Legislation & Lobbying

Charlie Kirk’s widow calls for cameras in courtrooms, renewing efforts for access to all federal courts

The widow of slain conservative political activist Charlie Kirk has called for the murder trial of his suspected killer to be on camera, prompting a top Republican U.S. senator to renew calls for legislation allowing video cameras in federal courtrooms nationwide.

Nov 5, 2025 10:33 AM CST

Trump administration is sued over student loan forgiveness changes

In a swift rebuke of the Trump administration’s restrictions on a popular student loan forgiveness program for public servants, nonprofits, states, cities and unions filed two separate lawsuits Monday to challenge the changes.

Nov 4, 2025 9:42 AM CST

California Gov. Newsom signs bill requiring state bar to reconsider bar exam

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last week requiring the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners to weigh the pros and cons of adopting a uniform bar exam over a state-specific exam.

Oct 7, 2025 10:19 AM CDT

ABA addresses regulatory and legislative challenges

As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA has long worked to preserve the profession’s independence and ensure legislation and regulations do not undermine lawyers’ ability to represent clients or interfere with courts’ authority over the practice of law.

Oct 1, 2025 12:10 AM CDT

Supreme Court allows Trump to withhold $4B in foreign aid in case in which ABA is a plaintiff

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday allowed the Trump administration to withhold $4 billion in foreign aid funds while the federal government awaits a decision by Congress on its request to rescind the appropriation.

Sep 29, 2025 12:14 PM CDT

After second federal judge withdraws error-riddled ruling, litigants seek explanation

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch has asked a federal judge to explain “significant substantive errors” in a withdrawn opinion and to put the ruling back on the docket.

Jul 30, 2025 11:28 AM CDT

Federal law gives Congress power over funding, yet White House has a different view, some say

After bipartisan pressure, the Trump administration on Friday said it would release to the states billions of dollars in federal funds for education programs that it had previously frozen pending “review.”

Jul 28, 2025 1:32 PM CDT

New law preserves SALT and QBI deductions, avoids large tax hikes for law firms

Congress passed a broad tax reform package in early July that extends numerous expiring tax cuts and makes many additional changes to the federal tax code while preserving the existing state and local tax (SALT) and qualified business income (QBI) deductions currently enjoyed by law firms and many other pass-through businesses.

Jul 28, 2025 12:31 PM CDT

Transgender teacher likely to fail in First Amendment challenge to Florida pronouns law, 11th Circuit says

A federal appeals court has ruled against a teacher who challenged a Florida law barring K-12 public school employees from communicating their preferred pronouns to students in the classroom if they don’t comport with their sex assigned at birth.

Jul 7, 2025 11:40 AM CDT

Litigation finance tax, limits on contempt power dropped from Senate’s version of budget megabill

Two proposals of concern to many lawyers are being dropped in the U.S. Senate's version of a budget megabill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Jul 1, 2025 9:21 AM CDT

Gains from litigation funding would be taxed at nearly 32% in latest Senate version of budget megabill

The U.S. Senate's version of a budget megabill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, released Saturday sets a proposed tax of 31.8% on earnings from litigation finance contracts, down from 40.8% in the first version of the bill.

Jun 30, 2025 3:19 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

States grapple with regulating seltzer drinks with THC

As controversy ensues across the states, some say low-THC products should be outlawed completely.

Jun 1, 2025 12:50 AM CDT

Protecting fair and impartial courts is a key tenet of ABA advocacy

Given the fundamental role that fair and impartial courts have in upholding the rule of law, the American Bar Association has long made judicial independence a cornerstone of its advocacy.

Jun 1, 2025 12:10 AM CDT

Proposal to limit courts’ contempt power, part of spending bill, is ‘terrible idea,’ Chemerinsky says

A budget bill by the U.S. House of Representatives contains a “stunning” provision that would limit federal courts’ ability to hold government officials and other litigants in contempt for disobeying their orders, according to Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.

May 21, 2025 9:27 AM CDT