Following the approval of the Second Amended Consent Decree, the Court scheduled an Initial Fairness Hearing on March 12, 2012 at the Martin Luther King Building and United States Courthouse, 50 Walnut Street, Newark, New Jersey 07101.

At the Initial Fairness Hearing, the Court considered objections to the Decree. The Court determined that the terms of the Decree are fair, reasonable, equitable, and otherwise consistent with federal law. The Court approved and entered the Decree as final on June 12, 2012. See Order Granting Motion for Settlement for the Court's decision in this matter. 

After final approval and entry of the Decree, the State sent notices to potential Claimants that the Decree has been entered and that they are considered to be preliminarily eligible for monetary relief and/or priority promotion. Along with the notice, the State provided an interest in relief form, which potential Claimants were instructed to return to the United States to be considered for monetary relief and/or priority promotion. The deadline to return this form was August 13, 2012. Forms submitted after this date are considered late. Potential claimants with questions about this process may call Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice at 1-800-556-1950, select mailbox option number 1. Upon receiving the interest in relief forms, the United States will create a relief awards list and notify potential Claimants of the United States' preliminary determination of relief awards and how to object to this preliminary determination.

After all objections have been received, the Court will conduct a Fairness Hearing on Individual Relief to decide on individual relief awards and to resolve any objections filed regarding the United States' individual relief determinations.