The Civil Rights and Liberties Protected by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Summary

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an organization dedicated to protecting individuals' civil liberties throughout the United States. Founded over 100 years ago by a group of progressive lawyers and activists, the ACLU has sought to ensure that civil rights are protected and that individuals' civil liberties are respected. Throughout the years, the ACLU has been at the forefront of many legal battles, from securing the right to vote for women and minorities to preserving reproductive rights for individuals.


In its century-long history, the ACLU has developed a vast national network of lawyers, advocates, and activists. This network has fought for the rights of individuals in courts, legislatures, and the public arena in all 50 states. The ACLU has achieved success in guaranteeing civil liberties in areas such as criminal justice, education, and religious freedom. Additionally, the ACLU has supported the rights of immigrants and other vulnerable populations by advancing laws that safeguard their rights and fight discrimination.

As the ACLU continues to work to protect the civil liberties of individuals in the United States, it has emerged as one of our nation's foremost civil rights organizations. Fighting for the civil liberties of all Americans, the ACLU works to ensure that the government protects individual rights, instead of infringing upon them. Utilizing a vast network of attorneys, activists, and advocates, the ACLU has been a beacon of civil rights throughout the United States.

In recent years, the ACLU has seen success in a variety of areas, including efforts to protect civil liberties related to immigration, reproductive rights, education, and voting. Moreover, the ACLU has worked to ensure that the law is followed in areas such as criminal justice, religious freedom, and LGBTQ rights. The ACLU continues to be at the forefront of civil liberties, protecting the rights of all individuals in the United States.

The ACLU has remained a prominent civil liberties organization for more than a century, fighting for the rights of individuals throughout the United States. With a vast national network of attorneys, advocates, and activists, the ACLU has worked to guarantee the civil liberties of individuals in all 50 states. Advocating for immigrants and vulnerable populations, the ACLU has fought to preserve rights related to criminal justice, education, voting, and religious freedom. The ACLU continues to protect civil liberties in the United States, ensuring that the government respects, rather than infringes on, the rights of individuals.
 

The American Civil Liberties Union

Established in 1920, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a non-profit that works to protect the civil liberties for all American citizens outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Founded by Roger Baldwin and Crystal Eastman, the ACLU works to safeguard citizens' freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and religion, as well as the legal rights of all persons to equal protection under the law.

The ACLU's mission is to defend the civil liberties of all Americans regardless of race, gender, religion, political views, or sexual orientation. Through lobbying and legal strategies, the organization works to protect and expand constitutional rights. The organization also works on policy initiatives and participates in public education campaigns.
 

History of the American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union was formed in 1920, with the intention of defending individual rights and liberties protected by the U.S. Constitution. The founders of the ACLU, Roger Baldwin and Crystal Eastman, sought to protect the civil rights of all American citizens. Throughout the years, the ACLU has fought for equal rights for women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and other underrepresented groups.

In the decades following its founding, the ACLU has taken on a central role in virtually every major civil rights debate. It has argued landmark cases before the Supreme Court on behalf of freedom of speech, the right to privacy, reproductive freedom, and a variety of other civil rights issues.
 

Goals of the American Civil Liberties Union

The American Civil Liberties Union continually works to advance and protect civil liberties outlined in the U.S. Constitution, especially those of historically oppressed people and marginalized communities. The ACLU works to ensure individual rights as well as promote justice, fairness, and overall equity. Additionally, the organization works to ensure that all Americans have access to voting rights, reproductive rights, and other civil rights. Dedicated to protecting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the American Civil Liberties Union has been an influential player in the U.S. legal arena since it was founded in 1920. Although many people might associate the ACLU with leftwing politics and beliefs, the group prides itself on its non-profit and non-partisan status (it has never endorsed a presidential candidate) and has represented parties and interests that span the political spectrum.

The ACLU is known for its participation in First Amendment cases. Famous examples include its success at getting a ban on James Joyce's Ulysses lifted in 1933 and halting Congress' attempt to pass the Communications Decency Act, which sought to ban "indecent" speech on the Internet, in 1997. More controversial examples include its fight in 1977 against Illinois ordinances that outlawed Nazi demonstrations (the ACLU lost substantial Jewish membership that year) and its work over the years to stop legislation that would outlaw burning the American flag.

The ACLU has also advocated widely for underrepresented communities and played a large role in civil rights movements for minorities and women. In 1942, the ACLU voiced its opposition to the U.S. government's treatment of Japanese-Americans after Pearl Harbor. The ACLU also pushed for the elimination of racial segregation in schools and participated in the landmark 1954 ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education.

The ACLU is actually composed of two separate organizations: the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both share a commitment to protecting constitutional rights, but differ on how they go about doing it. The American Civil Liberties Union engages heavily in legislative lobbying and, therefore, is not eligible to receive tax-deductible donations. Instead, membership dues go to that group while donations are directed to the ACLU Foundation, which handles most of the litigation work.

Two prized positions for lawyers in the ACLU organization are the executive director and the legal director. The current executive director, Anthony Romero, assumed command a week before the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He has led the ACLU through an age ripe with new challenges for the Constitution and Bill of Rights. He has overseen rapid membership growth, possibly stemming from the ACLU's outspokenness on the importance of balancing national security and privacy rights. The current legal director is Steven Shapiro, an adjunct professor of constitutional law at Columbia University.

Aside from senior leadership roles, lawyers fit into the ACLU in numerous ways. Sixty full-time lawyers manage the ACLU's heavy docket of nearly 6,000 cases per year. They also coordinate and supervise the assistance of thousands of volunteer attorneys across the nation. In addition, several different types of paid legal fellowships are available in areas ranging from racial justice and human rights to national security and drug law policy. Legal fellows engage in legal research, draft briefs and pleadings for trial, and participate in litigation. Lawyers are also welcome to apply for positions in legislative affairs and operations.

Undoubtedly, one might find a better paying job in private practice. However, the ACLU boasts 400,000 members for a reason: people believe in its mission. Technological innovations and international terrorist threats have changed the social landscape of America. These types of changes, both positive and negative, add new complexities to the meaning and interpretation of the Constitution and make advocates such as the ACLU increasingly important.