The ACLU of the District of Columbia fights to protect the civil liberties and civil rights of all those who live, work and visit Washington, D.C.
OUR ISSUES
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First Amendment Rights
The First Amendment protects our fundamental freedoms of speech, religion, the press, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government.
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Freedom from Discrimination
Every American has the right to live and work free from discrimination, whether that is based on race, gender, or disability.
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Criminal Justice Reform
Our individual rights when up against the government in the criminal justice system are grounded in the Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
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D.C. Statehood
Citizens of Washington, D.C. deserve the same rights to self-governance and voting as every other American. We can achieve this only through D.C. Statehood.
See the ACLU-D.C. in Action
Your Rights Explained:
In this virtual event on February 13, 2024, our ACLU-D.C. experts walk through the Constitutional amendments that protect individuals involved in the legal system. We discuss how we have defended District residents in the past, as well as the threats to civil liberties we see on the horizon.
Fighting Disability Discrimination
We’re in the courts fighting for people with mental health disabilities to receive the right care.
“Yes, We Will See Statehood for D.C.”: Anise Jenkins and D.C.’s Fight for Civil Rights
Photo Credit: Keith Ivey
End Solitary Confinement at the D.C. Jail.
On any given day, people held in the D.C. Jail can find themselves locked in a small cell, isolated and without natural light for 22 to 24 hours a day. After such solitary confinement, people’s mental health can deteriorate, and the trauma of isolation can contribute to increased violence in the jail and re-offending when released.
New ACLU-D.C. Report on D.C. Stop-and-Frisk Data Reveals Racial Disparities Consistent with Racial Bias
An ACLU and ACLU of the District of Columbia analysis of 2022-2023 stop-and-frisk data collected by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) revealed that Black people compose 70% of people stopped in the District, despite making up 44% of the D.C. population. The report analyzed MPD data collected between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2023. With a total of 136,805 stops, police stopped about one person in the District every ten minutes in these two years.
“I GAIN STRENGTH FROM THE TRANSFORMATIVE WORK OUR COMMUNITY DOES TO MOVE D.C. TOWARD JUSTICE AND FREEDOM. ”
Monica Hopkins, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of the District of Columbia
Cooperating Attorneys / Pro Bono Partners
Ali Lockwood
American Immigration Council
Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Arnold & Porter
Atkinson Law Group
Ballard Spahr
Children's Law Center
Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Covington & Burling LLP
The Center for Gender & Refugee Studies
David L. Sobel
Davis Wright Tremaine
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
First Liberty
Harriet’s Wildest Dreams
Hogan Lovells
Human Rights First
Jenner & Block LLP
Joseph M. Sandman
Julia K. York
Latham & Watkins LLP
Law Office of Jeffrey L. Light
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Legal Aid D.C.
Loevy & Loevy
The National Immigration Law Center
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan
Tara L. Reinhart
Texas Civil Rights Project
Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
Williams & Connolly LLP
Wilmer Hale
National Immigrant Justice Center
Open the Government Coalition
Oxfam
Public Citizen
Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia
Sheppard Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP
2024 Bill of Rights Celebration
Thank you to everyone who attended our Bill of Rights Celebration on June 4! Be sure to join us at next year's Bill of Rights Celebration, where we will once again celebrate our community of people who defend and expand justice and freedom in D.C.
