Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Thomas Silverstein, Director of the Fair Housing & Community Development Project at the Lawyers’ Committee was quoted in USA TODAY discussing the intersection of fair housing and civil rights. Click here to read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e8RtiuxN

On Oct 2, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee, Damon Hewitt, will be participating in an event hosted by the Drum Major Institute (DMI) and Mi Familia Vota (MFV) titled, "The Road Ahead", which will convene key civil rights and thought leaders to discuss the modern relevance of civil rights, the ongoing fight to defend our right to vote, and the actions that students, young people, and changemakers can take to "build the beloved community through peace, justice and equity." Click here to register: https://lnkd.in/efQeDFvQ

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is proud to announce that its President and Executive Director, Damon Hewitt, accepted the Privacy Champion Award on behalf of the Lawyers’ Committee at Electronic Privacy Information Center’s (EPIC) 2024 Champions of Freedom Awards dinner. This recognition highlights the organization’s leadership on digital justice issues at the critical intersection of privacy and civil rights, particularly in protecting Black and Brown communities from data exploitation and algorithmic bias. EPIC annually recognizes leaders and organizations who make significant contributions to privacy and civil liberties. The Privacy Champion Award acknowledges the Lawyers’ Committee’s commitment to ensuring privacy as a key civil rights issue and building coalitional power across the civil rights, privacy, and consumer protection communities. During his acceptance speech for the Lawyers’ Committee, Hewitt underscored that privacy rights are integral to civil rights, noting during his remarks the importance of the landmark NAACP v. Alabama (1958) case where white supremacists sought to take membership lists of the NAACP. In that case the Court recognized that the “inviolability of privacy” is “indispensable to preservation of freedom of association.” He said, “For Black people and other communities of color, privacy is critical—it means that who we are cannot be used against us unfairly.” Hewitt also discussed the organization’s Digital Justice Initiative, aimed at addressing issues of privacy, data exploitation, and AI-driven discrimination. Click here to read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/e4QWh8dT

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the FCC argued Wednesday in St. Louis, MO before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in defense of new rules prohibiting discrimination by broadband providers. The rules, issued by the Federal Communications Commission, would facilitate equal access to broadband and prohibit disparate impacts on the basis of race and income. As major telecom companies sue to block these protections, this case could determine whether millions of Black and low-income families gain equal access to high-speed internet – a necessity for education, employment, and daily life in the 21st century. The case is Minnesota Telecom Alliance v. FCC (No. 24-1179). Click here to read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/eHsdsf8R

Last week, Thomas Silverstein, Director of the Fair Housing & Community Development Project at the Lawyers’ Committee was featured on a panel hosted by the Center for American Progress titled, "Building the Future: Innovative Solutions to the U.S. Housing Crisis". Click the following link to watching the event: https://lnkd.in/eCMXUT-S EVENT DESCRIPTION BELOW: Inadequate supply is the root cause of the housing affordability crisis. The rate of production of new units has been too low for more than a decade, and the supply of entry-level single-family homes and affordable rental units has greatly lagged behind demand. Nationally, nearly half of all rental households are cost burdened. To solve the U.S. housing crisis, the path ahead must dramatically boost the supply of housing through policies that will spur building—by reforming local zoning regulations and identifying innovative financing opportunities—and do so in a way that is sustainable and fosters communities that Americans want to live, work, and gather in. Please join the Center for American Progress for a policy summit that lays out a vision for a future with affordable, accessible housing, and policy solutions to turn that vision into a reality for all types of communities. (Source: Center For American Progress)

PREMIERING TODAY! ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice presents Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law President and Executive Director Damon Todd Hewitt in conversation with ABA Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice Secretary and Hip Hop Caucus Education Fund Chief Administrative Officer Dr. Cynthia Swann in a discussion titled, “Election Protection: The Urgency of Protecting Democracy”. They’ll chat about Election Protection as well as important resources and volunteer opportunities listeners can utilize as we move into the 2024 election and beyond. Tune in today at 2 pm ET at the following link: https://lnkd.in/emvwiB-n

Earlier today, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, introduced his Artificial Intelligence Civil Rights Act, comprehensive AI civil rights legislation which will put strict guardrails on companies deployment of AI technology. “Algorithmic justice is a civil rights issue. Just as the struggles of the civil rights movement gave rise to groundbreaking civil rights laws, the harms resulting from the unregulated use of AI and other algorithmic tools demand passing new legislation now,” said Damon Todd Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, who also spoke at the press conference. Last year, the Lawyers' Committee introduced the “Online Civil Rights Act”, model legislation which seeks to both mitigate and prevent current, ongoing harms from the deployment of AI technology. The Lawyers' Committee remains a strong advocate and proponent for effective and equitable legislation to govern AI and other digital technology.

ATLANTA – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, ACLU of Georgia, and Dechert LLP filed a lawsuit to bar enforcement of provisions in a new Georgia law that would permit baseless mass challenges to large swaths of eligible voters and create new barriers targeting unhoused and housing-insecure voters. The case was brought on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, and their members. “Ill-conceived laws like Georgia’s S.B. 189 are a bad solution in search of a non-existent problem. This law threatens the integrity of our democratic process by creating unnecessary barriers that will likely disenfranchise eligible voters from historically excluded communities, including students, nursing home residents, and people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity,” said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “The people of Georgia, especially its most vulnerable, deserve better. Instead of attacking its own people, Georgia should be making it easier for eligible people to cast their ballots and have their voices heard.” “There is simply no justification for Georgia to allow eligible voters to be challenged on the basis that they reside at a ‘nonresidential’ address–a classification which has no relation to their eligibility to vote, said Ryan Snow, counsel with the Voting Rights Project of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “Forcing eligible Georgia voters who are unhoused or housing-insecure–among the most vulnerable members of our society–to take additional, unnecessary and burdensome steps in order to receive their official election mail is both unconstitutional and unconscionable. All eligible voters must be allowed to exercise their freedom to vote without being subjected to unnecessary burdens.” Click here to read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/eQuuZrcv

We are just a few days removed from the 2024 Higginbotham Gala where we gathered for an unforgettable night of inspiration, joy, and excitement to celebrate leaders in justice and equality.⁠ Thank you to our wonderful guests and awardees including Melissa Murray, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, CEO and Founding Partner of the Fearless Fund Arian Simone, and the courageous plaintiffs in the recent Arkansas classroom censorship case. Photo Credit: Adam Hunger for AP Images/Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

We are looking for a Director of Voting Rights to join the fight for fair elections and lead our dedicated team in defending democracy and combating voter suppression. If you’re an experienced attorney with a commitment to justice and strategic oversight, this is your chance to make an impact. Be a catalyst for change and help shape a future where every voice is heard and every vote counts. Apply below and be part of something bigger! #votingrights #civilrights #applynow   Apply: https://lnkd.in/eirVSKqk