A Practice Note providing an overview of the state action doctrine, also known as Parker immunity, under which a state government's conduct is exempt from liability under the federal antitrust laws. This Note outlines the elements of the doctrine and how it applies to state and local government entities or private parties, and explains how recent case law has shaped the doctrine, including the US Supreme Court decisions in North Carolina Dental State Board of Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission and Federal Trade Commission v. Phoebe Putney Health System, Inc.