Blog
We can be pretty sure that each new day will bring two things: new threats to our civil liberties, and new stories of people standing up for their rights and winning. Behind every court ruling is a person. Behind every landmark law is a movement. Read the stories and hear the voices that ground our work.
On Women's Health, the House Trades One Bad Idea for Another
Jan 26, 2015
Watching Congress' actions toward women last week might leave you confused about what year it is. Instead of advancing a single policy designed to help women, the U.S. House of Representatives has chosen to attack women's health any way it can.
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The House's #TBT: Roll Backs on Women's Health
Jan 22, 2015
Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade. Instead of honoring that legacy of support for women, the U.S. House of Representatives is planning a throwback Thursday, marking the occasion by rolling back women's health with a vote on a federal abortion ban.
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On the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Let’s Talk About Women
Jan 22, 2015
42 years after Roe v. Wade, abortion opponents wave around pictures of fetuses floating through space in bubbles. Erased from these images are the pregnant women who actually carry fetuses. Let's put women back into the picture.
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An Alabama Porch Lesson: Sober Celebration on MLK Day
Jan 19, 2015
When I moved into a sleepy Southern home in Montgomery, Alabama, that was so redolent with history, I imagined it to be the perfect place for inspiration. But I found living in a house where key civil rights leaders had once gathered to be far more sobering than inspiring.As an aspiring racial justice lawyer, the historical heart of the civil rights movement appeared to be an ideal place to start ...
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The End Game is Here for Marriage Equality
Jan 16, 2015
This is it – the end game in the longstanding campaign to win the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide is upon us. The U.S. Supreme Court has just announced it will hear freedom-to-marry cases in all four states in the Sixth Circuit- Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan. We're thrilled to be co-counsel in the Kentucky and Ohio cases.With today's SCOTUS announcement we are entering wh...
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Lawyers for Black Lives Matter
Jan 16, 2015
Today we lie down on the steps of the CA Supreme Court to protest the legal system’s failure to hold accountable the officers that killed Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and too many others.
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Your Rights with an AB 60 Driver’s License
Jan 15, 2015
In 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill to that allows all eligible Californians to apply for a driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. AB 60 means that our friends, brothers, sisters, parents, and neighbors will be able to drive without fear of having their cars impounded, being ticketed, or left stranded by the side of the road for not having a license.
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Should Cops Watch Video Footage Before Writing Reports?
Jan 13, 2015
A police officer wearing a body camera shoots a civilian. Afterwards, the officer has to write up a report about the incident. Should the officer be able to view the footage captured by his body camera (or other cameras) before he writes his initial report?
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Cybersecurity Doesn’t Have to Mean Sacrificing Privacy
Jan 13, 2015
Are our work emails, our medical records, and our financial information safe online, or have we been leaving our digital doors unlocked? What will President Obama propose to keep our digital world secure?
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Remembering Al Bendich
Jan 12, 2015
Al Bendich was a young ACLU lawyer in 1957 when he argued the landmark "Howl" case, winning free speech for poet Allen Ginsberg and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, owner of City Lights bookstore.
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ACLU Responds to Excessive Force Used on Protesters
Jan 12, 2015
Some of the most vigorous and sustained "Black Lives Matter" protests took place in Oakland and Berkeley. While some law enforcement response was called for, there were disturbing signs of a familiar pattern - the use of excessive force against demonstrators.
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Trans TV Show Wins a Golden Globe, Fails to Represent Community
Jan 12, 2015
When the Amazon series Transparent won the Golden Globe award for best comedy series, it was a big deal, but it wasn't enough. With one exception, there were no people of color representing the trans community and no trans women receiving acting awards for playing trans roles.
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