Trump’s ballroom goes to court

05:01 |

The Daily Docket

A newsletter by Reuters and Westlaw

By Caitlin Tremblay

Good morning. A federal judge will consider issuing an order blocking the construction of a $300 million ballroom at the White House. Plus, a separate federal judge will hear a challenge to the Trump administration's policy of swiftly deporting migrants to countries other than their own; Hagens Berman was fined over AI errors in an OnlyFans case; and law school enrollment hit a 13-year high. Want to go to the Olympics for $28? We've vaulted from Monday to Tuesday. Let's stick the landing. 🤸‍♀️

U.S. judge to weigh order blocking Trump ballroom construction at White House

REUTERS/ Jessica Koscielniak

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in D.C. will weigh a request for a temporary restraining order by a preservation group that is suing President Trump and several federal agencies to block construction of a $300 million ballroom at the site of the White House's demolished East Wing.

The lawsuit says Trump never gathered public input and ignored statutes requiring consultation with the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts before starting work on the massive ballroom. The hearing is due to start at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Read the complaint here.

Follow up: Yesterday I flagged that opening arguments were set to begin on the trial of a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a migrant appearing in her courtroom evade an immigration arrest. Here's our report on the first day of the trial.

Coming up today

U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston will hear arguments in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's policy of swiftly deporting migrants to countries other than their own without first hearing their concerns about their safety. Read the complaint.
Shell will appear in a New York Supreme Court hearing to challenge its arbitration loss against Venture Global.
A former Harvard Medical School morgue manager and his wife are scheduled to be sentenced after admitting they participated in the sale of stolen organs and other parts from cadavers donated to the school for medical research and education. Cedric and Denise Lodge previously pleaded guilty to charges arising out of the body parts theft scandal that rocked the Ivy League institution.

Court calendars are subject to last-minute docket changes.

More top news

Industry insight

First-year law school enrollment hit a 13-year high this fall, with 42,817 new law students showing up on campus—up 8% from last year. Read more about why here.
Winston & Strawn and Taylor Wessing said that they expect to combine in May 2026, adding to a wave of major transatlantic law firm tie-ups. Read more here.
Moves: Alex Robertson moved to Kirkland's corporate practice from Vinson & Elkins … Willkie added restructuring partner Allyson Smith from Kirkland … Nahi El Hachem left Willkie to join Duane Morris' tax practice … Baker Donelson opened an office in Winston-Salem with 14 attorneys from Akerman … Graham Cronogue moved to Blank Rome's business litigation group from Baker McKenzie … Brian Klein moved to Cooley's business litigation and white-collar defense and investigations practice from Waymaker … DLA Piper hired finance partner Ignacio Delpino from Banco Security … Davis Wright added consumer financial services partner Eric Goldberg from Akerman.
New partners: Cadwalader elevated 24 to partner … Quinn Emanuel named 12 new partners … Bracewell elected eight new partners … Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer promoted five to partner … Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp elevated three to partner.

Want more news? A Reuters subscription gives you unlimited access for $1 a week. Plus, no surprise price increases and you can cancel anytime. Sign up here.

$13,000

That's the combined total that a judge in California fined plaintiffs' law firm Hagens Berman, one of its partners, and another lawyer, for the "misuse" of AI in several court filings in a lawsuit against the parent company of adult content social media site OnlyFans. Read more here.

In the courts

Judges on a D.C. Circuit panel said unions challenging President Trump's efforts to strip many federal employees of the ability to collectively bargain were likely required to bring their claims to a U.S. labor agency before suing in court. Read more about the hearing here.
A Massachusetts man whose wife disappeared nearly three years ago on New Year's Day was convicted of murdering her, with jurors rejecting his claim that she died suddenly in their home before he began searching online for "dismemberment and best ways to dispose of a body." Read more here.
U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai in Eugene, Oregon, ordered the Trump administration to extend a deadline for states to implement new immigration-related eligibility restrictions on food aid benefits, allowing them to avoid potentially severe financial penalties for failing to do so in time. Read more here.
A growing group of lawsuits alleging patients lost some or all of their eyesight while taking blockbuster weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy will be centralized before a judge in Pennsylvania, a federal judicial panel said Monday. Read more about the lawsuits here.

Attorney Analysis

John Bandler of Bandler Law Firm examines the components of a solid cybersecurity program, including written policies, proper management and training. Read today's Attorney Analysis.

Additional writing by Shruthi Krishnamurthy.

Contact

Caitlin Tremblay

caitlin.tremblay@thomsonreuters.com

Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters' website

The Daily Docket is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here.

Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here.

This email includes limited tracking for Reuters to understand whether you've engaged with its contents. For more information on how we process your personal information and your rights, please see our Privacy Statement.

Terms & Conditions