Federal Government

Supreme Court sets rules for officials who block social media critics

The Supreme Court on Friday set new ground rules for when public officials can block critical voices from their social media accounts, ruling in two of several cases this term that will shape the future of online interactions between the government and its citizens.

Mar 15, 2024 12:30 PM CDT

Judges, GOP lawmakers slam new policy that limits ‘judge shopping’

Conservative judges and senior Republican lawmakers are pushing back against a newly announced policy that would require assigning judges at random in civil cases that have statewide or national implications, saying the action conflicts with federal law.

Mar 14, 2024 2:45 PM CDT

Biden recalls time he bluffed knowledge of torts case and why he changed his mind about civil-trial work

President Joe Biden digressed when answering questions last fall about documents stored at his vice presidential residence to remember his tough torts class at the Syracuse University College of Law and the first job that he got after graduation.

Mar 14, 2024 2:34 PM CDT

U.S. courts require random judge assignments to avoid ‘judge shopping’

Federal judiciary leaders on Tuesday announced a policy that requires assigning judges at random in civil cases that have statewide or national implications, an effort to address widespread concerns about “judge shopping” in single-judge divisions.

Mar 13, 2024 12:00 PM CDT

Judge tells US it’s not his job to search for better evidence as he strikes down minority business program

A federal judge in Texas appeared exasperated with government lawyers when he ruled that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency unconstitutionally denies benefits based on race.

Mar 7, 2024 3:17 PM CST

ABA calls on Biden administration to protect asylum-seekers

ABA President Mary Smith is urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Domestic Policy Council to honor due process when responding to conflicts at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mar 7, 2024 9:07 AM CST

Group representing immigration judges told to get DOJ approval before speaking publicly

A group representing immigration judges has spoken out in the past to criticize court administration and advocate for more independence.

Mar 5, 2024 3:28 PM CST

Did ‘grand bargain’ fail to materialize in Trump ballot case? Metadata leads to speculation

The U.S. Supreme Court left "a big clue dangling in the metadata" about potential negotiations when it issued a unanimous decision Monday that kept former President Donald Trump on the ballot in Colorado, according to an article in Slate.

Mar 5, 2024 10:07 AM CST

Does narrowed question in Trump immunity case benefit special counsel? Some commentators think so

The U.S. Supreme Court avoided former President Donald Trump’s most extreme arguments—including that he has absolute immunity from prosecution for any acts while in office—when it crafted the question presented in its grant of certiorari Wednesday in the special counsel’s case over efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Feb 29, 2024 3:09 PM CST

Illinois judge removes Trump from primary ballot

An Illinois judge ruled Wednesday that former President Donald Trump should be removed from the state’s primary ballot because of the 14th Amendment ban on insurrectionists holding office.

Feb 29, 2024 11:15 AM CST

What happens next after Supreme Court agrees to hear Trump immunity case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to weigh Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from criminal prosecution on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election while president, setting historic oral arguments for the week of April 22 and further delaying his trial in Washington, D.C., during this presidential election year.

Feb 29, 2024 10:00 AM CST

SCOTUS agrees to hear Trump’s presidential immunity claim

The Supreme Court will review Donald Trump’s unprecedented claim that he is shielded from prosecution for actions taken while in office, further delaying the former president’s federal trial in the nation’s capital on charges of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to remain in power.

Feb 28, 2024 4:55 PM CST

FBI investigates ‘battle of the sexes’ texts sent to female law professors

The FBI is investigating text messages sent to female law professors, which complained that women are outperforming men in law school.

Feb 28, 2024 9:45 AM CST

Supreme Court seems poised to halt EPA plan to cut cross-state pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency’s effort to cut emissions from power plants and factories to reduce pollution that blows into neighboring states seems likely to be halted by the Supreme Court, a blow to an ambitious federal initiative that environmentalists have said is necessary to protect people, especially children and the elderly, from lung-damaging smog.

Feb 22, 2024 12:10 PM CST

Biden administration releases proposed guidelines for student loan hardship

The Biden administration released proposed guidelines last week that will extend debt relief to borrowers with federal student loans who are facing financial hardship that impairs ability to pay.

Feb 21, 2024 10:48 AM CST