Immigrants File Federal Class Action Against Florida’s Governor →

Federal Class Action Challenges the Fraudulent Scheme Victimizing Nearly 50 Vulnerable Immigrants in Martha’s Vineyard September 20, 2022 Boston – Today, Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) filed a federal civil rights class action lawsuit against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Secretary of Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue, the State...

Legal First Responders for Migrants in Martha’s Vineyard →

Lawyers for Civil Rights is providing free legal support to the immigrants who were recklessly expelled from Texas and Florida. In response to this unprecedented event, LCR rapidly mobilized to deploy attorneys and staff to Martha's Vineyard. On the ground since early Thursday morning, LCR has helped to coordinate free...

Response to Orange Line Shutdown →

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) has issued a letter to federal authorities voicing opposition to public statements by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regarding Greater Boston’s Orange Line shutdown. LCR recently pointed out that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) violated federal law by failing to conduct a service equity analysis before...

Illegal and Discriminatory Orange Line Closure →

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) has requested federal intervention and oversight in connection with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) improper shutdown of the Orange Line.  As a federally-funded entity, the MBTA is prohibited from conduct that has an unjustified impact based on race, color, or national origin. The Federal...

Defending Diversity in Higher Education in the Supreme Court →

Civil Rights Lawyers File Supreme Court Brief Supporting Affirmative Action on Behalf Of Harvard Students and Alumni  The brief, filed in support of the respondents in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, uplifts how Harvard's race-conscious admissions policy leads to a diverse campus that benefits all students. The Lawyers’ Committee...

Federal Suit Against Police for Racially Profiling Black Man in Arlington, MA →

Arlington Police Department Racially Profiles Young Black Man Walking Home Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed to Address Racial Profiling and Excessive Force Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) and pro bono counsel, Stephen Hall of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Donovan Johnson, a 20-year-old Black man and a...

LCR’s Legal Warriors at Lav Law →

Lawyers for Civil Rights at the 2022 Lavender Law Conference  LCR’s legal warriors and our pro bono partners will be presenting on a wide range of cutting-edge civil rights and intersectional issues at the upcoming Lavender Law Conference hosted by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association in Los Angeles. This is where...

State Law Inhibits Municipal Supplier Diversity →

New Research Finds State Law Inhibits Municipal Efforts to Increase Supplier Diversity  Over the next five years, cities and towns in Massachusetts will have over $7 billion to spend from the federal recovery and infrastructure bills. However, Massachusetts municipalities are poorly-positioned to invest these dollars equitably, due to constraints imposed...

Race/Gender Gaps in Boston’s Municipal Workforce →

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) issued an open letter to Mayor Michelle Wu outlining findings based on public records disclosures from four Boston agencies: the Boston Police Department (BPD), Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC), and Boston Public Works Department (BPWD). LCR submitted public records...

Condemning Lax Sentencing in East Boston Hate Crime →

Lax Sentencing in East Boston Hate Crime Endangers Spanish-Speaking Community The East Boston District Court has failed to meaningfully sentence Stephanie Armstrong in connection with the heinous attack on a Latinx mother and minor in East Boston. This follows on the heels of the lax sentencing of another white assailant,...

Emergency Relief Sought Against the Military to End HIV Discrimination →

Emergency Relief Sought Against the Military to End HIV Discrimination   Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) filed a preliminary injunction in Doe v. Austin, a federal civil rights lawsuit challenging the U.S. military’s discriminatory policies against people living with HIV. This motion seeks emergency relief to return a young Latinx man living with...

Condemning the Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs →

Condemning the Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Reckless and Dangerous Decision Undermines Healthcare Disproportionately Endangering People of Color, Low Income Individuals The U.S. Supreme Court has eviscerated Roe v. Wade, stripping the fundamental right to reproductive health. This decision is an abomination. It is a blatant attack on access...

East Boston Patients Urge AG to Investigate and Reform →

As Investigations Into East Boston Neighborhood Health Center Continue, Community Demands Reforms To Stop Discriminatory, Substandard Care MA Attorney General and Department of Public Health Investigating Harrowing Patient Reports Of Misdiagnosis, Delayed Care  In a letter sent to the Massachusetts Attorney General and the Department of Public Health today, Lawyers for...

Wrongful Eviction of Black Businesses →

City of Boston Must Stop Developer Who Promised “No Displacement” From Evicting Minority-Owned Businesses From 1127 Harrison Avenue in Roxbury Small businesses owned by immigrants of color and women have pleaded with the City of Boston and the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) to hold a developer to its...

Black Youth File Racial Profiling Complaint Against Medford Police Department →

Unlawful Traffic Stops Due to Race Persist in Massachusetts Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) filed an internal complaint with the Medford Police Department (MPD) on behalf of Jeremiah Mamousette and Hibaq Warsame, two Black college students who were illegally stopped, removed from their vehicle, searched, handcuffed and held at gunpoint in...

Lawsuit Filed to End HIV Discrimination in the Military →

Time to End The Military’s Discrimination Against Individuals Living with HIV Federal Lawsuit Challenges Military’s Ban on Enlisting and Commissioning from Military Academies  Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont against U.S. military officials and the Vermont...

Statement on Supreme Court Draft Opinion →

Statement from Lawyers for Civil Rights on the U.S. Supreme Court Draft Opinion Leaked Draft Overturning Roe v. Wade Would Disproportionately Impact People of Color, Low-Income Individuals May 4, 2022 Earlier this week, a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion which would overrule Roe v. Wade became public. If this opinion is issued as drafted, it...

Displaced Minority Businesses Call on City to Halt Roxbury Development →

Community Groups Call On City To Halt Roxbury Development That Is Displacing Small, Minority-Owned Businesses Developer Made Repeated “No Displacement” Promises When Seeking City Approval  African Community Development of New England (ACEDONE) and Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) formally called upon the City of Boston and the Boston Planning & Development Agency...