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“Closing the Year with Impact and Resolve (Lawyers’ Committee Newsletter December 2025)

This past August, we reflected on two defining milestones in the fight for democracy—the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and the 105th anniversary of the 19th Amendment—while recognizing how unfinished the struggle for racial equity remains. From ongoing battles over racially discriminatory maps in Texas, to rollbacks in education and workplace protections, to new threats against cultural institutions, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law continues to stand at the forefront of defending civil rights. This month’s briefing highlights our litigation, press statements, and national media coverage as we honor the past and mobilize for the future.

Reintroduction of the AI Civil Rights Act in Congress

On December 2, 2025, in Washington, DC, President and Executive Director Damon T. Hewitt proudly joined Senator Ed Markey; Representatives Yvette Clarke, Pramila Jayapal, Summer Lee, and Ayanna Pressley; and Leadership Conference President & CEO Maya Wiley to announce the reintroduction of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Civil Rights Act in Congress.

As artificial intelligence continued to transform nearly every aspect of public life, the reintroduction of this legislation represented a significant step forward in ensuring that civil rights protections evolved alongside emerging technologies. The AI Civil Rights Act advanced a clear policy framework to prevent discrimination, address algorithmic bias, and promote equitable outcomes for communities most at risk of harm.

Learn more about the AI Civil Rights Act and how to support this critical legislation:https://lnkd.in/eW6zYJNY

Defending Democracy: The Fight for January 6th Accountability

On December 19, 2025, the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. heard arguments from Lawyers’ Committee counsel in Smith v. Trump to address whether President Trump can claim immunity for his actions related to the January 6th insurrection. This case remains one of the last opportunities to hold Trump and his allies accountable for their actions and deliver justice for the U.S. Capitol Police Officers who bravely served on the front lines to defend our democracy against the attack. The events of that devastating day clearly underlined an important fact: no one – no matter how powerful – is above the law. In the face of attacks on our democracy, there must be justice and accountability. 

Learn more about Smith v. Trump and our efforts to hold those responsible accountable:https://lnkd.in/engYeFCW

This Christmas, We Celebrate Progress and Possibility

As the holiday season arrives, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law extends our warmest wishes for a joyful and restorative time with your loved ones. As we close out another year of advocacy and progress, we are deeply grateful for the supporters, partners, and advocates who have stood with us in the fight for racial justice and equal opportunity. Your unwavering commitment fuels our mission and strengthens our impact in courtrooms and communities across the nation. Thank you for being an essential part of this community and for believing in a future where justice, dignity, and opportunity are guaranteed for all. May this season bring you peace, joy, and hope.

Uplifting Culture, Responsibility, and Faith in Our Future

As we observe Kwanzaa, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law reaffirms our commitment to unity, self-determination, and collective responsibility. For over five decades, we have drawn strength from communities who persistently demand equality under law. Kwanzaa reminds us that true progress requires legal advocacy, cultural preservation, economic empowerment, and unwavering faith in our collective power. This season, we recommit ourselves to dismantling systemic barriers and ensuring equal justice becomes a lived reality for all. Through cooperative action and shared purpose, we continue advancing freedom, dignity, and opportunity for generations to come.

Official Press Releases & Statements

  • Statement from Lawyers’ Committee Following Hearing in January 6 Cases, Lee, et al. v. Trump, et al. | December 19, 2025
    A statement issued by the Lawyers’ Committee following arguments in the consolidated January 6 cases against former President Donald Trump, emphasizing accountability for the events of January 6. Read more
  • Senator Durbin, Illinois AG Raoul Blast Department of Education for Delaying Promised Relief to Students Scammed by Westwood College | December 19, 2025
    A press release reporting on the Department of Education’s delay in discharging student loans for more than 14,000 Westwood College students and civil rights concerns highlighted by the Lawyers’ Committee. Read more
  • Leading Civil Rights Organizations Respond to Executive Order Seeking to Bar States from Addressing Harms Caused by Artificial Intelligence | December 12, 2025
    A coalition statement opposing an executive order that would limit states’ ability to address harms from artificial intelligence, underscoring civil rights protections. Read more
  • Supreme Court Grants Stay in Texas Redistricting Case | December 4, 2025
    An announcement that the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay on a federal court ruling concerning Texas’s congressional redistricting, in a case involving the Lawyers’ Committee and partners.Read more
  • Statement from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on Introduction of the AI Civil Rights Act | December 2, 2025
    A statement celebrating the introduction of the AI Civil Rights Act in Congress to ensure AI tools are fair and nondiscriminatory. Read more

