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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.

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.

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Kristen Clarke Warns Georgia To Stop Suppressing The Black Vote, Or Else

Aug 21, 2018 |

Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law warned a Georgia elections board that it’s ready for a legal battle in federal court to stop a proposal that would suppress Black voter turnout in a key governor’s race. The civil rights group submitted a pre-suit demand letter Monday to the Randolph County Board of Elections, objecting to a plan that would close 75 percent of the polling places in the predominantly African-American county.
“We are prepared to use every tool in our arsenal to protect the rights of Black voters seeking meaningful access to the ballot box this election cycle,” Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee, told NewsOne.

She called cops when he was campaigning while black; he filed a bill to criminalize racially biased 911 calls

Aug 20, 2018 |

Kristen Clarke, president of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and former head of the Civil Rights Bureau for the New York Attorney General’s Office, said she applauds the senator for what she called a feasible proposal. “I think these calls are intended to marginalize people of color and drive them out of communities. Strong laws and meaningful action on the part of lawmakers can help to curb this conduct. This bill could inspire other states to take similar measures.”

It’s time to fight the ballot bullies in court

Aug 20, 2018 |

“These [Randolph County, GA] polling place closures are part of a stark pattern that we are seeing across Georgia whereby officials are working to make it harder for African-Americans and other minorities to vote,” is how Kristen Clarke, president and executive director for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, put it to the Washington Post. “The more communities mobilize to turn out the vote, the harsher the voter suppression efforts undertaken by officials.”

Civil Rights Groups Target Majority-Black Georgia County Seeking to Shutter Most Polling Places

Aug 20, 2018 |

“This is nothing more than a racially motivated, voter suppression scheme that aims to lock Black voters out of a historic election cycle,” Kristen Clarke, who leads the Lawyers’ Committee on Civil Rights Under Law, tweeted on Sunday. The Lawyers’ Committee, representing three Georgia civil rights groups, sent a letter to the Randolph County Board of Elections and Registration threatening legal action if the plan moves forward.

Georgia Candidates Decry Plan to Close Voting Sites in Mostly Black County

Aug 20, 2018 |

The Washington-based Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law on Sunday sent a letter to the Randolph County elections board threatening to sue if the closures go ahead. “We are deeply troubled by this proposal which would impair the ability of African-Americans, particularly in low-income areas, to reach the polls,” Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee, said in a telephone interview.

Georgia voting rights activists move to block a plan to close two-thirds of polling places in a majority black county

Aug 18, 2018 |

“These polling place closures are part of a stark pattern that we are seeing across Georgia whereby officials are working to make it harder for African Americans and other minorities to vote,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The more communities mobilize to turn out the vote, the harsher the voter suppression efforts undertaken by officials. We are prepared to use every tool in our arsenal to ensure that African American voters are able to have meaningful access to the polls this election cycle.”

Baton Rouge’s mayor sent recommendations following dialogue on race and policing

Aug 17, 2018 |

A dialogue on race and policing in Baton Rouge, a joint effort of the national non-profit Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and local nonprofit Dialogue on Race Louisiana, has led to recommendations that Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome set up a council to work with the city’s police chief, launch a more extensive community policing program and establish a new policy for law enforcement interactions — all aimed at bettering relationship between minority residents and officers. “Improving the relationship between police and communities of color is of paramount concern for the City,” wrote Kristen Clarke to Baton Rouge’s mayor.

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