°µÍø½ûÇø

°µÍø½ûÇø is on a mission to shed light on how the rule of law can shape communities and explore important, and often overlooked, issues that impact the ability of individuals to navigate a complex legal system. We are proud to announce our Access to Justice newsletter, which will deliver stories to all readers, free of charge, on trends affecting the justice gap, pro bono programs and difference makers helping citizens with the fewest resources gain access to the courts.

Latest News in Access to Justice

• May 30, 2025

  Praying Or Parking? Religious Land Use Fights Head To Court

  Local zoning and planning boards, usually unelected decision-making bodies, often operate with sweeping discretion that can provide cover for discrimination against religious communities. But backed by pro bono attorneys, religious groups are leaning on a 2000 federal law in their bid for court intervention.

• May 30, 2025

  $28M Jury Verdict Shows The Power Of The Monell Doctrine

  A federal jury awarded $28 million to John Walker Jr., a man wrongfully convicted of murder nearly 50 years ago, after finding that prosecutors in Erie County, New York, systematically ignored criminal defendants' constitutional rights. The verdict hinged on the Monell doctrine, a hard-to-prove legal theory that allows civil rights plaintiffs to hold governments liable for constitutional violations stemming from official policy, custom, or widespread failure to supervise public officials.

• May 30, 2025

  Shaping Warrantless Arrest Standard Post-Certiorari Denial

  Though the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the Gonzalez v. U.S. warrantless arrest case, Justice Sonia Sotomayor's statement regarding the denial suggests that the defense bar should continue pursuing federal court arguments that the Fourth Amendment incorporates an in-the-presence limitation, say attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell.

• May 22, 2025

  Suit Slams 'Abrupt And Unlawful' DOJ Grant Terminations

  Five nonprofit and community organizations whose grants were terminated by the U.S. Department of Justice have launched a class action lawsuit in D.C. federal court challenging the department's "abrupt and unlawful" cancellation of $820 million in grant funding.

• May 16, 2025

  Oakland Cops Denied Immunity In Deadly High-Speed Chase

  The Ninth Circuit ruled Friday that two Oakland police officers violated the rights of innocent bystanders and are not entitled to qualified immunity following a high-speed pursuit that left one person dead and several others injured.

See more Access to Justice news