Tag: ACLU

Members of Congress Join Rights Groups in Urging White House to Study Creating National Human Rights Institution

Stuart Mitchell

Nine members of Congress are joining a broad coalition of civil and human rights groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union in urging the Biden administration to establish a presidential commission to study the creation of a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) in the United States to monitor and promote human rights. In letters sent to President Biden ahead of the second Summit for Democracy, the members of Congress and the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies (IAOHRA) stress the importance of a National Human Rights Institution to…

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ACLU, EFF Seek to Protect the Public’s Right to Access Judicial Records

Stuart Mitchell

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation have filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of an appeal filed by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The brief argues that RCFP has standing to sue to access search warrants and other materials related to the Stored Communications Act (SCA) sealed by a federal district court. The federal district court’s decision that RCFP lacks such standing — and to keep this vital information under seal — contradicts decades of First Amendment and common law broadly granting organizations…

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Over 120 Bills Restricting LGBTQ+ Rights Introduced Nationwide in the US in 2023 So Far

Stuart Mitchell

As the 2023 legislative session begins, politicians across the country already introduced 124 total bills restricting LGBTQ people, targeting their freedom of expression, the safety of transgender students, and access to health care for gender dysphoria. At the center of the American Civil Liberties Union’s efforts to oppose these bills is a new digital dashboard tracking bills as they are introduced to help advocates, organizers, and allies take action. Bills attacking LGBTQ rights are assessed by ACLU legal staff, categorized by their issue focus, and regularly updated to reflect their…

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ACLU Announces Inaugural Awardees for Pro Bono Attorney and Firm of the Year

Stuart Mitchell

The American Civil Liberties Union has announced the recipients of its inaugural Pro Bono Attorney of the Year and Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year awards. These honors are intended to recognize the tremendous pro bono support the ACLU receives from law firms and solo practitioners, without whom many of its goals would be unreachable.   In this inaugural year, the ACLU named two recipients of its 2022 Pro Bono Attorney of the Year award: Leah Godesky, a partner at O’Melveny and Myers, for years of work and leadership…

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ACLU Launches Seven-Figure Ad Buy on Family Separation and Abortion Urging Biden to Take Action

Stuart Mitchell

The American Civil Liberties Union announced a million-dollar advertising campaign to push the Biden administration to reunite children and parents, repair the harms of the family separation crisis, and protect abortion. The buy in Washington, D.C. area cable television, as well as social and digital platforms including Connected TV and newsletters, will begin tomorrow, Dec. 16, and run through early next year.  After the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” family separation policy was implemented, the ACLU successfully sued to block family separation and immediately reunite families. Thousands of children were torn…

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