A federal judge on Tuesday approved a class-action sex-discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. representing as many as 1.6 million current and former women workers, in what has become the largest private civil rights case in U.S. history. Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, sought to limit the scope of the lawsuit filed in San Francisco three years ago. [more] Pictured above: Betty Dukes, right, lead poses with fellow plaintiffs shortly before a hearing Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003, in San Francisco . [more]