Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Under Law

General Legal:The General Legal department coordinates the legal work of the Lawyers' Committee, including litigation and related advocacy across all six projects: Voting Rights , Digital Justice, Criminal Justice, Economic Justice, Educational Opportunities, and Fair Housing & Community development. The Lawyers' Committee also leverages public education and national visibility to inform public discourse and to educate and inform the public and policy makers about our critical work and relevant civil rights issues.

Public Education & Educational Opportunities Project:Through litigation, policy, and advocacy, the Educational Opportunities Project works to ensure that Black students and other historically marginalized students of color have access to meaningful and equitable opportunities to succeed in healthy, integrated, diverse, inclusive, and nurturing learning environments free of racism and discrimination The Project uses litigation and policy tools to promote access to higher education, racially inclusive learning environments, and K-12 educational equity. It also combats exploitation of students by for-profit colleges.

Economic Justice Project:The Economic Justice Project engages in impact litigation and legal advocacy to ensure that communities of color can access opportunities and meaningfully engage in the economy to lead dignified lives free from discrimination.

Fair Housing & Community Development Project:The Fair Housing & Community Development Project fights housing discrimination by working to combat housing and lending discrimination and promote greater opportunity for low-income people of color. Through impact litigation, policy advocacy, consulting services, and support for housing justice organizations, the FHCD Project works to ensure equitable access to crucial resources and meaningful housing choices for Black communities.

Public Policy:The Public Policy Project advocates for the effective advancement of civil rights law at the state and federal level working with other organizations, executive branch officials, and legislators. The Project's work focuses on racial justice issues addressed by the organization's other units, including voting rights, educational opportunities, criminal justice, digital justice, and economic justice.

Digital Justice Initiative:The Digital Justice Initiative works at the intersection of racial justice, technology, and privacy. Predatory commercial data practices, discriminatory algorithms, invasions of privacy, disinformation, government surveillance, and online hate disproportionately target and harm Black Americans and other people of color. The project works to ensure that everyone should be entitled to the equal enjoyment of the internet's economic, cultural, and civic opportunities without fear of discrimination.

Criminal Justice Project:The Criminal Justice Project challenges structural racism within the criminal justice system and aims to ensure that Black people and other people of color enjoy safety from violence by the state and by white supremacists. Areas of focus include promoting police accountability and combatting the criminalization of poverty and holding white supremacists accountable through a sub-unit known as the James Byrd, Jr. Center to Stop Hate.

Pro Bono & Legal Partnerships