The Library

While many may think of resolutions, family, friends, a Times Square countdown, or new beginnings on New Year’s Day, January 1 also quietly marks a significant annual event for copyright law. Each year, many previously copyrighted works enter the public domain, eliminating their copyright protection and rendering them available for use and reproduction by the public at large. Duke University publishes a list of works entering the public domain, and 2026 will see a number of iconic works and characters from 1930 become free for public use and distribution. For example, some works entering the public domain this year include […]

Businesses with employees who work in Virginia and are paid by commission received an early New Year’s Eve present when a divided Supreme Court of Virginia overturned a 2024 ruling by the Virginia Court of Appeals that had extended the protections of the Virginia Wage Payment Act beyond wages and salaries to commissions and all other forms of compensation.[1] Groundworks Operations LLC v. Campbell, Record No. 241092 (Va. Dec. 30, 2025) Justice McCulloch writing for the majority concluded “the language of the [wage theft] statute and its context do not support an interpretation that extends its protections to commissions.”[2] In […]

On December 11, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14365, titled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence.” The order seeks to establish a unified federal approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to prevent what the administration calls a “patchwork” of state laws that could hinder innovation and impose excessive compliance costs. After rescinding the prior administration’s comprehensive 2023 executive order on AI governance, Executive Order 14110 (titled “Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence”), in January, President Trump’s executive order constitutes the current administration’s latest effort to supersede regulation of AI […]

Overview of the 8(a) Program and Background The SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program (the “Program”) supports small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals and certain entities (e.g., Alaska Native Corporations, American Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian Organizations).  Eligible firms gain access to set-aside federal contracting opportunities, plus tailored counseling, training, and technical support. In recent years, the Program has come under much scrutiny.  Beginning in 2023 in response to a challenge in federal court, the SBA ended its practice of providing a “presumption” of social disadvantage to certain identified ethnic groups and has since required all current and […]

Passengers involved in a motor vehicle accident almost always have a “good case” to recover for their injuries received in an automobile accident. So long as the passenger did not contribute to the accident in some way, for example by interfering with the driver, the passenger will likely be able to recover monetary damages. The passenger’s claim can be against many different defendants, such as another vehicle driver that was involved in the crash or a company/individual who contributed to the crash by setting up a dangerous situation in the roadway or even by the passenger’s driver and their vehicle […]

Article written by Investigator Danny Brabham It is important to know that if you are involved in a personal injury incident that in any way involves a town, county, city, state or federal agency, the Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 1967 and/or the Virginia Freedom of Information Act of 1968 could prove to be extremely beneficial to your case. Virginia FOIA The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was established by the Virginia General Assembly and was enacted on July 1, 1968 to ensure that citizens have access to public records and meetings of public bodies.[1] The Virginia […]

On September 9, 2025, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its long-anticipated final rule implementing the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program. After several years of proposals, public comments, and interim measures, the DoD has now solidified the framework for its revamped CMMC program. The goal: ensure contractors in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) properly protect sensitive information, particularly Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and Federal Contract Information (FCI), while clarifying legal obligations, streamlining processes, and providing a phased implementation. The final rule introduces a phased, three-year implementation period that begins on November 10, 2025. At a basic level, the CMMC program changes the […]

In Virginia, there is an ethical rule that prohibits attorneys that are representing a client from speaking about the subject of representation with another person that is represented by another attorney for that matter.[1]  For example, say Employee A has hired Attorney A to represent her in a claim against Organization B before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission (“Commission”).  The rule prohibits Organization B’s attorney from talking about the claim with Employee A without either Attorney A’s presence or permission, i.e. Organization B’s attorney could not have an ex parte communication with Employee A. But what about the reverse?  Does […]

In July 2022, a former Virginia state senator, Brandon Bell, and his wife, Deborah Bell, sent a letter on state Senate letterhead accusing a 15-year-old Cave Spring High School student of sexually assaulting their daughter. Three years later, a Roanoke County jury ruled that the Bells’ accusations were not only false but defamatory per se, and awarded the plaintiff, Jane Doe, $1 million in damages plus pre-judgment interest. Background: The dispute traces back to 2021, when Jane Doe, then a high school sophomore, and the Bells’ daughter, began a same-sex relationship after meeting in band. Both testified that the relationship […]