US Legal News — Court News, Rulings and Legal Updates
The docket today
- The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether app-store age-verification laws burden protected speech.
- Judges may not lengthen sentences based on acquitted conduct, the Court held 6–3.
- A bankruptcy judge rejected non-consensual third-party releases, unravelling a mass tort settlement.
- AI training on a licensed archive is fair use, but scraping behind paywalls is not, a federal judge ruled.
- Twenty state privacy laws are now in force; six more arrive on January 1.
Top stories
Supreme CourtCriminalAcquitted Conduct Sentencing Ends: Supreme Court Rules 6–3 That Judges Cannot Punish Conduct a Jury Rejected
2nd CircuitSecond CircuitHowey Test and Token Sales: Second Circuit Revives Crypto Securities Class Action, Splitting With the Ninth Circuit
S.D.N.Y.District courtsAI Copyright Lawsuit Ruling: Training on a Licensed News Archive Is Fair Use, Scraping Behind Paywalls Is Not
ColumnsThe Shadow Docket Needs Reasons: Emergency Orders Without Explanation Are Costing the Court Its Legitimacy
DebtWhat Debt Collectors Can and Cannot Do: Your FDCPA Rights, the Debt Validation Letter and the Statute of Limitations
Supreme CourtFirst Amendment
Bankr. S.D.N.Y.Bankruptcy
Privacy
Age Verification Law at the Supreme Court: Justices Take Up App-Store Challenge, Resolving a Circuit Split
The justices will decide whether requiring platforms to verify users' ages before downloads burdens protected speech, resolving a split between two circuits.
By Claire Whitfield, Washington bureau chief
The Supreme Court building in Washington on the morning the orders list was released. Photograph: The JusticeInside
Third-Party Releases in Chapter 11: Bankruptcy Judge Rejects Non-Consensual Releases, Unravelling Mass Tort Plan
Without the releases, the settlement funding collapses, pushing the restructuring back to the drawing board.
By Rebecca Lindqvist, Corporate and bankruptcy correspondent
US State Privacy Laws 2027: Twenty Laws in Force, Six More in January — The Compliance Map
Universal opt-out signals, data protection assessments and children's provisions diverge in ways a single policy no longer covers.
By Hannah Bergström, Regulatory correspondent
Supreme CourtMore Supreme Court stories
Bankruptcy & DelawareMore on bankruptcy and Delaware
Privacy & AIMore on privacy and AI
PracticeMore on legal practice
Acquitted Conduct Sentencing Ends: Supreme Court Rules 6–3 That Judges Cannot Punish Conduct a Jury Rejected
By Claire Whitfield, Washington bureau chief
Dormant Commerce Clause Challenge Fails: Supreme Court Upholds State Data Broker Registration Law 7–2
By Claire Whitfield, Washington bureau chief
FTC AI Regulation Under Section 5: Justices Skeptical a 1914 Statute Reaches How AI Models Are Trained
By Claire Whitfield, Washington bureau chief
Attorney-Client Privilege for Dual-Purpose Communications: Supreme Court to Decide Which Test Applies
By Claire Whitfield, Washington bureau chief
Howey Test and Token Sales: Second Circuit Revives Crypto Securities Class Action, Splitting With the Ninth Circuit
By Daniel Okafor, Federal courts correspondent, New York
AI Copyright Lawsuit Ruling: Training on a Licensed News Archive Is Fair Use, Scraping Behind Paywalls Is Not
By Maya Castellanos, Legal tech correspondent, San Francisco
ABC Test Upheld: Ninth Circuit Says App Drivers Are Employees for Wage Claims Despite Arbitration Agreements
By Daniel Okafor, Federal courts correspondent, New York
EPA Methane Rule Vacated: D.C. Circuit Finds Agency Skipped Notice-and-Comment Rulemaking
By Jordan Blake, Policy correspondent, Washington
Supreme CourtCert. granted Oct 17, 2026
Quillfeather Labs v. Brightwater
Age Verification Law at the Supreme Court: Justices Take Up App-Store Challenge, Resolving a Circuit Split
2nd CircuitOct 16, 2026
In re Pellucid Token Litigation
Howey Test and Token Sales: Second Circuit Revives Crypto Securities Class Action, Splitting With the Ninth Circuit
Bankr. S.D.N.Y.Oct 17, 2026
In re Wexley Pharma
Third-Party Releases in Chapter 11: Bankruptcy Judge Rejects Non-Consensual Releases, Unravelling Mass Tort Plan
S.D.N.Y.Oct 12, 2026
Harrowgate Media v. Lumen AI
AI Copyright Lawsuit Ruling: Training on a Licensed News Archive Is Fair Use, Scraping Behind Paywalls Is Not
Supreme CourtOct 15, 2026
United States v. Marlowe
Acquitted Conduct Sentencing Ends: Supreme Court Rules 6–3 That Judges Cannot Punish Conduct a Jury Rejected
N.D. Cal.Oct 14, 2026
Hollins v. Brightwater Insurance
AI Hallucination Sanctions: Federal Judge Fines Lawyer $15,000 for Fabricated Citations, Orders AI Training
Term of the day
CertiorariA writ by which the Supreme Court agrees to review a lower court's decision; granted in only a small fraction of petitions.
