Court Cases
Racial Justice

DeWolfe v. Richmond (Amicus Brief)

The Brennan Center participated as a friend of the court in an important right to counsel case pending before Maryland’s highest court, which will determine how early in a criminal case counsel must be provided to a low-income person facing criminal charges.  

– 09/21/11

Duncan et al. v. State of Michigan (Amicus Brief)

The Brennan Center, along with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, and the Constitution Project, filed an amicus brief in a case before the Michigan Supreme Court case that seeks to address the constitutional insufficiency of the state's indigent defense system.

– 08/11/10

Farrakhan v. Gregoire

The Ninth Circuit held that Washington's criminal disenfranchisement law violates the Voting Rights Act. The decision is the first in the country to find that, due to racial discrimination in the state's criminal justice system, the felony disenfranchisement law results in the denial of the right to vote on account of race.

– 01/05/10

North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation (NAALC) Complaint

The Brennan Center works to ensure access to legal representation and enforcement of labor rights for workers in the United States on H2-B visas.

– 10/27/09

Dobbins/Velazquez v. Legal Services Corporation

This lawsuit challenges restrictions on civil legal aid programs that receive some of their funding from the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC).

– Ongoing

Arbor Hill v. Albany (Amicus Brief)

The Brennan Center and allies filed an amicus brief emphasizing the importance of attorneys’ fee awards in enabling law firms to take civil rights cases and those cases benefiting low-income people.

– 04/10/08

Inter-American Court of Human Rights - Immigrant Rights

The Brennan Center participated in an amicus brief in support of a Mexican government petition to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights alleging that various types of U.S. discrimination against undocumented immigrants violate international human rights instruments.

– 09/17/03