Good morning – it’s Friday, May 29, 2026.
Here are six legal developments we’re tracking this week.
Estimated read time: 4 minutes
Lead Story
Supreme Court Receives Emergency Appeal Over Alabama Congressional Map
What happened: Alabama filed an emergency application asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stay a three-judge panel ruling blocking the state’s congressional map. The lower court found the map was enacted with discriminatory intent and could not be used in the 2026 elections.
Why it matters: The case is an early test of how courts will evaluate claims of intentional racial discrimination versus partisan motivations in redistricting challenges after the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais. Reinstating the map could help Republicans preserve their narrow House majority by eliminating a Democratic-leaning Alabama district.
Implication: The ruling could affect how states frame partisan-gerrymandering defenses when plaintiffs allege racial discrimination. Attorneys advising election officials, campaigns, and voting-rights litigants should monitor whether the Court stays the lower-court order or leaves the remedial map in place.
Read more: New York Times | Emergency Application
The Docket
Supreme Court Rejects Prison Sentence Reductions Under Reform Law
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that disparities created by nonretroactive legal changes are not “extraordinary and compelling reasons” for compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i). Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that courts cannot use compassionate release to reduce sentences Congress chose not to make retroactive. The decision invalidates a 2023 Sentencing Commission policy allowing judges to consider unusually long sentences imposed before the First Step Act.
Why it matters: The ruling narrows judicial discretion in compassionate release cases and limits the Sentencing Commission’s authority to expand relief beyond Congress’s retroactivity choices. For defense and post-conviction counsel, it reduces one avenue for challenging lengthy pre-2018 federal sentences based on later sentencing-law changes.
…..
Green Card Applicants Directed to Apply Abroad
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued guidance directing most foreign nationals seeking green cards from within the United States to use consular processing abroad. The policy limits adjustment of status to extraordinary circumstances, shifting many applicants from USCIS to State Department processing.
Why it matters: The directive narrows a pathway allowing noncitizens to obtain lawful permanent residence without leaving the country. Immigration counsel should assess its effect on applications, consular backlogs, family-separation risks, and potential Administrative Procedure Act challenges.
Read more: Associated Press | Policy Memorandum
…..
Google Engineer Charged Over Polymarket Trades
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged a Google software engineer with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for allegedly using confidential company data to place prediction-market bets on Polymarket. Prosecutors allege the engineer used nonpublic information about Google’s most-searched rankings to generate $1.2 million in profits.
Why it matters: The case extends insider-trading theories to prediction markets and confidential corporate data outside traditional securities markets. For corporate and white-collar counsel, it highlights compliance risks tied to employee access to nonpublic information and trading on emerging digital platforms.
Read more: U.S. Department of Justice
…..
Supreme Court Reverses Fourth Circuit in Immigration Judge Speech Dispute
In an unsigned opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a Fourth Circuit ruling allowing federal immigration judges to pursue a First Amendment challenge to a policy requiring approval for certain public remarks. The Court held the Fourth Circuit violated the party-presentation principle by raising concerns not advanced by the parties about whether the Civil Service Reform Act’s review process remained sufficiently independent.
Why it matters: The decision leaves the First Amendment challenge unresolved while reinforcing limits on appellate courts deciding cases based on arguments not presented by the parties. It also preserves the Civil Service Reform Act as the default channel for many federal employee disputes before judicial review.
…..
Supreme Court Declines NFL Arbitration Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the National Football League and several teams seeking to compel former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to arbitrate racial discrimination claims. The denial leaves intact a Second Circuit ruling that the league’s arbitration provision was unenforceable because it gave the NFL commissioner unilateral authority over the arbitral forum.
Why it matters: The denial preserves Second Circuit limits on arbitration provisions that give an adverse party substantial control over a proceeding. For employment counsel, the ruling increases litigation risk for employer-controlled arbitration programs where the arbitrator lacks structural independence.
Read more: Reuters | Petition for Writ of Certiorari
Partner Signal
Kirkland Commits $500 Million to Proprietary AI Platform
Kirkland & Ellis plans to invest $500 million to build a proprietary AI platform using internal knowledge and lawyer workflows. The project reflects a growing divide between firms licensing AI tools and those building firm-owned systems.
Financial Times
What We’re Watching
Trade Court Presses CBP on Tariff Refund Compliance
The U.S. Court of International Trade directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to address compliance issues involving IEEPA tariff refunds. Further judicial intervention may clarify procedures and timelines for pending importer claims.
New York Times
Brought to You by Attorney Credits
Your trusted source for affordable CLE. Serving over 130,000 attorneys. More than 3 million courses delivered.