Weekly commentary on the legal questions shaping the sector. Current matters before federal and state regulators, developing case law, policy shifts, and practical guidance on what it all means for mission-driven organizations.
The Beacon.
DOJ Proposes to Shield Its Attorneys from State Bar Oversight
DOJ has proposed exempting federal prosecutors from state professional-conduct rules in any state where they practice, which would make federal attorneys uniquely unaccountable to the same ethical regime that governs every other lawyer in the jurisdiction.
DOGE and the Debate over Nonprofits
As DOGE proposes deep cuts to federal grant programs that fund a substantial share of nonprofit operations, the question isn't only what gets cut, but whether the public-private partnership model that built the modern sector survives the next budget cycle intact.
Resurrecting the U.S. Department of Education?
A Massachusetts federal court ordered the Trump administration to reinstate hundreds of Department of Education employees, reviving the broader constitutional question of whether the executive branch can effectively eliminate a Cabinet-level agency that Congress created.
SCOTUS Rules 4-4 on Major Charter School Case
When the Supreme Court splits 4-4, the lower court's ruling stands but sets no national precedent, leaving charter school authorizers, advocates, and litigants nationwide without the clear constitutional answer they came to the Court to find.