Legal Roundup: Smith Selfies, Alito's Leak Grievance
A single legal blog roundup captures the week's legal-political chatter, from special counsel Jack Smith's fan meet-and-greet to Justice Alito's renewed leak complaints.
Law & Policy
AI regulation, litigation, copyright and IP, and privacy law.
Kash Patel Sued After Firing Whistleblower Over MAGA Podcast Appearances
A new lawsuit alleges that Kash Patel retaliated against a whistleblower by firing them for appearing on MAGA podcasts.
Dave Grohl Dedicates 'My Hero' to Jack Smith, Wears Hawkeyes Shirt
A rock concert gesture adds a pop-culture dimension to the public profile of the special counsel.
Legal Ethics Roundup: Hart Tribute, NYC Bar Campaign, and More
A new Above the Law roundup curates legal ethics news, from Justice Melissa Hart's passing to a public-facing NYC Bar campaign.
Court Permanently Dismisses Reflecting Pool Vandalism Case
A federal court has ended the case against David Hearn, rejecting the government's attempt to blame him for a botched repair job.
Federal Circuit: Presumption of Validity Not Enough to Dodge Sanctions
A Federal Circuit ruling warns patentees that they may need to investigate validity before suing when the PTO has rejected related claims.
Constitution's Preamble Envisions Multiple Goals, Not Just Liberty
A legal scholar argues that the Constitution balances liberty with other aims like justice, tranquility, and general welfare.
Filevine CEO Publishes Sponsored Open Letter to Westlaw and LexisNexis Users
A sponsored open letter from Filevine's CEO signals a legal-tech vendor's direct appeal to users of the established research platforms.
AI Is Scaling Influence Ops, but Persuasion Gains Remain Unproven
Threat reports from frontier AI companies show state-linked actors using AI to cut costs and automate operations, yet evidence that these campaigns shift public opinion is thin.
Why Import Bans Are Not a Presidential Blank Check
A new Lawfare article argues that executive import bans are as constitutionally constrained as tariffs, despite Trump's claims of sweeping embargo power.
Fifth Circuit Nominee Todd Butler Faces Qualifications Scrutiny
A Reason essay argues Butler's record is thin and that his votes would likely mirror his mentor's dissents.
Suncor v. Boulder County: Supreme Court Hears Climate Preemption Case
The Supreme Court's decision in Suncor Energy v. Boulder County could determine whether state-law climate tort suits are preempted, with major implications for environmental law and federalism.
Who Owns the Rules for AI Agents? Governance Questions Loom
Agentic commerce will not eliminate internal governance; it will expose vague rules, according to a new legal analysis.
Warner/Chappell Takedown Pulls Two-Hour Lindsay Ellis Video Over Seconds of Karaoke
A brief karaoke clip triggered the removal of a long-form video essay, underscoring how copyright takedowns can disproportionately silence commentary.
Sponsored Deal Posts Raise Questions About Editorial Boundaries
A Techdirt 'Daily Deal' promoting Babbel shows how native advertising can blur the line between editorial content and paid promotion.
Biglaw Partner Pay Surges as Firms Spend Big on Superstars
A new report highlights how top law firms are channeling record revenues into outsized pay packages for their most profitable partners.
Alito Says He Knows Who Leaked Dobbs, Fox News Interview Reveals
Justice Samuel Alito told Fox News he knows the identity of the person who leaked the Dobbs draft opinion, according to a legal news report.
Amicus Brief: Section 230 Bars West Virginia's CSAM Suit Against Apple
The Copia Institute argues the Fourth Circuit should reject West Virginia's attempt to hold Apple liable for not filtering CSAM, saying Section 230 preempts such state action.