by the FTC—that the Proposed Transaction, if consummated, will lead to significant anticompetitive effects,” said Judge Contreras in his 107-page memorandum opinion. https://loom.ly/Xlj9uVg
The 27-page complaint alleged that the IRS negligently and willfully allowed a contractor, Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn, to access and disclose the Trump family’s tax returns to news organizations, including The New York Times and ProPublica, between 2019 and 2020. https://loom.ly/r2R-I_Y
Trump Sues IRS, Treasury in $10B Miami Lawsuit Over Tax Leaks | Law.com
An expert not involved in the matter said that the statute of limitations could become a major point of contention if the federal government chooses to zealously defend the case.
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:56 PM
The 27-page complaint alleged that the IRS negligently and willfully allowed a contractor, Charles “Chaz” Littlejohn, to access and disclose the Trump family’s tax returns to news organizations, including The New York Times and ProPublica, between 2019 and 2020. https://loom.ly/r2R-I_Y
The moves in Big Law fund finance groups highlight the accelerating competition in the practice area, as law firms scale up to meet private equity and other transactional demands.
https://loom.ly/Z_7jgHc
https://loom.ly/Z_7jgHc
Fund Finance Attorneys Exit Cadwalader for Sidley, Paul Hastings | Law.com
About a dozen fund finance attorneys are leaving Cadwalader as it prepares to merge with Hogan Lovells.
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:49 PM
The moves in Big Law fund finance groups highlight the accelerating competition in the practice area, as law firms scale up to meet private equity and other transactional demands.
https://loom.ly/Z_7jgHc
https://loom.ly/Z_7jgHc
Judge John A. Gibney Jr. ordered the state of Virginia to permanently end its absolute all-felon voting ban this spring, ruling the policy violates a longstanding federal law that guarantees voting rights for many Virginians with nonviolent criminal histories. https://loom.ly/VaIEmho
'Virginia Disobeyed Federal Law': US Judge Guts State's All-Felon Voting Ban | Law.com
U.S. District Senior Judge John A. Gibney Jr. ordered the state of Virginia to permanently end its absolute all-felon voting ban by May 1, 2026, ruling the policy violates a longstanding federal law that guarantees voting rights for more than 260,000 Virginians convicted of nonviolent criminal offenses not deemed common-law felonies in 1870.
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Judge John A. Gibney Jr. ordered the state of Virginia to permanently end its absolute all-felon voting ban this spring, ruling the policy violates a longstanding federal law that guarantees voting rights for many Virginians with nonviolent criminal histories. https://loom.ly/VaIEmho
Competition lawyers say that, in the end, whether the federal government will seek to block the partnership might hinge more on politics and on which tech leaders President Trump favors and which he scorns than on nuanced interpretations of antitrust law. https://loom.ly/LqwhcVU
Apple's Google AI Deal to Test Tenor of Antitrust Enforcement Under Trump | Law.com
This alliance between Google and Apple is a major step in the direction of entrenching Google’s solution as the preeminent solution, said Bill Kovacic, a George Washington University law professor.
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Competition lawyers say that, in the end, whether the federal government will seek to block the partnership might hinge more on politics and on which tech leaders President Trump favors and which he scorns than on nuanced interpretations of antitrust law. https://loom.ly/LqwhcVU
“Instead of leaving the industry trapped in uncertainty, as we witnessed under prior administrations, it is incumbent on us to draw a bright jurisdictional line for our nation’s builders and innovators,” Selig said. https://loom.ly/wTTQONU
CFTC to Write New Rules for Prediction Markets, Chair Says | Law.com
“It is time for clear rules and a clear understanding that the CFTC supports lawful innovation in these markets,” said Commodity Futures Trading Commission chair Michael Selig.
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:28 PM
“Instead of leaving the industry trapped in uncertainty, as we witnessed under prior administrations, it is incumbent on us to draw a bright jurisdictional line for our nation’s builders and innovators,” Selig said. https://loom.ly/wTTQONU
Appeals from "indigent," or poor, litigants have fallen precipitously over the past several Supreme Court terms and are now at their lowest level in the 21st century.
https://loom.ly/aejDJ-w
https://loom.ly/aejDJ-w
At the Supreme Court, a Stark Drop in Appeals From the Poor | Law.com
Appeals from indigent defendants have fallen precipitously in recent years. Experts aren’t sure what’s behind the really troubling trend.
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Appeals from "indigent," or poor, litigants have fallen precipitously over the past several Supreme Court terms and are now at their lowest level in the 21st century.
https://loom.ly/aejDJ-w
https://loom.ly/aejDJ-w
"This law work involves justice and equality, and our work in the law requires us to pursue freedom for all—that's the constitutional mandate,” said Conway. https://loom.ly/1cWL7Qo
Danielle Conway Becomes Next AALS President, With Focus on Liberating Academic Freedom | Law.com
“Academic freedom is this special duty that we have,” Conway said, explaining that it “allows us to investigate. It allows us to search for truth. It allows us to use facts and data to come up with ideas, to come up with concepts, to come up with discovered knowledge that we use to create knowledge, disseminate knowledge, and then distribute it as a feature of education.”
www.law.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:21 PM
"This law work involves justice and equality, and our work in the law requires us to pursue freedom for all—that's the constitutional mandate,” said Conway. https://loom.ly/1cWL7Qo
Judge David Hamilton questioned whether the settlement terms may have been appropriate given that litigation costs could have bankrupted Clearview and left nothing for the class members. https://loom.ly/BB3aGU8
7th Circuit Scrutinizes Unconventional Clearview AI Privacy Settlement| Law.com
The controversial agreement created a settlement fund equal to a 23% stake in Clearview AI while resolving claims that the company broke state privacy laws and unjustly enriched itself by scraping and creating a database made of class members’ biometric facial images from the internet without consent.
www.law.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:42 PM
Judge David Hamilton questioned whether the settlement terms may have been appropriate given that litigation costs could have bankrupted Clearview and left nothing for the class members. https://loom.ly/BB3aGU8
“Consumers have lost faith that the rules apply not equally to the marketplace,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn told Dan Wall, Live Nation's EVP of corporate and regulatory affairs. “They favor the bots, the brokers, all the bad actors that are in this marketplace.” https://loom.ly/xt4q0QU
Live Nation Faces Senate Scrutiny Over Ticket Bots, Resale Practices| Law.com
“Consumers have lost faith that the rules apply not equally to the marketplace,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, told Dan Wall, Live Nation's executive vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs. “They favor the bots, the brokers, all the bad actors that are in this marketplace.”
www.law.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:30 PM
“Consumers have lost faith that the rules apply not equally to the marketplace,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn told Dan Wall, Live Nation's EVP of corporate and regulatory affairs. “They favor the bots, the brokers, all the bad actors that are in this marketplace.” https://loom.ly/xt4q0QU