Public Justice

December 17, 2014 In Updates

Landmark Settlement Means Coal Mines Have New Obligations to Restore Impaired Streams

A degraded watershed in central Appalachia. First-of-its-kind agreement forces cleanup of conductivity pollution in West Virginia A coalition of environmental groups represented by Public Justice and Appalachian Mountain Advocates has reached a settlement with two Appalachian coal mining companies that breaks new ground by requiring…

December 16, 2014 In Blog

A Victory Against Wage Theft and For Class Actions in Braun v. Walmart

photo credit: WisconsinJobsNow via photopin cc By Victoria NiManaging Attorney In a significant victory for workers who’ve suffered wage theft, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court yesterday upheld an almost $188 million jury verdict against retail behemoth Walmart for failing to pay a class of employees for…

December 10, 2014 In Blog

Port Truck Driver Arbitration Agreements Found to be Exempt from FAA Coverage and Unenforceable

photo credit: Alphast via photopin cc By Victoria NiManaging Attorney & Leah NichollsStaff Attorney More good news for port truck drivers fighting for their rights and fighting against arbitration clauses: another group of drivers has succeeded in striking down their company’s alleged arbitration clause. This preserves…

December 9, 2014 In Blog

Employers Can Make You Jump Through Hoops—And They Don’t Have to Pay You for It

photo credit: much ado about nothing via photopin cc By Leah NichollsStaff Attorney Today, the U.S. Supreme Court held 9-0 that employees who work at Amazon.com warehouses can’t get paid for the time they spend waiting in long security lines and going through security at…

December 9, 2014 In Updates

Help Public Justice Make an Impact

Public Justice is spotlighting two of its programs this December: our ongoing campaign in defense of the right of everyone to have their day in court when they have been harmed and our litigation holding school districts that fail to stop pervasive bullying in their schools accountable. A2J…

December 5, 2014 In Blog Gender & Sexual Violence

Campus Sexual Assault Epidemic is Real, Even if the Rape Featured in Rolling Stone Turns Out Not to Be

photo credit: Tulane Publications via photopin cc By Adele Kimmel Senior Attorney I am pissed off. It’s now clear that Rolling Stone failed to vet the facts in its explosive article describing Jackie’s gang rape at a University of Virginia fraternity, and the victim’s veracity is…

December 5, 2014 In Blog

Outrageous Forced Arbitration Decision: Consumer Has to Arbitrate Case Involving Home Invasion and Severe Beating

The house where the assault took place. Image via KSHB. By

November 24, 2014 In Blog

Black Friday: At What Cost to Workers?

By Victoria W. NiManaging Attorney photo credit: Jobs With Justice via photopin cc This Friday—Black Friday—marks the official start of the holiday shopping season. On the minds of retailers and shoppers alike is this question: “How low can you go?” Retailers want to know how…

November 18, 2014 In Updates

Public Interest Coalition Asks Court for Judgment in Lawsuit Challenging Idaho’s Controversial "Ag-Gag” Law

photo credit: Farm Sanctuary via photopin cc Today, a broad-based public interest coalition of national nonprofits, including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, and Center for Food Safety, filed a motion for…

November 17, 2014 In Updates

Mining Company Must Pay for West Virginia Water Pollution

Public Justice settlement could lead to stricter federal regulation of “minefills” A U.S. District Court judge has approved a settlement between environmental activists represented by Public Justice, and Coresco, Inc. that could influence federal regulators preparing to make effective rules on the disposal of coal…