Federal Civil Enforcement

Judge blocks California’s ban on federal agents wearing face masks; badges still required

A federal judge has blocked a California law that would ban federal immigration agents from masking their faces but will require them to wear clear identification showing their agency and badge number, the Associated Press reports.

Feb 11, 2026 10:01 AM CST

NFL Players Association fires attorney who sued union over retaliation, sex discrimination

The NFL Players Association has fired an associate general counsel who sued the union’s leaders for alleged retaliation after she agreed to participate in a federal probe into their financial activities.

Jan 26, 2026 8:55 AM CST

Client accuses Willkie of conspiring to commit $735M fraud scheme

A Willkie Farr & Gallagher client has accused the law firm of aiding and abetting a $735 million fraud scheme related to a take-private deal for another one of its clients.

Jan 21, 2026 9:58 AM CST

Chemerinsky: SCOTUS rulings on shadow docket cases should be fully heard before becoming binding precedent

Should a Supreme Court ruling on its emergency docket be deemed binding precedent in the lower courts? Until recently, I would have thought no, the law would not allow it. Rulings on the emergency docket are without the benefit of full briefing or any oral argument. Often there is little or even no explanation from the court.

Sep 2, 2025 8:51 AM CDT

Justice Department subpoenas Letitia James about Trump fraud probe

The Justice Department is intensifying its legal battle against New York Attorney General Letitia James, issuing at least two subpoenas to James in recent days, according to three people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an investigation.

Aug 8, 2025 1:39 PM CDT

Federal sex-trafficking law has led to an increase in suits against hotel chains

Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed against hotel chains in recent years based on claims they were complicit in sex trafficking. The lawsuits push the hospitality industry to take seriously the potential for trafficking on hotel premises and appropriately train their employees, according to lawyers who represent survivors.

Jun 1, 2025 1:00 AM CDT

Court’s religious training order for attorneys ‘plainly exceeded remedial bounds,’ 5th Circuit says

A federal appeals court ruled last week that a federal judge erred when he required lawyers for Southwest Airlines to attend “religious liberty training” for failing to comply with a court order.

May 12, 2025 12:45 PM CDT

Future Forward: How lawyers can embrace sustainability

Sustainable development means more than “being green,” says John Dernbach, an emeritus professor at Widener University Commonwealth Law School and the founding director of its Environmental Law and Sustainability Center. Rather, he says, sustainable development balances environmental protection, economic development and social justice.

Apr 1, 2025 3:00 AM CDT

Trump’s executive orders already face pushback, legal challenges

Two hours after being sworn in, President Donald Trump sat down in the President’s Room at the U.S. Capitol to sign the first of nearly 100 promised executive orders. But his pen strokes also kicked off a round of objections from opponents, scholars and other groups that said he’d exceeded the limits of his presidential power.

Jan 21, 2025 11:15 AM CST

DOJ seeks forced sale of Chrome, other big changes at Google in monopoly case

The Justice Department is seeking to force Google to sell off its Chrome browser and make other major changes to remedy its illegal search monopoly, prosecutors told a Washington court Wednesday, setting a marker in the landmark case before the incoming Trump administration makes its own determinations about how to proceed.

Nov 21, 2024 3:48 PM CST

DOJ will push Google to sell Chrome to break monopoly on search market

Top Justice Department antitrust officials have decided to ask a judge to force Google to sell off its Chrome browser in what would be a historic crackdown on one of the world’s biggest tech companies.

Nov 19, 2024 3:35 PM CST

FTC antitrust case against Meta can move to trial, court rules

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit accusing Facebook owner Meta of holding an illegal monopoly over social media can proceed to trial, handing the agency a victory after previous setbacks in making its case in court.

Nov 13, 2024 3:35 PM CST

Copyright decision is a win for milkshake lovers and the right to repair

The Library of Congress—which houses the Copyright Office—has ruled that any technician can repair some commercial food preparation equipment, including the McDonald’s ice cream machines. The decision could decrease the amount of time McDonald’s restaurants have to wait for an expert to fix the devices.

Nov 1, 2024 2:15 PM CDT

DOJ reaches $100 million settlement in Baltimore bridge collapse

The owner of the Dali container ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year, collapsing the span and killing six people, has agreed to pay more than $100 million in damages to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit, authorities said Thursday.

Oct 25, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

Justice Department sues TikTok, alleging it broke child privacy law

The Justice Department on Friday sued TikTok and its China-based owner ByteDance, saying the popular video app had violated a children’s privacy law by collecting data on millions of Americans younger than 13.

Aug 2, 2024 3:20 PM CDT