Activist Defense
The CLDC represents activists that, in the course of fighting for a better world, are arrested and criminally charged. We believe their courage deserves the best possible defense that can incorporate the political, social, and philosophical motivations of these activists.
Civil Cases
The CLDC engages in civil litigation to hold the powerful accountable and to protect the rights of activists and marginalized communities. Our civil litigation is aimed at holding governments, corporations, and the powerful accountable when they violate the constitutional rights of others. The civil practice of the CLDC is shaped and driven by a desire to create a lasting impact.
Who's Watching the Cops?
February 4, 2021
3:00 p.m. PT — 5:00 p.m. PT
Webinar--information provided upon registration
For several decades now, community activists and movement lawyers alike have actively opposed police brutality. They organized "Cop Watch" and legal observer initiatives across the U.S. and have made a real difference to folks on the ground.
Join CLDC and experienced panelists to learn more about how these projects document and push back against law enforcement abuses.
Victims of Eugene Police Violence Push City to Enact Meaningful Change
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 12, 2021 Contacts: Erin Grady, Plaintiff: (303) 905-8601 or pennyroyale07@gmail.com Tyler [...]
CLDC Response to White House “Memorandum on Inadmissibility of Persons Affiliated with Antifa Based on Organized Criminal Activity”
Yesterday, on January 5, 2021, the Trump regime issued a “memorandum” claiming immigrants “affiliated with [...]
Civil Liberties Organizations File Amicus Brief in Support of Washington State Minister
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 5, 2021 Contacts: Lauren Regan, CLDC Executive Director and Senior Attorney [...]
As Law Enforcement Attempts to SLAPP Detroit Will Breathe, CLDC Files Amicus Brief on Behalf of DWB Activists
The summer of 2020 brought the largest and most sustained uprising this country has ever [...]
GET INVOLVED
SUPPORTING THE STRUGGLE
The Civil Liberties Defense Center supports movements that seek to dismantle the political and economic structures at the root of social inequality and environmental destruction. We provide litigation, education, legal and strategic resources to strengthen and embolden their success.
CLDC educates, supports and defends grassroots activists nationwide. We are dedicated to being a backbone for the grassroots and the frontlines. We help activists navigate the legal system, we represent them at no cost when they are arrested and we help them make smart choices in the face of state repression. We provide the necessary legal support so that activists can have long, sustainable lifetimes fighting in the movement for justice.
We also provide Know Your Rights and other legal trainings for activists and other vulnerable groups such as youth, tribes, the houseless community and the undocumented community. We believe that knowledge is power, and when people have the tools and understanding to take action and demand that the government honor all their rights, then grassroots activism will be the best chance of exacting necessary change.