The American Civil Liberties Union In The Courts
The ACLU undertakes litigation when doing so is the most effective way to advance a civil liberties concern. We file lawsuits that will have an impact on people’s rights by setting a legal precedent or affecting the policies and actions of public officials. We both provide direct legal representation to people and file amicus (friend-of-the-court) briefs addressing civil liberties issues in cases initiated by others. All the ACLU’s legal work is on a pro bono basis; we never charge for our legal services.The ACLU of Michigan legal program is central to its programatic activities. At any given time, the ACLU has as many as 50 cases on its docket. The program is supported in large part by volunteer attorneys who, last year, donated over $3 miilion in pro bono services. In the last 8 years, the ACLU has established several important projects: The LGBT Project, launched in 2000 with the support of the Arcus Foundation and Hope Fund, acts as the legal arm of the LGBT community. Staff attorney Jay Kaplan is responsible for filing test cases; providing support and technical assistance to private attorneys handling litigation involving key civil liberties issues; educating the public about equality issues; and advocating for better laws and policies.
We launched the Racial Justice Project in 2000 with the support of the C.S. Mott Foundation and Community Foundation of Southeastern Michigan. Initially created to focus on the problems of racial profiling, the project has expanded to address issues of juvenile justice and reform of the criminal justice system. Staff Attorney Mark Fancher joined the project in 2005.
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