The Indiana Court of Appeals (the “Court”) recently affirmed a trial court’s finding of grave disability, reiterating two settled principles: (1) no single fact can establish grave disability; and (2) courts must evaluate the totality of the circumstances. The Court also confirmed that past conduct with a nexus to the patient’s current condition may have evidentiary value. In re: Civil Commitment of K.M., 270 N.E.3d 506 (Ind. Ct. App. 2025).
Background
K.M., who has a documented history of mental
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SB 464 Guide: California’s New Mandatory Pay Data Penalties for 2026
Effective January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 464 (SB 464) has fundamentally transformed California’s annual pay data reporting framework for employers. The Civil Rights Department (CRD), California’s enforcement agency, now has the authority to levy mandatory fines without judicial discretion.
Penalties have increased significantly—starting at $100 per employee for a first violation and $200 per employee for subsequent failures—which can easily exceed $50,000 in the aggregate for mid-sized organizations.
The law also introduces new technical requirements, including the immediate separation
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Can AI Applicant Screening Trigger FCRA Obligations? Lessons for Employers from the Eightfold AI Lawsuit
This week, consumer advocate lawyers filed a nationwide class action lawsuit against a California-based tech company, Eightfold AI, in California state court.
In a new approach to going after the use of AI in employment decisions, the two named plaintiffs and the proposed class allege Eightfold violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) by not giving job applicants notice of the use of AI in the application process nor giving them a chance to dispute any errors.
Indiana Court of Appeals Reaffirms Evidence Standard for Extensions of Commitment
In a recent decision, the Indiana Court of Appeals (the “Court”) upheld a trial court’s Order for Temporary Commitment and affirmed a new mootness standard for civil commitment appeals. In re Commitment of J.F., 266 N.E.3d 268 (Ind. Ct. App. 2025).
Background
The Indiana Court of Appeals reaffirmed its standard for what evidence is required to support an order for a regular commitment of a patient. See In re Commitment of J.F., 266 N.E.3d 268, (Ind. Ct. App. 2025).
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What Illinois Employers Need to Know About Changes to the Workplace Transparency Act
Amendments to the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act (“WTA”) were introduced by HB 3638 and became effective on January 1, 2026. The amendments broaden the scope of protection for employees and impose additional restrictions on employers when drafting contract provisions in a variety of employment-related agreements, including severance, settlement and arbitration agreements. Going forward, Illinois employers will have less latitude to restrict employee speech and concerted activity as it relates to reporting or disclosing unlawful conduct in the workplace.
Broader
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Indiana Supreme Court Reaffirms Mootness Standard in Temporary Civil Commitment Appeals
The Indiana Supreme Court (the “Court”) upheld a trial court’s Order for Temporary Commitment, reaffirming the new mootness standard for temporary civil commitment appeals first established earlier this year in In re Commitment of J.F., 256 N.E.3d 1260 (Ind. 2025). In re Commitment of M.C., 262 N.E.3d 836 (Ind. 2025).
Background
In J.F., the Court held that an appeal from a temporary civil-commitment order does not become moot merely because the order has expired. See In re Commitment of
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Thousands Apply for Minnesota PFML: What Employers Should Do Now
On January 1, 2026, Minnesota officially launched its state-administered Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, triggering an immediate surge of over 25,000 benefit applications in the first two weeks alone. As many Minnesotan employers are quickly discovering, the post-PFML workplace poses significant operational challenges. As the legal landscape continues to evolve in Minnesota (and those benefit applications keep rolling in), employers must become intimately familiar not only with administering the program but also with the variety of pitfalls
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VESSA’s Expanded Recording Protections: What Illinois Employers Must Do Now
Effective January 1, 2026, the Illinois Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA), as recently amended, now prohibits employers from disciplining employees for using company-issued technology such as phones, laptops, or tablets to record evidence of domestic, sexual, or gender-based violence, whether inside or outside of the workplace.
This change in the law immediately puts many employers at odds with their own “no-recording” and “acceptable use” policies, which often prohibit any form of recording on company property or
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Minnesota Paid Leave: How Much Time and How to Take it?
This post is the fifth part in a series on Minnesota Paid Leave. Feel free to check out Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. The previous post focused on deadlines and taxes. This post will focus on when the leave can be taken, for how long, and in what forms.
Let’s start with the when. The general rule is intuitive: the option of leave is available to the employee as long as the underlying condition or event exists. For
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New Consumer Privacy Requirements Under the Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act Are Here
Although Indiana adopted the Consumer Data Protection Act (CDPA) in 2023, on January 1, 2026, the CDPA rubber officially hit the road. This data privacy law regulating how businesses must handle the personal information of their Indiana customers should be at the top of your new year’s resolutions. The Indiana Attorney General’s Office has signaled that it will be actively enforcing the CDPA on behalf of Indiana residents, so it’s important for your business to review what the law
Proposed Ohio Legislation Would Raise Limits on Non-Economic Damages
In September 2025, the Ohio House of Representatives introduced House Bill 447 (HB 477), which aims to increase a plaintiff’s maximum recoverable amounts of “non-economic damages” in personal injury lawsuits.
Non-economic damages typically include claims for pain and suffering or mental anguish. These types of damages are inherently subjective, hard to measure, and typically decided by a jury. If the bill is enacted, it would expand potential exposure for defendants.
Current Law and Proposed Changes
Ohio’s statutory cap currently
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