Statement on Kyle Rittenhouse →

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) condemns the verdict in the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two people and injured one with an AR-15 rifle in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year. Rittenhouse was found not guilty on counts of first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree attempted intentional homicide, and...

Open Letter To Boston’s Mayoral Candidates On Civil Rights Priorities →

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) sent an open letter to the mayoral candidates in the City of Boston identifying urgent legal and policy issues that are currently affecting people of color and immigrants across the city. The letter identifies five critical areas for immediate action, and urges the candidates to prioritize the following: Commit to...

Barnstable County Sheriff’s Immigration Entanglement is Illegal →

Today, Lawyers for Civil Rights sent a demand letter to the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office to terminate the controversial and illegal agreement with federal immigration officials. The letter is available here:

Victory! Sheriff Ends Entanglement With Federal Immigration Officials →

Following Landmark Ruling in Taxpayer Lawsuit, Massachusetts Sheriff Announces He Will Terminate Entanglement With Federal Immigration Officials  Following an adverse ruling in a high-profile legal challenge to the ability of Massachusetts sheriffs to enforce federal immigration law, Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald announced today that he is terminating his office’s “287(g) agreement”...

Body Cavity Searches Trigger Lawsuit Against Federal Officials →

The Boston College Civil Rights Clinic and Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) jointly filed a lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of Neisa Ortega and her 14-year-old daughter after Ms. Ortega was subjected to repeated invasive body searches and sexual violations over the course of one year at the hands of...

Summer Justice →

Injustice doesn't take a break during the summer. That's why our legal warriors have been busy fighting for equality and justice.   On the policing front, we're suing the Needham Police Department on behalf of Marvin Henry, a Black man who was arrested and falsely accused of shoplifting. We're also publicly calling for greater police transparency and fairness.In...

Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against Police in Needham, Mass. →

Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed By Black Man Falsely Accused By Police in Needham, Mass. #JusticeforMarvinHenry Today, Marvin Henry, a Black father of four, filed a federal lawsuit against the Town of Needham, Massachusetts, alleging that the Needham Police Department violated his civil rights in January 2020, when police officers racially profiled Mr. Henry, and subjected him...

Civil Rights Investigation of the MBTA →

CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP CALLS ON U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO INVESTIGATE MBTA FOR CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS Unwarranted Shut-down of MBTA Services After Black Lives Matter Protest Cited As One Of Many MBTA Practices Harmful To Communities Of Color Following the one-year anniversary of the abrupt decision by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation...

Safe Protest Fact Sheet →

Tips and guidance for protestors on staying safe and asserting your right to protest.

Statement on Derek Chauvin →

Prosecutors Must Use Their Power To Fight Police Misconduct The convictions for second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, is the first step towards rebuilding trust in communities of color...

Accelerating Police Reforms →

Accelerating Police Reforms Amidst Continued Police Violence As the criminal trial of Derek Chauvin – the officer who killed George Floyd – unfolds in Minnesota, we continue to see alarming incidents of police violence against people of color.  On March 29, 2021, the same day that Chauvin’s trial began, an officer shot...

Springfield Police Lacks Accountability, Transparency & Diversity →

SPRINGFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT LACKS ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY AND DIVERSITY Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) sent a letter to Justice Roderick L. Ireland, special advisor to the City of Springfield, identifying alarming trends we have observed surrounding deep-rooted injustices in the Springfield Police Department (SPD). The 11-page letter highlights three critical areas where reform...

Welcome Letter to Mayor Janey with Racial Justice Blueprint →

AFTER DECADES OF INSUFFICIENT MUNICIPAL ACTION, LAWYERS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS GIVES MAYOR JANEY BLUEPRINT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE AND IMMIGRATION REFORMLawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) congratulates and applauds Mayor Kim Janey for her historic leadership as Boston's first Black woman Mayor. For many years, LCR has tirelessly advocated for the City...

Black Father Racially Profiled by Police in Needham, MA →

Statement on Independent Investigation into Racial Profiling of Marvin Henry in Needham, MA The Town of Needham released a report by Attorney Natashia Tidwell examining the racial profiling and handcuffing of Marvin Henry, a Black father of four, by the Needham Police Department (NPD) in January 2020, as well as the subsequent...

Boston Police Funding Out of Step with Major Cities →

BOSTON POLICE FUNDING OVER THE LAST DECADE: EXPLOSIVE GROWTH BUT FEW DOLLARS TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OR ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT FROM LAWYERS FOR CIVIL RIGHTS SHOWS BOSTON IS OUT OF STEP WITH OTHER MAJOR CITIES, NOT RESPONSIVE TO CALLS FOR POLICE REFORM A report released by Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) analyzes Boston Police...

Latina Former U.S. Marine Pass Over By Boston Police →

While Claiming to Value Diversity, Boston Police Department Continues to Bypass Qualified Applicants of Color Latina Former U.S. Marine Arbitrarily Passed Over for Hire Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) has filed an appeal with the Civil Service Commission on behalf of our client, Gladys Mueller, a Latinx former U.S. Marine, single...

White Supremacist and Insurrectionist Officers →

"Boston must become a testing ground for the ideals of freedom."— Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, on MLK Day 2021, we call on law enforcement agencies to root out officers with white supremacist and insurrectionist tendencies. For our safety -- and the safety of our children, families and communities...

Urging the Justice Department to Convene Prosecutors →

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) urges Attorney General-Designate Merrick Garland, Associate Attorney General-Designate Vanita Gupta, and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights-Designate Kristen Clarke to set a deliberate and intentional racial equity and racial justice agenda at the Justice Department.  The Justice Department must take immediate action to address the police misconduct...