Here, Law360 highlights access to justice stories arising from litigation, verdicts and judgments you may have missed.
Rulings and settlements
$3M Verdict Upheld In Philly Wrongful Conviction Case
A federal judge has refused to undo a $3 million jury verdict against the city of Philadelphia and several police officers in a wrongful conviction case, rejecting efforts by both sides to overturn the outcome and declining to sanction the plaintiff's lawyers.High Court Says GEO Group Can't Appeal Immunity Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled GEO Group Inc. cannot immediately appeal a district court decision that found it does not derive sovereign immunity from the federal government in a forced labor class action brought by immigrant detainees.Pa. Court Rules Serial Killer Books Justify Death Row Do-Over
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has once again vacated the death penalty for a man found guilty of a 1994 strangulation, ruling his counsel was ineffective because the attorney failed to object to evidence that painted the accused as an aspiring serial killer.New Cases
Feds Sued Over Warrantless Immigration Arrests In NC
Five North Carolina residents have sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and several of its agencies in federal court, alleging in a proposed class action that they were arrested and held without a warrant during violent and destructive immigration dragnet operations across North Carolina.AI and Technology
Fla. Legal Nonprofit Launches AI Tool To Bridge Justice Gap
As a way to help fill an access to justice gap, Florida nonprofit public interest law firm Bay Area Legal Services recently launched Bailey B., a free artificial intelligence-powered legal assistant meant to help residents navigate landlord-tenant issues.Overturned Convictions
Detroit Man's Murder Conviction Vacated After 27 Years
A Detroit man who spent 27 years in prison for a 1999 murder had his conviction vacated after prosecutors and innocence advocates agreed the case relied on a coerced confession and lacked any physical evidence tying him to the crime.Legal Access and Pro Bono
Conn. Task Force To Explore New Pathways To Atty Licensure
As legal needs in Connecticut grow and the number of lawyers in the state drops, a new task force is being developed to evaluate alternative pathways to attorney licensure as a way of breaking down barriers to entry for the legal profession while helping to narrow the civil justice gap.How A Lawyer Shaped An In-House Pro Bono Legacy
Susan Hackett remembers when it all began in the late 1980s, sitting around chatting with her friend and attorney Esther Lardent about how to get corporate legal departments more involved in community legal issues and public interest law.Sotomayor Blasts Justices' Refusal To Hear Prisoner Fee Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court's three liberal justices have disagreed with the court's denial of review in a petition by a trio of former California prisoners who challenged lower court rulings requiring each of them to pay a separate $350 filing fee to pursue a joint civil rights lawsuit.--Editing by Lakshna Mehta.