Legal Insights
New every week: articles, legal reviews and court decisions that matter to North Carolina's Black legal community.
Fourth Circuit Limits Religious Employer Exemptions in LGBTQ+ Benefits Case
John Doe v. Catholic Relief Services · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The Fourth Circuit ruled 2-1 that Catholic Relief Services violated federal and Maryland anti-discrimination law by revoking spousal health benefits from a gay employee, rejecting the organization's religious exemption defenses.
Read moreFourth Circuit Revives NC Inmate Claims Over Shackling and Opioid Treatment Denial
Edwards v. Witherspoon · U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
The Fourth Circuit ruled that a North Carolina prison's shackling of a pregnant inmate during labor and its categorical denial of opioid treatment may violate the Eighth Amendment and disability law.
Read moreSupreme Court Guts Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais
Louisiana v. Callais · U.S. Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court's 6–3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais on April 29, 2026, dramatically weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, making it far harder for minority voters to challenge discriminatory maps.
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