Civil Rights

This is FindLaw’s collection of Civil Rights articles, part of the Litigation and Disputes section of the Corporate Counsel Center. A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly, the right to vote, freedom from involuntary servitude, and the right to equality in public places. Corporations have been gaining more civil rights in the courts throughout the years. Law articles in this archive are predominantly written by lawyers for a professional audience seeking business solutions to legal issues. Start your free research with FindLaw.

Civil Litigation

Civil Rights Articles

Supreme Court’s HIV Ruling May Have Broad Implications for Employers

The Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals with a "disability" from discrimination in employment, education and public accommodations. In its first-ever review of the definition of "disability" since passage of the ADA in 1990, the ...
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Supreme Court Reverses “Taking” Award in Wetland Case

Of all the issues associated with the regulation by government of private property and the use of private property, the issue of when that regulation so hampers use of the property as to amount to a "taking" of the property by the government may ...
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Recent Developments In Employment Law

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. maintained that the law could only be understood as a response to the needs of society. According to Justice Holmes, political, social, and economic forces play a major role in shaping the statutes that are ...
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Recent Developments Concerning Affirmative Action Programs

Prior to 1995, only state and local affirmative action programs were subject to the highest level of scrutiny by the courts. In 1995, the United States Supreme Court held that "strict scrutiny" applies to federal programs as well. This change was ...
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Recent Developments Affecting Civil Rights Lawsuits for Age Discrimination

(The Voice, An Industry Bulletin, California Association of Temporary Services, 1996) The United States Supreme Court and the California Supreme Court recently have taken actions which may impact employers' defense of age discrimination lawsuits. In ...
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Americans With Disabilities Act: Title III Highlights

I. Who is covered by title III of the ADA II. Overview of Requirements III. "Individuals with Disabilities" IV. Eligibility for Goods and Services V. Modifications in Policies, Practices, and Procedures VI. Auxiliary Aids VII. Existing Facilities ...
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New Trends in Environmental Law: Environmental Justice

Are you concerned about delays in the permitting process for your project? Now there is one more wrinkle -- environmental justice. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") recently promulgated interim guidance for processing complaints that ...
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New Rulings Affecting the Financial Service Industry

Employment law is an ever-changing area. To keep you abreast of recent developments in the legal landscape, we have collected a number of cases that may be of special interest to you in the financial services industry. Each case discussed below ...
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New Legal Requirements for F-1 Foreign Students in Public Schools

U.S. Department of State Office of Visa Services March 1997Congress recently enacted new limitations on certain foreign students planning to study in U.S. public elementary and secondary schools. Section 625 of Public Law 104-208, which took effect ...
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Seldom Performed Job Duties Can Be Essentional Functions Under the ADA

In two recent cases, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals provided further guidance to employers regarding the practical application of the Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") to employees who are unable to perform all of the essential functions ...
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