Newsroom
Welcome to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Newsroom. This page contains our press releases, news clips and blog posts.
We have subject matter experts on civil rights issues ready to handle inquiries from journalists on such issues as voting rights, criminal justice, economic justice, fair housing, educational opportunity, racial justice matters and more.
Looking to arrange an interview or book a speaker? Contact press@lawyerscommittee.org
Search our Newsroom:
Bigoted customers make life hell for minority workers, but here’s how to fight back
“We’re seeing a rise in hate across our country, and that conduct sometimes spills over into … stores and work sites,’’ says Kristen Clarke, president and executive director for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “This is a moment that requires employers think about what actions they can take to make sure that all employers are aware of their rights.’’
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Issues Letter to LA County Clerk Following Massive 118k-person Voting Error
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee) issued a letter to Dean C. Logan, County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk of Los Angeles County to express grave concerns and demand an explanation regarding the removal of...
Symposium: The Masterpiece ruling calls for increased vigilance of discrimination in the marketplace
Despite being narrow, the Masterpiece ruling will require vigilance to monitor challenges by religious business owners and to ensure that anti-discrimination laws are vigorously enforced on behalf of LGBT individuals in the localities and states that prohibit sexual orientation discrimination. Strong state and local public accommodation laws like CADA are vital in ensuring that LGBT individuals are treated with dignity and respect in the marketplace and that victims of discrimination obtain relief.
Federal Panel Says Ga. Injunction Not Warranted Despite Racial Gerrymandering Evidence
Despite citing “compelling evidence” that the Georgia General Assembly racially gerrymandered two metro Atlanta legislative districts to assure Republican wins in 2016, a federal three-judge panel has refused to enjoin the new lines as unconstitutional…The suit was filed last year in federal court in Atlanta by nearly a dozen attorneys working with the national nonprofit Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on behalf of the Georgia NAACP and voters in those districts.
Arizona’s Secretary of State Agrees to Drop Burdensome Voter Registration Requirement Following Lawsuit
Tens of thousands may now be enfranchised that were denied because of unnecessary bureaucracy PHOENIX- Today, the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law reached a settlement agreementwith the Secretary of State of Arizona and...
Supreme court sides with baker who refused to make gay wedding cake
Court rules in favor of Masterpiece Cakeshop, but doesn’t address principle of whether a business can refuse to serve gay people…Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said the court had “missed an opportunity” to send “a strong message discouraging and dissuading discrimination by public accommodations against people based on their LGBT status”.
Problems at the Polls? Non-partisan Toll-Free Hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) Available Now Through Election Day
WASHINGTON, D.C. – When voters head to the polls for primary day elections, Election Protection, the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, four Election Protection hotlines will be live on...
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Issues Statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 7-2 Ruling Narrowly Siding With Owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop
WASHINGTON, DC - Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), issued the following statement Monday regardingthe U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 7-2 ruling in Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v....
ATTN Daybook/Reporters June 5: 866-OUR-VOTE non-partisan Election Protection Hotline open for primary day
Problems at the Polls? Non-partisan Toll-Free Hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) Available Now Through Election Day WHAT: Election Protection, the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition led by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, will have four...
Trump Administration Killed A Housing Discrimination Rule. Some Cities Are Following It Anyway.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development effectively suspended the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule on May 18. Some local governments said they plan to use the AFFH tool, even though HUD withdrew it, according to Thomas Silverstein, a co-counsel in the lawsuit. Some see it as a better platform, and others said they believe litigation will restore the requirement, he said.
Law enforcement, community members take part in ongoing series discussing race and policing
“It was really impossible to discuss policing without discussing race in Baton Rouge,” said Myesha Braden, director of the Criminal Justice Project for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Policing is not something that happens separate and apart from (the community). We want to encourage a renewed focus on collaboration.”
Dialogue on Race Louisiana and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law Launch Dialogue on Race and Policing
Baton Rouge, LA –In response to heightened tensions between law enforcement and the Baton Rouge community, the Dialogue on Race Louisiana (DORLA) and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law have come together to launch a discussion series designed to build...
Letter to HUD regarding its mission statement
Download the Letter to HUD regarding its mission statement
DeVos: Schools should decide whether to report undocumented kids
In response to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ comments, Kristen Clarke said “The suggestion that individual schools should have discretion to determine if and when to report undocumented students flies in the face of well-settled and long-standing Supreme Court precedent which makes clear that no student should be denied the right to a public education based on their immigration status.”
Investigation into Anti-Transgender Incident in California Requested by National Civil Rights Groups
WASHINGTON -- The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, one of the nation's premier civil rights organizations, and The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization released a letter...