
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.
Public Defender's Arrest Shows that “Black Lives Matter” Needs to Be Heard in SF
Feb 05, 2015
In San Francisco, yet another example of police abuse came to light when Jami Tillotson was arrested outside a courtroom in the Hall of Justice while attempting to protect her clients’ right to counsel.
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Turning a New Leaf: Driver’s Licenses in California
Feb 04, 2015
It’s a month since AB 60 - The Safe and Responsible Driver Act went into effect: since then, all eligible Californians can apply for a driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. This is a huge victory that immigrants and advocates fought for over two decades.
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Detention Is No Place for Infants, Children, and Families
Feb 04, 2015
The Obama administration's decision eight months ago to massively expand the detention of immigrant families with children means that more newborns, toddlers, and young children will suffer imprisonment for no good reason inside dangerous detention facilities.
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For Some Families Fleeing Violence, a Shot at a Fair Shake
Jan 30, 2015
When I met Milagro* and her toddlers, they were facing imminent deportation to Honduras – a near certain death sentence in light of the extreme violence they would face there. But now they have hope.
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Cops Complain about Being Tracked on Waze: “Do as We Say, Not as We Do”
Jan 29, 2015
Do you have the right to tell others that you saw an on duty cop in public? According to law enforcement in two Associated Press articles this week, the answer is “No.”
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Hope and Resilience for Transgender People: Monica Jones Victory
Jan 28, 2015
It seems basic enough to ask that one be treated like a human being – that a person’s dignity be honored in life and death. But tragically for too many transgender people that is still a far off dream.
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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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