Federal

Federal Judge Orders Job Corps Centers to Stay Open After Ruling on Unlawful Closures

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A federal judge in San Francisco has ruled that Job Corps centers across the nation must remain operational, declaring that their previous closures were conducted unlawfully. This decision has significant implications for the workforce development programs aimed at assisting young people. The U.S. Department of Labor had initiated the closures as part of a broader move to streamline operations and cut costs. However, the judge found that the process lacked proper notice and violated the legal rights of those reliant on these centers for education and vocational training. The Job Corps program, which was established … Read more

2025 Damage Awards Report Reveals Surge in Federal Court Verdicts, Highlighting Legal Landscape Shifts and Rising Risks

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San Jose, California — Federal court damage awards have reached unprecedented levels, with recent trends indicating an evolving landscape for litigation involving higher jury verdicts and unpredictable outcomes. A new report from Lex Machina®, a legal analytics platform by LexisNexis®, assesses these significant changes in its 2025 Damage Awards Litigation Report, providing insights from 2015 to 2024. The report details staggering increases in average damage awards in federal courts, surpassing previous highs by more than $1 million in both 2023 and 2024. With these heightened stakes, law firms, corporate counsel, and insurers must adapt their … Read more

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Jury’s Verdict in High-Profile Sexual Harassment Case in Hawaii

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HONOLULU — A jury in Hawaii has ruled in favor of a retail corporation in a sexual harassment case involving a security guard and a store manager. The case, which lasted three weeks and was presided over by the U.S. District Court, centered on allegations made by the guard against an openly gay male manager. During the trial in Honolulu, the jury reached a unanimous decision, determining that the security guard was not genuinely offended by the manager’s actions as claimed. Following the verdict, lead counsel for the corporation, Mark Spring, enjoyed a brief vacation … Read more

Santa Cruz Planned Parenthood Office Remains Closed Despite Federal Court Ruling Against Medicaid Cuts

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Santa Cruz, California — The Planned Parenthood office in downtown Santa Cruz will remain closed following an abrupt shutdown last week, local officials confirmed Monday. This decision comes despite a recent U.S. District Court ruling that blocked cuts to Medicaid reimbursement for the organization nationwide. The Santa Cruz facility, along with four other Planned Parenthood locations in California, closed as part of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s strategy to manage significant financial losses. The closures follow President Donald Trump’s tax legislation, which resulted in the freezing of Medicaid funds for various Planned Parenthood affiliates as of … Read more