Anthony P. Griffin on Advocating for Civil Rights in a Conservative Legal Climate

Summary

Anthony P. Griffin is an accomplished civil rights attorney who has worked in a variety of fields, including civil rights litigation, representing plaintiffs in civil rights actions, and criminal defense. Griffin's work has centered on the protection of civil rights in a conservative-leaning climate and has earned him recognition as one of the preeminent attorneys in the field.

Griffin's journey to becoming a civil rights attorney began at a young age, when he was inspired by the civil rights movement and the important role attorneys played in that effort. Since that time, Griffin has dedicated his career to advocating for the rights of all individuals, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religious identity.

In his civil rights work, Griffin has taken a no-compromise approach to defending the rights of people facing discrimination or other barriers to equality. In particular, Griffin has focused on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

In his criminal defense practice, Griffin has drawn on his diverse experience to provide clients with truly comprehensive representation. He has represented clients in a variety of cases, including those involving civil rights violations, drug offenses, and white-collar crimes.

In addition to his work as an attorney, Griffin has continuously served his community through pro bono work and philanthropic initiatives. He is involved with a range of charitable organizations, including the Equal Justice Initiative, the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP, and many more. Through these organizations, Griffin is able to lend his voice to the ongoing struggle for civil rights and justice.

Anthony P. Griffin is an exemplary civil rights attorney who has dedicated his career to representing individuals in civil rights cases, criminal defense cases, and pro bono work. He has been active in a variety of charitable organizations and initiatives to protect civil rights and justice. With his no-compromise approach to civil rights and justice, Griffin has earned recognition as one of the preeminent attorneys in the field.
 

Anthony P. Griffin: Civil Rights Attorney

Anthony P. Griffin is an attorney with a background in civil rights law. With the current political climate leaning towards more conservative philosophies, Griffin has had to adjust his practice in order to preserve the rights of his clients. He explains the importance of being a civil rights attorney in a right-leaning climate and how lawyers must use their skills to uphold civil rights.
 

Legal Protection for Civil Rights

Griffin started his career in civil rights law in the late 70s and has seen the evolution of the field, from a time when civil rights were being protected to a period where they were seen as a negative. The conservative climate has brought a decrease in civil rights protection, and Griffin has had to adapt his practice to reflect this. He believes that lawyers must protect their clients from any attempts to undermine their rights, and he has been successful in that endeavor.
 

Upholding Civil Rights Despite Opposition

Griffin believes that civil rights and liberties should be defended, no matter what the political climate is. He explains that lawyers must use their skills to uphold civil rights and challenge any attempts to curtail them. Griffin has seen the successes that can be achieved when civil rights are defended, and he is determined to continue his fight to preserve and protect those rights.
 

Advocating for Change

Given the current conservative climate, Griffin believes that it's more important than ever for lawyers to advocate for change. He believes that lawyers must speak up and challenge any attempts to infringe upon civil rights and liberties. Griffin has used his skills to bring about positive change for his clients, and he continues to fight for civil rights in a politically conservative climate.

Civil rights lawyer Anthony P. Griffin has handled his share of controversial and high-profile cases—from successfully challenging prayer at public school football games in a case that went to the U.S. Supreme Court to protecting the First Amendment rights of a Ku Klux Klan grand dragon after authorities ordered the Klansman to produce a membership list.

A graduate of the University of Houston's law school, Mr. Griffin has maintained his practice in Galveston, TX, since 1978. He is currently involved in the fight against a Texas congressional redistricting plan that could weaken the voting power of minorities.

Q: Your work focuses on First Amendment issues and racial and religious discrimination. What's your advice for those interested in hanging their shingle as civil rights lawyers?

A: The first advice would be persistence. That means the tenor of the society changes. Sometimes people are more receptive, or the legal system is more receptive, to certain types of clients. You also have to be consistent. If you don't have a core belief system in terms of trying to make the law right, then you will stop. The hostility, society saying you're doing the wrong thing, the adverse decisions that you'll see around the country…you'll start believing that it's really not worth it and you might as well just concentrate on personal injury or some other area of law.

Q: What is your core belief system?

A: Being an African-American male, being raised by a mom who had the responsibility of seven kids, you tended to understand the importance of civil rights laws. Growing up in the '60s and '70s also emphasized that it was a fight worth fighting. Being told to shut up in school and not being given the same type of consideration as your fellow students, even though you grew up in the age of integration, you understood the importance of education, the First Amendment, equal protection, due process. You understood how hollow the Constitution really was, and when you said the Pledge of Allegiance, how hollow it was unless folks like yourself continued to fight.

Q: In the Santa Fe (Texas) Independent School District case, what strategies did you use in taking on school prayer in a conservative community?

A: Survival. Survival to the degree that you recognize religion is probably one of the most emotionally charged areas you could get involved in. You exist in a society where religion and beliefs are fundamental and important, but you also recognize that most people of certain faiths don't believe in giving the rights of faith to other folks. They're talking about Christianity; they're not talking about other faiths.

Q: In representing Klansman Michael Lowe, how did you separate your feelings about him from your ability to do the job? (The ACLU appointed Griffin to Lowe's case in 1993.)

A: I treated it like I would treat a criminal defense case and like I treat a majority of my cases. It doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to take my client home to dinner with me or that they are, or will become, my best friend. My client represented an issue. He, like most clients, understood that race, sex, money, background had nothing to do with him needing help as a client. He was a client in the strictest sense of the word. How I thought about him really wasn't an issue. We did cut some deals. I didn't want any protesting around the courthouse when we were in court. I told him…keep your boys away. I had an internal deal with myself that there would be no hugging. I didn't want to see in any newspaper Anthony Griffin and the Klansman hugging. The other deal was I didn't want to talk about race and politics with him unless it related to the case.

Q: What would you say to new attorneys dealing with clients whose views are radically different?

A: Don't be shocked. The next case they have, somebody else will shock them with something even greater. Once they get to that point where they understand that that's the role of a lawyer, they can smile at themselves and say I'm doing my job and feel good about it.

Q: You recently said you're fighting against mass indoctrination and a conservative, religious bent. Can you elaborate on that?

A: It's the fight that's going on around the country. Whether you're Democratic or Republican, there are some fundamental issues we don't fight for that we really are setting ourselves up for failure in this country. What happens is when you walk into the courtroom, a lot of times you really are fighting against this whole ideology.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: My first civil rights case was my mother's case. It was equal work for equal pay: Georgia Wright Hill vs. J.C. Penney. She was being paid less than her male counterpart even though they were doing the same work.

Q: What's one thing they don't teach in law school that they should?

A: Office procedure. Bills. They should have a psychology course in law school. They should probably have a stress-relief course. By stress relief, I mean we all have addictions. That addiction may be cigarettes, Coca-Cola, sex, drugs. By mandating that they take those types of courses, it will help to control their addictions. In essence, what you're asking (lawyers) to do is to take on other folks' problems and not be affected. And that's impossible. The law school curriculums need to develop coursework that deals with those issues and incorporates interpersonal relationships, families, and those types of things so that the lawyer can at least come out understanding some degree of how to be effective at what they do for a living.