Best discrimination law firms in baltimore

For decades, the Department of Justice has used court-enforced agreements to protect civil rights, successfully desegregating school systems, reforming police departments, ensuring access for the disabled and defending the religious.Now, under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the DOJ appears to be turning away from this storied tool, called consent decrees. Top officials in the DOJ civil rights division have issued verbal instructions through the ranks to seek settlements without consent decrees — which would result in no continuing court oversight. The move is just one part of a move by the Trump administration to limit federal civil rights enforcement. Other departments have scaled back the power of their internal divisions that monitor such abuses. In a previously unreported development, the Education Department last week reversed an Obama-era reform that broadened the agency’s approach to protecting rights of students. The Labor Department and the Environmental … [Read more...] about Trump administration quietly rolls back civil rights efforts across federal government

30-blog-strong Hall of Fame. No, we don't just go through the 4,000-plus blogs in our directory and consult a Magic 8 Ball to decide what to add or scratch off our list. We remember the blogs that have tipped us off to breaking news and the bloggers who have compelled us to write about their innovative ideas.And over the summer, we cue readers—and other bloggers—to write in and let us know about their favorites: When we can see their love for a blog is real and not a marketing hustle, it catches our attention.Now, it's time for you, the reader, to take a shot. Let us know what you think about our choices. Click here to go to our voting page to vote for the best of the best. Each person gets a total of 13 votes, to distribute as they see fit among the blogs they like, with a limit of one vote per person, per blog. Once you've used all 13 votes, you'll notice the "Vote Now!" buttons will disappear. If you have trouble voting or questions about anything else, please see our … [Read more...] about 8th Annual Blawg 100

When the city of San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples earlier this year, attorney Frederick Hertz re­ceived a call from a client seeking advice on whether she and her lesbian partner should obtain one. Hertz, whose office is across San Fran­cisco Bay in Oak­land, had no easy answer.“I said to her that when you get married and apply for a loan, the bank’s loan application does not have a box next to ‘Single,’ ‘Married’ and ‘Divorced’ that says ‘Marriage license applied for, validity in question,’ ” recalls Hertz.That kind of uncertainty is becoming increasingly prev­alent for same-sex couples as more and more states grapple with the question of just what kind of legal recog­nition to give their unions.So far, only a few states have recognized some form of same-sex marriage or civil union, but already those measures are creating a patchwork of laws and court decisions … [Read more...] about The Changing Face of Gay Legal Issues