In the News: Defending Civil Rights in a Shifting Legal Landscape

Civil rights are under renewed threat across multiple fronts. Here are some of the month’s most impactful stories:

Higher Education & Workplace Protections

Washington Post (Dec. 9, 2025) – Justice Dept. kills long-time tool used to prove racial discrimination
Michael Pillera, Director of the Educational Opportunities Project, warned that the administration’s decision to eliminate disparate impact analysis represents a lawless abandonment of decades of civil rights precedent, undermining protections for students and workers nationwide. Read more

Religion News Service (Dec. 2, 2025) – Catholic universities search for tricky balance on Trump anti-DEI push
Pillera emphasized that executive actions cannot override civil rights law, noting that many of the administration’s anti-DEI efforts have failed when challenged in court. Read more

DEI & Federal Oversight

ProPublica (Dec. 17, 2025) – Deleting DEI
Maya Raghu, who leads the Lawyers’ Committee’s initiative to protect DEI, explained how federal attacks on diversity and equal opportunity programs are creating a chilling effect across institutions through fear and confusion. Read more

The Grio (Dec. 18, 2025) – Trump’s EEOC chair issues PSA to white men telling them they can claim money for race and gender discrimination
Damon Hewitt criticized the EEOC’s messaging as an effort to legitimize white grievance politics while ignoring ongoing, systemic discrimination faced by people of color and women. Read more

Voting Rights & Redistricting

CNN (Dec. 4, 2025) – Supreme Court allows Texas to use Trump-backed congressional map in midterms
Following the Court’s decision to allow racially gerrymandered maps to remain in place, Damon Hewitt called the ruling a serious blow to voters of color and warned that constitutional protections were being rendered meaningless. Read more

USA Today (Dec. 6, 2025) – What’s next after Supreme Court approves pro-Trump Texas map for 2026?
Hewitt cautioned states against adopting racially discriminatory maps, warning that such actions will face sustained legal scrutiny from civil rights advocates. Read more

Word In Black (Dec. 18, 2025) – In Redistricting Wars, Black and Brown Voters Stand to Lose
An op-ed by Shaylyn Cochran and Robert Weiner examined the Supreme Court’s Texas decision and its dangerous implications for racial gerrymandering nationwide. Read more

Digital Justice & Economic Equity

Tech Policy Press (Dec. 19, 2025) – How Trump’s AI Executive Order Gets It Wrong on Civil Rights
Leah Frazier analyzed how the administration’s AI executive order threatens civil rights protections and undermines democratic oversight of emerging technologies. Read more

Associated Press / PBS NewsHour (Dec. 12, 2025) – WATCH: Trump signs executive order to override AI regulations by states
Senior Policy Counsel Shatorah Roberson explained that the president lacks the authority to preempt state AI laws through executive order, calling the move a threat to democratic governance.Read more

Tech Policy Press (Dec. 8, 2025) – A Doritos Bag, a Police Response, and an AI Accountability Crisis
Damon Hewitt warned that biased algorithms increasingly determine access to jobs, housing, bail, and education, reinforcing racial discrimination unless strong accountability measures are enforced.Read more

Civil Rights Institutions Under Attack

Capital B (Dec. 8, 2025) – Indiana Redistricting Plan Could Leave Gary Residents Without a Voice in Congress
Deputy Executive Director Shaylyn Cochran underscored that states engaging in racial gerrymandering should expect aggressive legal challenges from civil rights organizations nationwide. Read more

Movement Moments

CSPAN2 (Dec. 19, 2025) – Lawyers and Lawmakers in Jan. 6 Lawsuit Speak to Reporters
CSPAN aired remarks from Lawyers’ Committee leadership following a court hearing, reinforcing the organization’s continued role in accountability efforts related to January 6. Read more

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Events (January)

  • New Year (January 1)
  • January 6 fifth anniversary (January 6)
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19)

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The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to mobilize the nation’s leading lawyers as agents for change in the Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Lawyers’ Committee uses legal advocacy to achieve racial justice, fighting inside and outside the courts to ensure that Black people and other people of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. The Lawyers’ Committee implements its mission and objectives by marshaling the pro bono resources of the bar for litigation, public policy, advocacy and other forms of service by lawyers to the cause of civil rights.

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