Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

In a case in which the Court considered an amicus brief filed by the Lawyers' Committee along with the Brennan Center and Protect Democracy on behalf of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda, League of Women Voters of Georgia, and League of Women Voters of Atlanta-Fulton County, the Fulton County Superior Court decisively held that no Georgia election superintendent or member of a county board of elections and registration may refuse to certify an election as required by Georgia law.

Lawyers' Committee attorneys will be back in court today to fight for an extended deadline for Georgia voters in aftermath of the storms. Today’s hearing on the preliminary injunction is critical. We are hopeful the court will act to ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate in the democratic process. Read the full article by ABC News via Associated Press: https://lnkd.in/e8hFRbZn

The Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights and the League of Women Voters of Virginia have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging Virginia’s voter purge program, which is unlawfully and systematically removing voters from the rolls on the eve of the November 5 general election. The plaintiffs are represented by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Campaign Legal Center, the Protect Democracy Project, and Advancement Project. The lawsuit alleges that this systematic purge violates the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which prohibits these types of purge programs within 90 days of a federal election, and will result in the erroneous removal of eligible voters from Virginia’s voter rolls, particularly those who are naturalized US citizens. The challenged process was put in place by Governor Glenn Youngkin through his August 7 Executive Order 35, which requires state and local election officials to remove individuals from the voter registration list based on faulty and outdated Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) data, and without taking any steps to verify if this data is accurate. As the Complaint explains, Virginia driver’s licenses are available to non-citizens and can remain valid for up to eight years, making naturalized citizens who obtained their driver’s license before becoming a citizen vulnerable to removal based on this outdated DMV data. Click here to read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/e63as3Ji

Here's what you should know about upcoming voter registration deadlines. Many states have specific guidelines for the voter registration cut-off period depending on whether you are registering to vote online, in-person, or by mail. Head to https://866ourvote.org/ to view the guidelines that apply to your state and contact 866-OUR-VOTE if you have any questions or problems. #Election2024 #ElectionProtection #VoterRegistration

Voter education is key to protecting your rights at the polls. For #NationalVoterEducationWeek, we encourage you to use your voice, opportunity and power to participate in this 2024 election season. #BeAVoter and if you have any questions around voting or issues at the polls call or text 866-OUR-VOTE. #ElectionProtection #Election2024

With the 2024 Election fast approaching, you should know that several states have a deadline of Monday, October 7 for voter registration. Many states have specific guidelines for the voter registration cut-off period depending on whether you are registering to vote online, in-person, or by mail. Head to https://866ourvote.org/ to view the guidelines that apply to your state and contact 866-OUR-VOTE if you have any questions or problems.

This week, the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, New Georgia Project, Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, A. Philip Randolph Institute, Common Cause Georgia, and League of Women Voters of Georgia, represented by Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Advancement Project, Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Arnold & Porter filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit that is currently pending in state court (DeKalb County Superior Court). They also filed a motion to dismiss a suit brought by the DeKalb County Republican Party and an activist that seeks to force the members of the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections to convene challenge hearings for the purpose of considering the removal of more than 5,000 voters from the rolls before the upcoming November election. If the petitioners prevail and the DeKalb County Board of Registration and Elections is forced to proceed with challenge hearings, this could result in the illegal removal of voters, a violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). Click here to read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/e4NPFuaU

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