News Clips

• May 17, 2012  |  National Coalition on School Diversity Join Us at the National Conference on School Diversity! Attend the National Conference on School Diversity: Advancing the Legacy of Mendez and Brown in Washington, DC on May 17th! At the conference, you can join the Lawyers' Committee and other members of the National Coalition on School Diversity (NCSD) in pressing for a more significant commitment to racial and economic integration in U.S. Department of Education programs – in magnet schools, charter schools, through interdistrict transfers under No Child Left Behind, and in the new education funds Race to the Top and the Investing in Innovation Fund.
• May 17, 2012 What You Need to Know About EEOC’s New Guidance on Criminal Background Checks On April 25, 2012, the EEOC, in a bipartisan 4-1 vote updated its 25 year old enforcement guidance on the use of criminal background checks in hiring. With aggressive enforcement, this guidance will help reverse a pattern in which old arrests and minor convictions can turn into life sentences of joblessness for many minority job-seekers. Click to learn what you need to know about this important new guidance!
• May 15, 2012 Massachusetts Citizen and Community Groups Sue Commonwealth for Failing to Provide Voter Registration Opportunities Citing clear evidence that the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) have violated their federally-mandated responsibilities to offer tens of thousands of public assistance clients opportunities to register to vote, a Massachusetts citizen and two community groups filed suit today for violations of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).
• May 14, 2012  |  USA Today Civil Rights Groups Launch Voter Registration Drives Earlier "Some people might think they're registered when they're not," said Barbara Arnwine, executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. "For example, people who have moved after losing a home or job may not know they must re-register," she said.
• May 9, 2012  |  American Constitution Society EEOC Guidance Critical to Equitable Employment Opportunities for Racial Minorities In late April, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), under the leadership of Chair Jackie Berrien, approved updated Enforcement Guidance on Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records by employers. The Guidance analyzes clearly and comprehensively the restrictions that Title VII places on an employer’s use of any employment screen that has the intent or effect of excluding minority workers disproportionately from being hired or retained by the employer.
• May 2, 2012  |  Kentucky Agricultural News Claims Deadline Nears for Black Farmers in Historic $1.25 Billion Settlement Final chance for those eligible to get payments and loan forgiveness from the Black Farmers Discrimination Settlement - deadline is May 11, 2012!
• April 30, 2012 Court Blocks Protections for Unemployed Americans and Exploited H-2B Guestworkers The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers' Committee) is concerned that on April 26, 2012, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida granted a preliminary injunction, blocking the implementation of the Department of Labor's (DOL) new comprehensive H-2B regulations. The new H-2B regulations were set to go into effect on April 27, 2012. These regulations would have provided modest, common-sense requirements and greatly increased protections for U.S. workers and H-2B guestworkers against various forms of abuse including safeguards against retaliation, fair compensation for travel expenses and an opportunity for United States workers to seek and obtain these jobs first.
• April 23, 2012 EEOC Investigation Initiated at Request of Lawyers’ Committee Leads to Major Lawsuits Attacking the Promotion Policies of the Jacksonville (FL) Fire and Rescue Department On April 23, 2012, the Department of Justice filed suit against the City of Jacksonville alleging that its Fire and Rescue Department “JFRD”) has used and continues to use written examinations for promotion which disproportionately screen out Black candidates.
• April 19, 2012 Georgia Agrees to Comply with National Voter Registration Act, Settles Lawsuit Brought by Lawyers' Committee and Partners Georgia's Secretary of State and its Department of Human Services (DHS) have agreed to comply with Section 7 of the NVRA, which requires that public assistance agency clients be provided with the opportunity to register to vote every time they apply for or renew benefits, or when they submit a change of address. This includes instances where clients interact with the agency both in person and by remote means (by telephone, internet or mail, for example). The lawsuit, brought by the Lawyers' Committee and partners against the state, alleged that Georgia had been largely ignoring this mandate for many years.
• April 18, 2012 Election Protection to Provide Crucial Assistance to North Carolina Voters for Early Voting and Primary Election Day As North Carolina voters begin to cast their ballots during the start of early voting tomorrow, Thursday April 19th, Election Protection (EP), the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition, has launched a toll-free hotline to help. Election Protection wants to ensure that voters are equipped with the information they need when they head to cast their ballot this election.