Government Regulation and Public Sector Law

After decades of advocacy, Leonard Peltier was granted clemency on the final day of the Biden administration. The effort required an extraordinary coalition spanning Native American communities, civil rights organizations, a rock legend from the E Street Band, and even a phone call to the Vatican at three o'clock in the morning. Kevin Sharp, who served as Peltier's attorney, takes you inside this remarkable journey.

The Food and Agriculture Organization's Development Law Service is hosting a webinar to explore the emerging legal concept of Rights of Nature and its intersection with critical areas including water resources, Indigenous Peoples' rights, biodiversity, and sustainable food systems. Legal experts will provide analytical insights through case studies and examine how this evolving framework connects to FAO's mandate for environmental protection and land tenure.

A controversial legislative effort to grant coral reefs and watersheds “legal personhood” in Hawaii has been voted down by the state legislature.

A federal court has vacated FinCEN's Residential Real Estate Rule, suspending new reporting requirements for certain property transactions involving LLCs and trusts. While this decision provides immediate relief from compliance burdens, the government's appeal and ongoing regulatory focus on transparency mean the issue remains unresolved, requiring investors and business owners to stay prepared for potential future changes.

The Scoular Company's recent FCPA enforcement action reveals how agricultural shipments crossing the U.S.-Mexico border became entangled in a bribery scheme involving Mexican officials and cartel associates. The case demonstrates DOJ's heightened focus on corruption that facilitates transnational criminal organizations, even when companies lack direct knowledge of cartel connections. What compliance measures should businesses implement to mitigate FCPA risks when operating with customs brokers and intermedi

The US has renewed its economic pressure campaign against Iran with multiple rounds of sanctions targeting weapons procurement networks, oil shipping operations, and financial facilitators, while simultaneously resuming military strikes and reinstating a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. These actions follow the breakdown of a June memorandum of understanding and represent a parallel effort to compel Iranian concessions on nuclear and maritime issues, though the likelihood of success remains uncertain given

President Trump's Executive Order 14415 mandates stricter controls on defense contractors acquiring critical materials from foreign adversaries, requiring comprehensive supply chain mapping and mitigation plans. The order curtails waiver authority and directs the Pentagon to develop new regulatory frameworks for tracking components from raw materials to finished products. How will these enhanced requirements reshape defense contracting and supply chain management for companies at all tiers?

The Federal Communications Commission has initiated unprecedented enforcement actions targeting false U.S. production claims and fraudulent test reports in equipment authorization processes. A drone manufacturer faces potential revocation of its authorizations after allegedly misrepresenting its products as domestically manufactured, while a Chinese test lab may lose FCC recognition for submitting duplicated test data across dozens of unrelated products.

Massachusetts is advancing groundbreaking legislation to regulate robotic devices, establishing a framework that prohibits weaponization while permitting defined government and research applications. The Responsible Robotics Act addresses a critical regulatory gap as commercially available robots become increasingly capable and widely deployed in communities. With strong House support and industry backing, the bill could become one of the nation's first comprehensive state laws governing the responsible use

With many school leaders asking whether the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on transgender athletes affects existing policies and practices, New Jersey districts should be aware that state requirements governing...

Most people alive today were born after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. We may be inclined to take for granted that civil rights are so engrained in our society that racial discrimination is only...

Within weeks of each other, US Customs and Border Protection and the European Commission released guidance documents on forced labor import compliance, revealing fundamentally different approaches to enforcement. While CBP emphasizes documentary evidence and supply-chain traceability, the EC focuses on human rights due diligence systems and corporate governance, raising questions about which model will shape the future of global forced labor regulation.