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New DMV Laws for 2026
Will Have Broad Impact
As 2026 begins, residents and businesses across the Washington region should prepare for new laws that provide stronger labor protections and higher wages in D.C., Maryland and Virginia, housing stability measures in Maryland and new climate and energy efficiency standards in D.C.
The consumer and health protections would include mandatory screenings, simplified hospital transfers for children and new digital safeguards for young people.
Maryland’s housing stability measures are designed to help low-income families retain their homes. D.C.’s climate and energy efficiency standards are expected to shape building projects for many years.
In D.C.,
The minimum wage — tied to inflation — is slated to rise again in July 2026, maintaining its status among the highest in the nation. The current minimum is $17.95 per hour. The new rate has not yet been announced;
Under the Clean Energy DC Building Code Amendment Act, the city must develop new net-zero energy building codes for most new construction and major renovations;
In Maryland,
Under House Bill 59, counties will be required to withhold certain owner-occupied homes and heir properties from tax sale and create a registry to help families protect properties at risk of being lost over unpaid taxes;
In Virginia,
The state will raise its minimum wage to $12.77 per hour, up from $12.41, and increase unemployment benefits;
Senate Bill 854 will require social media platforms to limit users under 16 to one hour per day unless they obtain parental approval and implement age-verification steps.
Justice Dept. Tries Again to Prosecute
High-Profile Critics of Trump’s Ethics
The Justice Department plans to try again to prosecute two critics of President Donald Trump despite previous failed attempts.
Government attorneys on last month appealed the disqualification of their lead prosecutor who indicted former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
New charges against them have not yet been filed but the appeal indicates they would be soon.
Comey investigated allegations of Russian influence in the 2016 Trump campaign for president. James led the successful lawsuit against Trump for falsifying business records.
In previous attempts to prosecute them, a judge dismissed charges against Comey and a grand jury refused to indict James. In both cases, evidence of their criminal wrongdoing was weak, according to judges who oversaw the cases.
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Latest News
Justice Dept. Sues D.C. to Overturn
Local Gun Restriction Laws
The Justice Department sued the city of Washington, D.C., last week seeking a court order to ease restrictions on gun ownership.
The lawsuit calls local laws that limit the kinds of guns that can legally be owned and carried outside the owners’ homes a violation of Second Amendment rights to bear arms.
“The United States of America brings this lawsuit to protect the rights that have been guaranteed for 234 years and which the Supreme Court has explicitly reaffirmed several times over the last two decades,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court is part of a larger dispute over how much control the federal government can exert over Washington. The District of Columbia has some of the nation’s strictest gun laws.
It also is the second gun rights lawsuit the Trump administration filed this month. The first was against the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Power the Civil Rights Work of Our Time
Each day members of our community are experiencing wage theft, the effects of gentrification, discriminatory policing, collateral consequences, marginalization in schools, and barriers to public accommodations.
We fight alongside people facing the effects of gentrification like Amira Moore. Our work empowers the people and communities who need it most, “We can do more than we think. There’s a path to equity, we just have to step to it.” –Ms. Moore
For more than 50 years, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee has been on the frontlines of the fight for civil rights in our community. We deploy the best legal talent, we tackle the tough cases, we fight, and we win.
Our work is as important today as it has ever been. Through your support, you can play a role in creating justice for thousands of marginalized members of our community. Together, we will dismantle injustice and pursue lasting change.
Join us! Donate & subscribe: https://www.washlaw.org/support-us
Volunteer with us: https://www.washlaw.org/get-involved/
For more information, contact Gregg Kelley at Gregg_Kelley@washlaw.org
About Us
The Legal Forum is a nonprofit news service for the Washington area's legal community that also offers attorney job listings as well as amicus briefs and grant information for charitable organizations. If you have questions, please Contact Us
Letters to the Editor
D.C. in Brief
Hogan Lovells to Become World’s 5th Biggest
After Merger with Cadwalader Wickersham
Hogan Lovells plans to add dozens of attorneys to its Washington, D.C., staff as it moves toward a merger with Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft.
The combined firm would be the world’s fifth largest by revenue, which is projected to exceed $3.6 billion per year. It would operate with about 3,100 attorneys concentrated in the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany with smaller numbers in France, Italy and Spain.
The firm’s revenue would be derived heavily from securities, capital markets and fund management.
"This combination fulfills our shared ambition to create a global firm with a strong transatlantic platform anchored in the most important financial centers around the world," Wes Misson, Cadwalader’s co-managing partner, said in a statement.
The merger is scheduled to close in mid-2026.
New York-based Cadwalader is one of the oldest continuously operating legal practices in the United States. It was founded in 1792. Its roughly 400 attorneys work mostly in corporate law.
It was badly hurt this year after it agreed to a settlement with the Trump administration to do $100 million of pro bono work on behalf of conservative causes. It was one of several big firms sued by the Trump administration after it represented causes unpopular with the president.
The settlement was followed by mass resignations of lawyers. Some of them were Cadwalader’s top partners.
Under the merger, Miguel Zaldivar, Hogan Lovells’ current chief executive, also would serve as chief executive of the combined firm. About 500 attorneys would be located in Washington. The merged firm would be called Hogan Lovells Cadwalader.
Decision Pending on Release of Testimony
By Jack Smith on Trump Investigation
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is still trying to decide whether to release testimony of former special prosecutor Jack Smith about his investigation of President Donald Trump.
Smith asked the committee last week to release a full transcript and videotape of his nearly nine-hour closed door testimony on Dec. 17.
Smith led the Department of Justice’s investigations into Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his retention of classified documents after leaving office.
Judiciary Committee Republicans subpoenaed Smith after the president accused him of lying as part of politically “weaponized” allegations by his Democratic foes. He also said Smith should be prosecuted, prompting a Justice Department investigation.
Smith defended the integrity of his effort in an opening statement that was released to the media.
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Legal Briefs
We Could Use Your Help
Thousands of DC residents need a lawyer, but can’t afford one. They could be illegally evicted from their homes, lose custody of their children, experience domestic violence, and more, all because they lack legal representation.
You could make a difference. By making a donation to the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, you will provide free, high-quality, zealous legal representation to low-income DC residents.
Your support could prevent homelessness, domestic violence, hunger, or family separation. In fact, if just 10 people who see this ad give $28 to Legal Aid, it will be enough to staff an experienced attorney at the courthouse for a day.
That way, DC residents like Keith King (pictured above) can get the legal representation they need to win their cases. As Mr. King put it, if it wasn’t for his Legal Aid lawyer, “I would have been homeless again.”
Here is the link to the Legal Aid website for donations: https://www.legalaiddc.org/donate-to-legal-aid/
For more information, contact Rob Pergament at Legal Aid at rpergament@legalaiddc.org