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
AI Civil Rights Act
The AI Civil Rights Act, championed by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, ensures that innovation strengthens, not undermines, civil rights. It creates real transparency, strong safeguards, and accountability, so technology serves justice, not bias. 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 counted. Made up of more than 300 local, state, and national partners, 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 ballot at the polls, to ensuring that election results are certified. Our core work includes direct voter assistance and education, advocacy, communication with election officials, and litigation. Throughout the election cycle, we’re here to help.
Blog, Press Releases & Newsclips
Statement from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on the Supreme Court Rejecting Trump’s Restrictions on Mail Voting
Tonight, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected the Trump Administration’s attempt to impose and enforce sweeping new mail-in ballot delivery restrictions that threatened to severely disrupt the midterm elections. The restrictions would have required states...
Lawyers’ Committee, NAACP, Black Voters Matter and Common Cause Secure Nationwide Injunction Blocking Trump’s USPS Mail Voting Rule
Federal court grants civil rights groups’ request for preliminary injunction, halting new restrictions that threatened mail voting for millions of Americans ahead of November elections. WASHINGTON – A federal judge today granted a nationwide preliminary injunction...
Federal Court Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Proof of Citizenship Check Laws, Risking Disenfranchisement of Thousands of Eligible Voters Ahead of November Midterm Elections
INDIANA — A federal court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by four nonpartisan organizations – League of Women Voters of Indiana, Common Cause Indiana, Hoosier Asian American Power, and Exodus Refugee Immigration – seeking to halt enforcement of Indiana laws that...
Civil Rights Groups Sue to Block Trump USPS Rules Threatening Mail-In Votes for 48 Million Americans
WASHINGTON – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the NAACP, Common Cause, and Black Voters Matter filed new claims in federal court today in their lawsuit against the president’s executive order on mail-in voting. The new filing challenges a rule issued...
Lawyers’ Committee President Damon Hewitt Welcomes Ryan Haygood as President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center
WASHINGTON— Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, today issued the following statement as Ryan P. Haygood begins his tenure as president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center: “Ryan Haygood is one of...
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: 2025 FBI Data Show Progress on Hate Crimes — But Anti-Black Violence Still Leads Every Category
WASHINGTON — In response to the FBI's release of its 2025 hate crime statistics, Len Kamdang, Director of the Criminal Justice Project and the Byrd Center to Stop Hate at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, issued the following statement: “For the third...
