On April 23, 2013, NELA filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Howe v. City of Akron , in which Akron firefighters alleged race and age discrimination claims involving promotions. In 2008, a jury found for the firefighters and awarded them $1,891,000 in damages. After lengthy post-trial motion practice, the trial court granted the City of Akron a new trial on the damages award in late 2010. Shortly before the new trial in July 2011, the judge declared the damages issue would be decided in a bench trial rather than before a jury because plaintiffs had waived their right to a jury trial on that issue. He also ordered ...