Legal News
Reports on lawmaking, constitutional issues, and court cases. The Daily Signal combines news reporting with conservative commentary and legal analysis.
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- Opinion
ALITO: A Fitting Tribute to the Justice Who Overturned Roe v. Wade
As rumors swirl that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito might retire at the end of this term, allowing President Donald Trump to name his replacement before the 2026 midterm elections, the justice could not have wished for a better send-off than Mollie Hemingway’s masterful and well-researched biography. “Alito: The Justice Who Reshaped the Supreme Court…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Double Court Victories for Trump on ICE and ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
The Trump administration scored two legal victories this week in combating illegal immigration. Appeals courts cleared the way for building a Florida immigration detention center that President Donald Trump calls “Alligator Alcatraz” and halted a California law requiring agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to unmask. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday…Fred Lucas -
- News
Trump Campaign Aide Wins DOJ Settlement After FBI Surveillance in Russia Probe
The Justice Department reached a settlement with Carter Page, a 2016 Trump campaign aide targeted for surveillance as part of a federal investigation into alleged collusion with Russia. The Associated Press cited a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity in saying the settlement was for $1.25 million. The Justice Department’s filing to the…Fred Lucas -
- News
Why It Could Be Bad News for Immigrants If Trump Admin Loses This SCOTUS Case
In a case over the removal of a Chinese national with a green card and criminal charges, a majority of Supreme Court justices appeared to lean toward the Trump administration Wednesday but pressed the government for clarity. The plaintiff in the case suing to block his removal is Muk Choi Lau, a Chinese national charged…Fred Lucas -
- News
Not the Usual 6-3: Supreme Court Clears Way for Lawsuit Over Suicide Bombing
The Supreme Court had another 6-3 ruling in deciding that a veteran wounded by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan could sue a military contractor. In an unusual twist, however, the court’s three liberals—Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson—joined Justice Clarence Thomas in the majority opinion on Wednesday. The case largely addressed whether…Fred Lucas -
- News
DEI Not Dead as Top Law Firms Profited From Equity Audits
Diversity, equity, and inclusion policies may only look dead in corporate America, as high-priced racial equity audits for some of the largest firms have become a lucrative industry for Democrat-leaning law firms, a watchdog group noted. Two former attorneys general under the Obama administration—Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch—have led their respective firms’ efforts on the…Fred Lucas -
- News
SCOTUS to Hear Immigration Case on Green Card Holders Charged With Crimes
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday regarding removal proceedings against an immigrant legally in the United States, charged with counterfeiting. The case has the potential to affect the operations of Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and immigration courts, said Art Arthur, resident fellow in law and policy at the Center…Fred Lucas -
- News
FBI Targeting Republicans Went Deeper Than ‘Arctic Frost,’ New Documents Show
The Biden Justice Department’s data collection on political opponents was more expansive than initially thought, according to documents released Tuesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the committee’s chairman, on Tuesday published documents revealing “Operation Rampart Twelve,” a Biden-era investigation that targeted Republican members of Congress including Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Eric…Fred Lucas -
- News
‘Toothless’ or Unconstitutional? SCOTUS Hears Case on FCC’s $100M Fines on Verizon, AT&T
Most Supreme Court justices seemed to side with the government against a claim by telecom giants that the Federal Communications Commission violated the companies’ right to a jury trial by issuing fines. Justices heard arguments Tuesday in a case involving AT&T and Verizon and more than $100 million in fines that the government argues are…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Climate Lawfare Suffers Major Defeat at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously struck down a bizarre effort at climate lawfare, which aimed to penalize Chevron for its role in boosting the U.S. war effort against the Nazis and Imperial Japan in World War II. The ruling is good news for sanity, but it also sets an important precedent for the Left’s…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Code Pink Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status for 3 Key Reasons, Watchdog Group Tells IRS
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The leftist activist group Code Pink should lose its tax-exempt status for engaging in potentially illegal activity, violating tax rules against engaging in prohibited political activity and excess lobbying activity, and for supporting the interests of China without properly registering with the Department of Justice, a conservative group said in a…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Despicable: Judge Declares Accused Killer ‘Incapable’ Despite Decades of Crimes
Another day, another example of how the Left’s view of justice is toxic to a free society. A state court on Tuesday pronounced DeCarlos Brown Jr., the man accused of killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in a random knife attack on a North Carolina train, “incapable to proceed” until a psychiatric evaluation is complete. From my…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
State Lawmakers Nationwide Erect Firewalls Against Sharia Law
A quiet surge is reshaping American courts in states such as Georgia and Missouri to prevent the encroach of Sharia law. State legislators are advancing “American Laws for American Courts” (ALAC) and related measures. These laws attempt to keep the U.S. and state constitutions as the sole legal authorities. The message to Americans is clear:…Peter McIlvenna -
- News
Supreme Court Clears Way for Dismissal of Case Against Trump Ally Steve Bannon
WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for the Justice Department to move forward with dismissing a criminal case in which Steve Bannon, an influential ally of President Donald Trump, was convicted after defying a congressional subpoena. Bannon was convicted by a jury in Washington in 2022 on two counts…John Kruzel -
- Opinion
Supreme Court Breaks Transgenderism’s Cruel Stranglehold Over Therapy in Colorado
This week, the Supreme Court rightly held that Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” violated the First Amendment by dictating what counselors can say in therapy sessions. However, the therapist who sued Colorado isn’t the only winner—gender-confused kids arguably came out ahead, too. Colorado’s law didn’t just aim to force therapists to endorse transgender orthodoxy—it also…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Justices Hear Potential Landmark Case on Birthright Citizenship
Some conservative-leaning justices had hard questions for Solicitor General John Sauer on Wednesday when he argued to reverse nearly 130 years of precedent on birthright citizenship, as President Donald Trump was in attendance. The case involves Trump’s executive order instructing agencies not to recognize citizenship for U.S.-born children without at least one parent who is…Fred Lucas -
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Daily Signal Welcomes Mehek Cooke as Senior National Security and Legal Analyst
Mehek Cooke is joining The Daily Signal today as senior national security and legal analyst, further strengthening our news outlet’s coverage of immigration, border security, and national defense. Cooke brings more than a decade of experience as an attorney, strategist, and media analyst focused on national security, immigration law, and a host of other policy…Rob Bluey -
- News
Group Behind Killing 1,000 Israelis Claims New Israel Law Amounts to ‘Disregard for All Humanitarian Norms’
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the Hamas terrorist organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and left-leaning governments are criticizing a new Israeli law that allows for the death penalty to be administered to prisoners convicted of murdering Israeli civilians. “The Israeli government is about to pass a law mandating the death penalty, only for Palestinian prisoners….Pedro Rodriguez -
- Opinion
What SCOTUS Ruled About Conversion Therapy in Chiles v. Salazar
Can the government prohibit what a therapist says to a client behind closed doors? March 31, in an 8-1 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court answered that question with a firm “No.” But the fact of an overwhelming majority of the court—eight justices—also suggests the narrowness of the opinion itself. Indeed, Justice Neil Gorsuch’s majority opinion…Dan Mauler -
- Opinion
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Trump Has the Law and Military Strategy on His Side in US-Iran War
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. I want to have a couple of videos on the current state of affairs in the bombing…Victor Davis Hanson