Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), founded in 1963 and based in Washington, D.C., works to secure equal justice for all through the rule of law, seeking to ensure that Black people and other communities of color have the voice, opportunity, and power to make the promises of our democracy real. The Lawyers’ Committee is leading a comprehensive, organization-wide strategy to combat fallout from the adverse higher-education affirmative-action rulings and subsequent interpretive overreach to other sectors, especially the nonprofit sector. This work includes filing cases and briefs and engaging in policy advocacy to support equity-centered programming in employment, education, and beyond; continuing to promote equity-centered policies and practices in education; executing the Protecting and Advancing DEI Pro Bono Initiative, which provides free legal counsel and, when necessary, representation to eligible private, non-profit, and government entities concerned about their racial-equity initiatives; and launching a communications, outreach, and education campaign to affirm the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming and provide stakeholders with legally accurate interpretations of the affirmative-action decisions. This grant supports the Lawyers' Committee post-affirmative-action-rulings strategy.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Voting Rights Project conducts litigation, legal support, and public education to prevent unnecessary and unconstitutional barriers to voting. The Lawyers’ Committee has developed a set of online and mobile tools through which voters can ask questions about voting and report problems they encounter to a network of trained legal volunteers who provide informed responses or intervene, if necessary. The Lawyers’ Committee will organize the National Commission on Voting Rights, a series of public hearings that will gather testimony on voting challenges to contribute to the public record.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law’s Election Protection Program (Lawyers’ Committee) provides legal expertise, and interactive information resources to voters and grassroots organizations with the goal of ensuring that all eligible citizens are able to cast a vote that will be counted on Election Day. Through the 1-866-OUR-VOTE hotline, the Lawyers’ Committee and its partners identify problems with elections administration during the run up to the election, and on Election Day itself. The Lawyers’ Committee also provides legal expertise to grassroots groups working directly with state and local election officials to address potential problems before Election Day, and conducts litigation when necessary to reduce barriers to voting.

In support of general operations (over three years).