Administrative Law › Constitutional Law

Supreme Court Upholds Limitations on Non-Residents’ Access to Public Information

On April 29, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a unanimous decision upholding citizen-specific limitations in the State of Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (the “Act”). The Act provides that “all public...more

DOES AUTHORITY EXIST FOR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR VIOLATIONS OF BAIL LICENSING LAWS WITHOUT CERTIFICATION OF CRIMES BY THE...

California attorney Joseph Cavallo was convicted of violating Title 10, CCR section 2071, "recommendation of attorney by bail licensee". The authority to prosecute violations of the bail licensing regulations lies with the...more

New FTC Commissioner Prioritizes Transparency in Enforcement

New Federal Trade Commission Commissioner Joshua D. Wright explained at a recent ABA Antitrust Meeting that his top priorities were to develop a more transparent and evidence-based approach to FTC Section 5 enforcement and to...more

Court Grants Unexpected Victory to Providers on Medicare DSH Adjustment

The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania’s opinion in Nazareth Hosp. v. Sebelius, slip op. no. 10-3513 furnished a surprising victory to two providers that challenged the calculation of the...more

Konczal: Dodd-Frank Reforms Get Roughed Up in Court [Video]

April 11 (Bloomberg Law) -- Mike Konczal, fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and contributor to Bloomberg View, talks with Bloomberg Law's Lee Pacchia about how the implementation of the financial reform laws in Dodd-Frank...more

City of Tombstone v. United States

BRIEF OF THE CATO INSTITUTE, THE RIO GRANDE FOUNDATION, THE MONTANA POLICY INSTITUTE, THE IDAHO FREEDOM FOUNDATION, AND THE...

This brief addresses whether the City of Tombstone is likely to succeed on its claim that its ability to access and repair the sources of its municipal water located on federal land is not trumped by the federal government’s...more

Employment Law Blog: The Continuing Saga of the NLRB Recess Appointments and Fallout

On January 25, 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit published an opinion in Noel Canning v. National Relations Board, Case No. 12-1115. The case arose out of a dispute between employer Noel Canning, a...more

FDA Emphasizes Patient-Specific Prescriptions

On March 7, 2013, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter to compounding pharmacy Medi-Fare Drug & Home Health Center (Medi-Fare Drug), taking the FDA's most aggressive position to date...more

NY Statewide Coalition of Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, et. al. v. NYC Dept. of Health

Analysis: NYC "Nanny State" Soda Ban Enjoined

Even the best laid plans of "nanny state" policy must pass constitutional muster. Hon. Milton Tingling enjoined New York City from instituting the now-famous sugar sweetened beverage ban that Mayor Bloomberg has touted...more

Capper, Dir of National Intelligence, et al v. Amnesty International USA et al

SCOTUS Dismisses Federal Wiretapping Challenge

Full text copy of Supreme Court's dismissal of lawsuit challenging federal wiretapping program. On Tuesday, February 26, 2013, a divided Court dismissed a challenge to the FISA Amendments Act, which permits federal...more

Supreme Court Hears Argument on States’ Ability to Exclude Public Records Access for Non-Citizens

On February 20, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in McBurney v. Young, No. 12-17, a case with potentially major implications for businesses that use state freedom of information acts (FOIAs) to obtain...more

Recent Administrative Law Notes

The Fourth District Court of Appeal recently held that the due process rights of a party are not violated in the circumstance where the administrative law judge who issued the recommended order was not the same administrative...more

Judge Puts Off Decision On Whether Receiver’s CalPERS Benefits Are Unconstitional

Did CalPERS Make A Gift Of Public Funds? On January 23, 2008, the federal court appointed J. Clark Kelso as a receiver for California’s prison health care system. In 2011, a taxpayer filed a petition for write of...more

In re Simon Shiao Tam

Ex Parte Appeal Brief of Simon Tam of the PTO's Refusal to Register THE SLANTS Trademark

From the Preliminary Statement: This is not yet another case of a member of an ethnic group seeking registration of a supposedly offensive slur on the ground that group members, or he in particular, have “embraced” the...more

Interesting Valuation Dispute in Caltrans Eminent Domain Battle

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the owner of Silveira Ranch are involved in an interesting valuation dispute stemming from Caltrans' acquisition of part of the ranchland needed for Highway 101...more

Eminent Domain to Be Used for I-80 and I-680 Interchange

California continues to move forward with more infrastructure improvement projects. According to an article in the Daily Republic, Agency starts eminent domain proceedings for I-80/680 project, the Solano Transportation...more

California County Drops Consideration Of Eminent Domain Proposal

On January 24, a Joint Powers Authority established by San Bernardino County decided not to pursue a proposal under which the County would use eminent domain power to seize underwater mortgages from private trusts and provide...more

Are The Illinois Labor Department's Administrative Fines Unconstitutional?

Yesterday, the Illinois Supreme Court granted leave to appeal in four new civil cases. We begin our previews of these newest additions to the court’s docket with Bartlow v. Costigan, which raises a variety of constitutional...more

What is the "relevant parcel" in a regulatory takings case?

In Lost Tree Village Corporation v. United States, the Federal Circuit addressed this question head on, concluding, to the surprise of no one, that the answer will largely depend upon the unique facts in each case. ...more

CFPB Powers Could Be Invalidated Following Ruling on NLRB Recess Appointments

On January 25, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that President Obama’s purported “recess appointments” to the NLRB last year are constitutionally invalid....more

More Reports on San Bernardino's Decision to Abandon Underwater Mortgage Eminent Domain Plan

Given how much publicity the proposal to condemn underwater mortgages received when it first appeared last summer, I suppose it's not surprising that San Bernardino's decision last week not to move forward has also garnered a...more

Hoku Lele, LLC v. City and County of Honolulu

Opinion of the Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals

The Hawaii Intermediate Court of Appeals, in a unanimous panel opinion authored by Judge Foley, held that a "zoning verification" by the Director of the City and County's Department of Planning and Permitting is not a "action...more

DC Circuit Court of Appeals Throws Out Recess Appointments to the NLRB

In a stunning rebuke to President Obama, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals declared the President’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board as unconstitutional. The ruling could have...more

Canning v. National Labor Relations Board

Obama NLRB Recess Appointments Unconstitutional (Text Copy)

Full text copy of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruling in Canning v. National Labor Relations Board, which found President Obama’s recess appointments of three members to the NLRB in January 2012 to be...more

San Bernardino Not Moving Forward with Proposed Plan to Condemn Underwater Mortgages

For the better part of a year, we've been writing about the controversial proposal to use the power of eminent domain to condemn underwater mortgages, allowing homeowners to have a new loan that better reflects the underlying...more