Another busy week in the legal world leaves us with a plethora of informative blog posts. It doesn’t get any easier choosing just 10 to highlight. Here are some of the best posts this week, covering everything from trade agreements to U.S. employment law updates.
Top 10
Election ballot verification – a patent subject matter eligibility analysis
Voter ballot verification technology sounds like a great solution to many complaints from this year’s election. Unfortunately, as Gabriel Applegate of BakerHostetler explains, a 2018 case invalidated issued patent claims directed to voting methods and systems that provide for “auto-verification.” He discusses the case further on the blog IP Intelligence
Vaccines: Where are we?
Now that two vaccines have been approved, where are we in terms of distribution? Although the initial goal was to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of 2020, Langdon Ramsburg of McNees Law says the current estimate as of today is only nearing in on 10 million. He discusses changes the Biden administration will make to the current plan, and the phased approach to vaccination at Pennsylvania Labor & Employment Blog.
FFCRA FAQ: Answers to the most common questions employers are asking now that FFCRA leave is purely voluntary
Congress did not extend the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, meaning it is now voluntary. Jeff Nowak of Littler addresses the many questions employers are sure to have. Over at FMLA Insights, he offers potential answers to questions such as whether an employer can voluntarily offer EPSL, but not EFML, or visa versa.
Pre-season predictions: Labor and employment under the incoming Biden administration
It’s no secret that the Biden administration plans to make significant changes to federal labor and employment law. Paul Crucet of Stearns Weaver predicts what some of those changes will look like—from making work visas easier to obtain to increasing a federal minimum wage—on the blog BeLabor the Point.
New York could become the next hotbed of class action litigation over biometric privacy
New York’s new Biometric Privacy Act bill is extremely similar to one in Illinois, which recently spurred thousands of class actions in the state. Joseph Lazzarotti of Jackson Lewis discusses how the BPA will affect New York if it is implemented. He talks about potential rules for companies possessing and/or collecting “biometric identifiers” and “biometric information” on Workplace Privacy, Data Management & Security Report.
How the Biden administration can reverse Trump’s Medicaid work requirements
The Supreme Court is set to hear a case that will determine whether the Department of Health and Human Services can allow states to impose work requirements in its Medicaid program. Cliff Barnes and Devon Minnick of Epstein Becker Green discuss three paths for the incoming Biden administration to best position itself for the case. This includes rescinding certain advice and approvals, releasing additional guidance, and approving modified work requirements—they go into more detail on the blog Health Law Advisor.
What happens when trade goes wrong? Understanding trade remedies and what they mean for you
If you’re wondering what exactly trade remedies are as well as their purpose, DLA Piper offers a thorough, easy-to-understand explanation. They discuss the importance of trade remedies, how they’ve been impacted by Brexit, and some key takeaways on the blog Israel Global Gateway.
Data flows from the EU to the UK continue for now
After several months of negotiations, the UK and the EU have reached a trade agreement. For at least four more months, data can continue flowing under the old terms. Johanna Hoffman of GreenbergTraurig details the next steps—since this is only a short-term solutions as of right now—on Data Privacy Dish.