New Resource: Investing in Racial Equity Through Charitable Grants And Services | Key legal insights & strategies for grantmakers & nonprofits in an evolving landscape.
The Fight Continues: We sent a letter to 150+ colleges, universities, and school superintendents urging them to reject flawed federal guidance and continue lawful efforts to foster diversity, equity and inclusion on campus.
The Fight for Affirmative Action
On June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court issued rulings in SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC that significantly limit the use of race-conscious admissions. While affirmative action was not explicitly banned, the decisions weaken longstanding precedent and create new barriers for colleges and universities seeking to consider race as one of many factors in their admissions processes. Learn more
Model Online Civil Rights Act
AI tools used in facial recognition, hiring, tenant screening, and credit scoring often reinforce racial bias and discrimination. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law advocates for equity-centered technology and has released the model “Online Civil Rights Act” to ensure AI is developed and used responsibly, protecting the civil rights of Black communities and other communities of color. Learn more
January 6th Insurrection
On January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol Police officers risked their lives to protect our democracy. They faced a violent, mass attack on the Capitol driven by intentional misinformation aimed at overturning the legitimate results of an election in which record numbers of Black voters made their voices heard. The violent attack was designed to threaten and intimidate those involved in conducting and protecting the election certification process. It was not just an attack on people or property, but an attack on democracy itself.
The national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition works year-round to ensure that all voters have an equal opportunity to vote and have that vote count. Made up of more than 100 local, state and national partners, Election Protection uses a wide range of tools and activities to protect, advance and defend the right to vote. Election Protection provides Americans from coast to coast with comprehensive information and assistance at all stages of voting – from registration, to absentee and early voting, to casting a vote at the polls, to overcoming obstacles to their participation. Election Protection helps voters make sure their vote is counted through a number of resources, including: A suite of voter helplines, Voter Protection field programs across the country, and digital outreach tools. Throughout the election cycle we’re working tirelessly to protect the vote.
Blog, Press Releases & Newsclips
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Texas NAACP Ask Court to Block Texas’ Racially Gerrymandered Congressional Maps
The lawsuit alleges that maps recently passed by the Texas legislature are illegal and intentionally discriminate against majority minority districts to dilute their political power. WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Texas NAACP, represented by the Lawyers’ Committee for...
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Condemns Texas Redistricting Plan as Racially Discriminatory
Robert Weiner, the voting rights project director at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, which represents the Texas NAACP in the ongoing lawsuit against Texas for racial gerrymandering, issued the following statement regarding the new...
Federal Judge Rejects Broad Bid to Toss VACIR Voting Rights Case
Federal Judge Rejects Broad Bid to Toss VACIR Voting Rights Case Plaintiffs’ core claims proceed and the case moves to discovery. Alexandria, VA— In a major win for voting rights and the rule of law, Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles of the U.S. District Court...
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Statement on President Trump’s Plan to Federalize the D.C. Police
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump’s unprecedented move to seize control of the Metropolitan Police Department is an alarming abuse of power—and a dangerous step toward militarized policing of Black communities across America. Crime in Washington,...
Court of Appeals Orders Lower Court to Rule on Whether Governor Youngkin Violated the Law by Previously Withholding Public Records Related to Voting Rights Restoration Process
RICHMOND, VA – The NAACP Virginia State Conference (Virginia NAACP) received a favorable ruling in Virginia State Conference NAACP, et. al., v. Governor Glenn A. Youngkin, et. al., its ongoing Virginia Freedom of Information Act (VFOIA) lawsuit to obtain public...
Lawyers’ Committee Honors 60th Anniversary of Voting Right Act and Demands Federal Action on Voting Rights
To mark the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement: “Sixty years ago today, the Voting Rights Act of 1965...