Browse the glossary
Quote of the week
“A verdict of not guilty must mean something at sentencing, or it means nothing at all.”
Supreme Court in United States v. Marlowe
Third-Party Releases in Chapter 11: Bankruptcy Judge Rejects Non-Consensual Releases, Unravelling Mass Tort Plan
Without the releases, the settlement funding collapses, pushing the restructuring back to the drawing board.
By Rebecca Lindqvist, Corporate and bankruptcy correspondent
D. Del.Antitrust
Hospital Merger Blocked: Judge Halts $11 Billion Health Software Deal, Finds Divestiture Buyer Inadequate
Arbitration
Mass Arbitration Fees Capped: Why Class Action Waivers Are Backfiring on the Companies That Wrote Them
SECSecurities
AI Washing: SEC Brings First Enforcement Action Against Fund Manager Over Automated-Trading Claims
Syndicated Conservation Easements: Tax Court Disallows $210 Million in Deductions Over Resort-Value Appraisals
The court found appraisals that valued undeveloped land as if a resort had already been built were not credible.
By Samuel Reyes, Tax correspondent
IRS
IRS Partnership Audits Triple as AI-Assisted Case Selection Targets Basis Shifting and Related-Party Deals
Illinois Sup. Ct.State tax
Economic Nexus Threshold Upheld: Illinois Supreme Court Says 200 Transactions Is Enough for Remote-Seller Sales Tax
International tax
Global Minimum Tax Without the US: How Pillar Two Top-Up Taxes Reach American Multinationals Abroad
Prof. Eleanor Brandt
Columnist, constitutional law
The Shadow Docket Needs Reasons: Emergency Orders Without Explanation Are Costing the Court Its Legitimacy
Margaret Chen
Columnist, corporate governance
AI Governance Is a Board Problem, Not a Technology Problem
Ray Donnelly
Columnist, criminal defense
Plea Bargains Decide 97% of Federal Cases. That Is Not a Trial System
David Olumide
Columnist, legal technology
Billable Hours, Not Laziness, Send AI-Hallucinated Briefs Out Unchecked
Claire Whitfield
Washington bureau chief
Editorial: Sixty New Judgeships Is a Start. The Judicial Vacancies Tell the Real Story
JUDGES Act Advances: Senate Committee Backs 60 New Federal Judgeships Over a Decade
By Jordan Blake, Policy correspondent, Washington
Judicial Security Funding: Judiciary Asks Congress for 20% Increase as Threats Against Judges Hit a Record
By Jordan Blake, Policy correspondent, Washington
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05
Debt
Collectors, credit reports and the limits on what they can do.
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How to sign up →Capital Brief
By Claire Whitfield
Age Verification Law at the Supreme Court: Justices Take Up App-Store Challenge, Resolving a Circuit Split
Sign upCircuit Notes
By Daniel Okafor
Howey Test and Token Sales: Second Circuit Revives Crypto Securities Class Action, Splitting With the Ninth Circuit
Sign upDeal Counsel
By Rebecca Lindqvist
Third-Party Releases in Chapter 11: Bankruptcy Judge Rejects Non-Consensual Releases, Unravelling Mass Tort Plan
Sign upTax Brief
By Samuel Reyes
Syndicated Conservation Easements: Tax Court Disallows $210 Million in Deductions Over Resort-Value Appraisals
Sign upCompliance Weekly
By Hannah Bergström
US State Privacy Laws 2027: Twenty Laws in Force, Six More in January — The Compliance Map
Sign upAI Hallucination Sanctions: Federal Judge Fines Lawyer $15,000 for Fabricated Citations, Orders AI Training
By Maya Castellanos, Legal tech correspondent, San Francisco
AI Privilege Review in eDiscovery: Courts Accept It, With Validation Sampling and Human Review of the Privilege Log
By Maya Castellanos, Legal tech correspondent, San Francisco
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REVIEW
REVIEW
Quarterly · Fall 2026
Twenty privacy laws, one country
From The JusticeInside Review · Cover story
US State Privacy Laws 2027: Twenty Laws in Force, Six More in January — The Compliance Map
Universal opt-out signals, data protection assessments and children's provisions diverge in ways a single policy no longer covers.