Justice

February 14, 2013 - Once known as the "most aggressively conservative" federal appeals court and the "black hole of capital litigation," the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond has shifted to the center, thanks to six appointments by President Obama.

February 12, 2013 - Last week, the Obama administration formalized the legal standard it has used to enforce fair housing laws and hold banks accountable for discriminating against minorities. Here's an overview of key cases from the foreclosure crisis.

February 11, 2013 - Organized by the state NAACP, the 7th annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street march in Raleigh, N.C. called for economic justice amid a legislative push for austerity.

February 8, 2013 - This month the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a landmark case challenging Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Considered the heart of the law, the section prohibits racially discriminatory election changes in covered jurisdictions, most of which are in the South.

January 31, 2013 - A gathering at historically black Tougaloo College in Jackson, Miss. this week to support workers' organizing efforts at a nearby Nissan plant felt like an old-time revival meeting. Was it signaling the revival of the labor movement in the region and beyond?

January 29, 2013 - In New Orleans today, a federal judge approved a deal allowing BP to plead guilty to manslaughter and other charges related to the Gulf disaster in exchange for a $4 billion fine, probation and monitoring. Some of the company's victims objected to the deal including Cherri Foytlin, who explained her reasons in this letter to the judge.

January 25, 2013 - Two pregnant Southern women played key roles in the legalization of abortion in the United States. A story in the 1977 edition of Southern Exposure detailed their experiences, and we share it in honor of the 40th anniversary of both the magazine and the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.