About Us
THE BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE
Our Mission
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law is a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on fundamental issues of democracy and justice. Our work ranges from voting rights to redistricting reform, from access to the courts to presidential power in the fight against terrorism. A singular institution—part think tank, part public interest law firm, part advocacy group—the Brennan Center combines scholarship, legislative and legal advocacy, and communications to win meaningful, measurable change in the public sector.
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Programs
Democracy Program
The Democracy Program seeks to change the ways in which citizens participate in their government by fixing the systems that discourage voting, hinder competition, and promote the interests of the few over the rights of the many. The challenge is great. Built in obstacles bedevil our democracy. The country contains more than 3,000 separate electoral jurisdictions spread across 50 states and the District of Columbia. And the patchwork of federal, state, and local laws governing campaigns and elections creates a labyrinth seemingly impenetrable to broad reform efforts.
Our program collaborates with grassroots groups, advocacy organizations, and reform-minded government officials to eliminate these obstacles. We strive to ensure that public policy and institutions reflect the diverse voices and interests that make for a rich and energetic democracy. The Center will advance these goals using tools of research, policy analysis and publications; media outreach and public education; legislative counseling and advocacy; and legal action.
Three goals animate our work towards comprehensive reform:
- A voting system in which every vote counts, all citizens are registered, eligibility rules are expansive, and turn-out increases dramatically. Our voting reform work aims towards voter registration modernization.
- Electoral redistricting system that spurns partisan gerrymandering, protects civil rights, and insures genuinely competitive elections.
- A campaign finance system that reduces the role of big money in elections by providing voluntary public financing at the national, state and local levels.
April 2009
John Jay College of Criminal Justice presented the 2009 John Jay Justice Awards to Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; BJ Bernstein, a prominent Atlanta-based attorney; and the Brennan Center for Justice. The Brennan Center received the national leader for justice award in acknowledgement of the Center's democracy work. Hon. Judith Kaye, retired Chief Judge of the State of New York, presented the award to James E. Johnson, Chairman of the Board of Directors. Click here to learn more.
Justice Program
The Justice Program fights to secure the nation's promise of equal justice for all.
The American justice system is in disrepair. More than ever before, our courts are the province of the wealthy: private counsel is expensive, civil legal services programs are underfunded and restricted, qualified interpreters are few and far between, and technical rules destroy legitimate claims. In criminal proceedings, the poor rely on lawyers who have meager resources but must handle overwhelming caseloads. The government agencies that administer public benefits and enforce civil rights, and wage and hour, laws are politically influenced and underfunded. The Justice Department, itself, is in disarray. And, the war on terror has upset our checks and balances, sapping the justice system of its ability to prevent detention, torture and rendition of the innocent.
The Brennan Center's Justice Program is dedicated to justice system reform that reduces the gap between the promise of equal justice and the day to day reality. Our Access to Justice Project works to repair the "justice gap"—the inability of low income and of color communities to rely on courts and agencies to secure the rule of law and prevent harms. Our Liberty & National Security Project fights to restore checks and balances—the uniquely American method for keeping government honest and making public policy sound.
Living Constitution Project
The Living Constitution Project is a comprehensive public education initiative designed to spark debate, shape conversation, and clear the path for policy. The conservative movement rose, in part, because it relies on a pinched and narrow view of the role of law, the Constitution, and government.
The project consists of a Public Conversation Series, Fellowship Program and a series of Brennan Center books that includes:
The Genius of America: How the Constitution Saved Our Country and Why It Can Again
(Bloomsbury USA 2007)
By Eric Lane and Michael Oreskes
Unchecked and Unbalanced: Presidential Power in a Time of Terror
(New Press, 2007)
By Frederick A. O. "Fritz" Schwarz, Jr. and Aziz Huq
The Machinery of Democracy: Protecting Elections in an Electronic World
(Academy Chicago Publishers, 2007)
By Lawrence Norden and the Brennan Center Task Force on Voting System Security
A Return to Common Sense
(SourceBooks, June 2008)
By Michael Waldman
Locate Us
New York City
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is located at 161 Avenue of the Americas (6th Ave), between Spring and Vandam streets on the west side. Our office is on the 12th floor.
Via Subway
C or E train to Spring Street
1 train to Houston
R or W train to Prince Street
6 train to Spring Street (walk west to 6th avenue)
Washington, D.C.
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, Washington, D.C. office, is located at 1730 M Street, NW. Our office is on the 4th floor, suite 413.
Follow Us
In addition to this web site and our e-newsletters that users may subscribe to here, the Brennan Center for Justice also maintains a Facebook page, Twitter feed and Youtube channel. Click on the links below for updates.