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Welcome to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Newsroom. This page contains our press releases, news clips and blog posts.
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Court: Arkansas judge immune from suit over excessive fines
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a state judge is immune from a lawsuit by a civil rights group that accused him of violating the constitutional rights of poor defendants by imposing excessive fines and jail time when they...
Rights groups: Biden should disavow racist rulings against Puerto Rico, territories
WASHINGTON — Civil rights groups on Thursday asked President Joe Biden’s administration to disavow century-old Supreme Court rulings suffused with racist language that gave the government license to treat people living in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories...
In Arbery Hate Crimes Trial, Racism Will Take Center Stage
"ATLANTA — The killing of George Floyd catalyzed a period of national soul-searching about race and racism that has touched nearly every aspect of American life. But in a number of high-profile trials since then — including in the murder of Mr. Floyd and the killing...
San Juan County, New Mexico Board of Commissioners Redistricting Plan Violates the Voting Rights of Navajo Nation Citizens
(Washington, DC) — The Board of Commissioners of San Juan County, New Mexico adopted a redistricting plan that denies San Juan County’s Navajo Nation citizens and other Indigenous voters an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and to elect...
Supreme Court nominee may be Black woman: How diverse are US courts?
President Joe Biden has brought renewed attention to the diversity of the Supreme Court as he reaffirms his commitment to appointing the first Black woman to the nation's highest court. But experts and advocates of judicial diversity also want to remind people that...
Bomb threats targeting US Black colleges investigated as hate crimes
The FBI has said a series of hoax bomb threats targeting US historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, are being investigated as racially motivated hate crimes. "In a statement, Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for...
Thomas Silverstein Receives University of Virginia’s Shaping Justice Rising Star Award
(Washington, D.C.) — In honor of his work to foster the development of inclusive communities, expand access to opportunity, and fight displacement, Thomas Silverstein, associate director of the Fair Housing & Community Development Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for...
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Targeted by Bomb Threats, Marking an Ominous Start to Black History Month
(Washington, D.C.) - An increasing number of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have received bomb threats in the past few days, drawing the attention of the White House and federal law enforcement. At least 17 HBCUs temporarily canceled classes or...
Voting Rights Groups Sue Texas for Failure to Disclose Records Related to Voter Purges
Austin, Texas - Today, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Campaign Legal Center (CLC), the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Texas (ACLU Texas), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and DĒMOS filed a lawsuit asking...
Civil Rights Groups: Electoral Count Act Is Insufficient, Protecting the Right to Vote Is Essential
WASHINGTON — Leading civil rights organizations released the following joint statement urging Congress to remain focused on federal voting rights protections and the core issue of racial discrimination addressed in the John Lewis Voting Rights...
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to Retire at Critical Moment for Nation
(Washington, D.C.) — Following 27 years of service on our nation’s highest court, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer announced that he will retire at the end of the current term according to people familiar with his thinking. Justice Breyer was...
The Law and Facts are Clear: Race-Conscious Admissions is Meaningful, Necessary and Constitutional
(Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme Court has granted review of two federal court decisions upholding race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard College and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC). The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law...
Judge Holly Thomas Confirmed to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
(Washington, D.C.) — The U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Holly A. Thomas to serve as the United States Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Thursday. Since 2018, Judge Thomas has served as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. She is...
Louisiana Has Failed to Protect Black Communities from Toxic Air
Washington, D.C.– Black residents of St. John the Baptist Parish have been subjected to disproportionate air pollution produced by various manufacturing facilities, including the Denka neoprene production plant, according to a complaint submitted to the U.S....
Lawyers’ Committee Presents House Testimonies on Voter Suppression
(Washington, D.C.) – Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, will testify before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties at Thursday’s hearing...