A federal judge in New York City who was nominated by President Lyndon Johnson and who contributed to the landmark case that struck down racial segregation in public schools is retiring at age 98. U.S. District Judge Jack Weinstein was known for favoring lenient sentences and rehabilitation. He retired this week after moving his remaining cases to his fellow jurists…

New Jersey on Tuesday became the ninth state to prohibit homicide defendants from claiming that panic brought on by a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity could be used a legal defense. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed the measure, saying it promotes “full equality for all our residents.” “Gay and trans panic defenses are rooted in homophobia and abhorrent...

Many new laws went into effect on Jan. 1 in California, including some that protect tenants from rent increases and eviction without cause.

Constance Wannamaker wanted to scream and cry at the same time. The Texas immigration attorney had just heard what should have been great news: Her client, a 21-year-old Guatemalan woman, was getting released from the El Paso Processing Center after weeks in detention. But that’s just a sliver of the story.

With the start of a new year comes a new batch of laws for the state of California.

One of the busiest days on the Virginia legislature’s calendar began under a cloud of suspense Tuesday as Gov. Ralph Northam weighed whether he can continue in the job amid the fallout over a racist photo on his 1984 medical school yearbook page.

The California professor who alleged that Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax sexually assaulted her in 2004 issued her first public statement Wednesday on the alleged attack, describing the use of force.

Boeing is settling more of the roughly 150 lawsuits filed by families of passengers killed in two crashes of the 737 Max jet. A Seattle law firm said Friday it settled four cases involving passengers on the Lion Air Max that crashed off the coast of Indonesia in October 2018. On Thursday, a judge approved settlements of nine other cases....

Climate change may be the defining risk for oil and gas companies in coming decades, and attorneys for New York state are saying Exxon Mobil misled investors about how it was handling that risk. The state made closing arguments Thursday in a case that accused the energy giant of downplaying the impact of stricter climate regulations in a warming world....

Alphabet’s board of directors has opened an investigation into how executives handled claims of sexual harassment and other misconduct, including behavior of Chief Legal Officer David Drummond, who has been accused of having relationships with employees. The board has formed an independent subcommittee to look into the issues and has hired a law firm to assist with the investigation, according...

A 10-year-old boy fell 20 feet to the ground from a zip line attraction in Lakeland, Florida, resulting in serious injuries to the boy’s body and head, as well as a lawsuit against the attraction park.

A 10-year-old boy was seriously injured after falling from a zip line attraction at a park in Lakeland, Florida, according to a lawsuit.

An advice columnist who says President Donald Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s sued him Monday for calling her a liar he had never even met. E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit, filed Monday in New York, says Trump “smeared her integrity, honesty and dignity — all in the national press” when he responded to her...

The Supreme Court is stepping into a yearslong, politically charged fight over the federal consumer finance watchdog agency that was created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The justices agreed Friday to review an appeals court decision that upheld the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency has long been a target of conservative Republicans. The...

California is giving childhood victims of sexual abuse more time to decide whether to file lawsuits, joining several states in expanding the statute of limitations for victims over warnings from school districts that the new rules could bankrupt them.

They may have been united by a love for country music, but the people gunned down two years ago at a Las Vegas concert will not be seen as equals when up to $800 million is paid out from a legal settlement.

The Trump administration plans to impose tariffs on $7.5 billion worth of European imports _ from gouda cheese to single-malt whiskey to large aircraft _ beginning Oct. 18 to retaliate against illegal European Union subsidies for aviation giant Airbus. The latest escalation in the administration’s tariffs will open a new chapter in the trade wars that are depressing the world...