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Advocacy And Litigation

Advocacy & Litigation

The path to justice requires that we challenge federal, state, and local laws, statutes, and policies to ensure equal protection.

CURRENT LITIGATION

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Voting Rights in Florida

On March 16th, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP, joined by Vote.org and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, filed a lawsuit challenging a Florida statute that requires a "wet signature" on certain voter registration forms. Florida currently requires only certain individuals, those without a Florida driver's license or ID card, to submit an original signature when registering by mail, causing local election officials to reject valid applications submitted with an electronic or faxed signature.

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Juvenile Justice in South Carolina

On March 17th, attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel filed a renewed preliminary injunction motion in South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP v. South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. The case challenges unconstitutional — and horrific — conditions of confinement across South Carolina's juvenile justice facilities.

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Education in Florida

On March 17th, General Counsel Janette McCarthy Wallace met in Florida with
Chairman of the National Board of Directors of the NAACP, the Florida State
Conference of the NAACP, and the representatives of the American Federation of
Teachers to address the State of Florida's most recent attacks on educational equity in that state.

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MAKING LAWS WORK FOR US

A thoughtful look at American history reveals that the nation's laws were never meant to serve Black Americans. But we strive to make the laws work for us through litigation at the national and local levels.

Through affirmative litigation, we aim to further our mission to ensure equitable treatment and opportunities when it comes to voting rights, education, economic empowerment, criminal justice, and health, including environmental justice. We initiate lawsuits and join as plaintiffs in state and federal cases.

We have, and will continue to, file cases that fight:

  • Unjust federal, state  local statutes  regulations 

  • Discriminatory policies, practices  procedures

  • Unlawful misconduct by public officers, private individuals, and companies that threaten civil rights

We don't do this work alone. We may partner with other civil rights organizations, law firms, and law schools to secure the resources necessary to assess and prosecute cases.

Recent Filings

We're using the court system to fight efforts to disenfranchise Black voters, hold public officials accountable in the January 6 insurrection, and ensure civil rights. Read more about current cases.

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Apply to be a Law Fellow

The NAACP Office of the General Counsel is seeking six full-time Summer 2023 Law Fellows. Law Fellows will work on a variety of civil rights cases and assist in the planning of the NAACP Legal Advocacy Institute taking place during the NAACP National Convention in July 2023. This fellowship will provide the Fellows with the opportunity to assist with ongoing litigation, develop legal education materials, and work under the supervision of attorneys to protect the NAACP brand.

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Voting Rights Victory

The Indiana NAACP, along with the League of Women Voters of Indiana, challenged Acts 442 and 334 in court and won protection for the state's voters. The two voter purge laws aimed to allow Indiana election officials to cancel voter registrations without communication or compliance with the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) process.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that Acts 442 and 334 violate the NVRA, which prohibits states from removing voters unless voters opted for removal or by going through the established process of the NVRA.

The coalition filed a suit in YEAR to stop Act 442, which allowed election officials to obtain data from a third-party database to determine voter eligibility in Indiana without notice to the voter. Similarly, Act 334 aimed to use the Indiana Data Enhancement Association (IDEA) to identify duplicate voter registrations and allow election officials to remove a voter from Indiana's voter rolls without proper notification or consent.

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