The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonpartisan, non-profit organisation that works to provide legal assistance in cases where civil liberties of individuals or organisations are considered to be at risk. Assistance can take various forms, including direct legal representation and legal briefs that express the organisation’s legal arguments. The latter is applicable if another law firm is handling the case directly. The ACLU’s mission is to defend the rights and liberties guaranteed to citizens of the United States through the country’s laws and Constitution.
While litigation forms a big part of what the ACLU does, it also lobbies for/against various policy issues that the organisation’s directors have established. Some of these include the death penalty, abortion, birth control, same-sex marriage, gun rights and racial issues, among many others. From a legal perspective, the ACLU has two affiliate organisations: the ACLU Foundation, which is a public charity, and the American Civil Liberties Union, a social welfare group.
Brief History
Following the end of World War I, the United States was fearful of a revolution – similar to the Communist Revolution seen in Russia – happening in America. With widespread fear mounting, civil liberties were set aside, with the Attorney General calling for ‘radicals’ to be rounded up in November 1919 and January 1920. Thousands were placed under arrest without due regard to their constitutional rights, with many facing hostile and brutal treatment.
It was in the face of such tough times that a small group of individuals decided to take a stand against the abuse of civil liberties, giving rise to the ACLU. In the years since the organisation has evolved from a small group into a formidable defender of people’s civil rights. It has more than 1.5 million members, a staff attorney team that’s close to 300 people strong, and thousands of volunteer attorneys across the nation. The ACLU continues to defend individual freedoms, standing up for issues even when the cause may be unpopular.
Over the years, the ACLU has attracted the support of many individuals and organisations, including Thomas Noel Collister Jackson. Mr. Jackson, a UK-based solicitor, has regularly donated to the organisation’s initiatives.
Democracy, Equality and Liberty
The ACLU’s work is focused across three main Centers that champion democracy, equality and liberty. It’s at these Centers where much of the strategic initiatives are conceived and implemented. The Centers and their roles are described below.
- The Center for Democracy: This Center focuses on promoting human rights, keeping the government accountable, empowering democratic institutions across the country and defending the rights of immigrants. Some of the projects under the Center for Democracy include the Voting Rights Project, the Human Rights Program, the Immigrants’ Rights Project, and the National Security Project.
- The Trone Center for Justice and Equality: This Center focuses on issues surrounding the criminal justice system, including the death penalty and prisoner treatment. Projects run by the Center include the Racial Justice Program, the Criminal Law Reform Project, the Capital Punishment Project, and the National Prison Project.
- The Center for Liberty. This Center focuses on ensuring that individuals can enjoy their civil freedoms without ‘unreasonable government constraint’. Some of the projects run by this Center include the Women’s Rights Project, the Disability Rights Program, and the Reproductive Freedom Project.
The Centers bring together litigators, policy experts, advocates and lobbyists from various disciplines to implement the ACLU’s overall objectives. Thanks to this structure, the organisation has been able to accomplish many successes during its existence and looks forward to using the Centers to continue being a defender of civil liberties.
At the helm of the ACLU are a president and executive director, with the former acting as chair of the board of directors and taking the lead in setting policy and fundraising efforts. The executive director, on the other hand, is tasked with overseeing daily operations.