Program Work
Boisseau v. Picard
For many months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the City of New Orleans, residents struggled to return home. Displaced residents found themselves navigating a maze of obstacles: securing affordable housing in a safe neighborhood, obtaining gainful employment at a living wage and with...
MoreBryan Independent School District - Police in Schools Complaint
Civil rights advocates have long worked to limit harmful school discipline practices that exclude children from quality educational environments. Suspensions, expulsions and disciplinary assignments to alternative schools have devastating consequences on students, reducing their chances of...
MoreElementary and Secondary Education Act Reauthorization
Originally enacted in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Elementary and Second Education Act (ESEA) emphasizes equal access to education for all students and is the most expansive federal education legislation in history. The ESEA has been reauthorized numerous times, most recently...
MoreFisher v. UT Austin
Fisher v. UT Austin is the first federal litigation challenging the use of race in university admissions since the Supreme Court’s 2003 decision in ...
MoreK-12 Voluntary Integration
Landmark: Brown v. Board of Education
May 17, 1954 marks a defining moment in the history of the United States. On that day, the Supreme Court declared the doctrine of “separate but equal” unconstititutional and handed LDF the most celebrated victory in its storied history.
Although the...
MoreLittle Rock School District v. Lorene Joshua
This long-standing school desegregation case addresses key educational equity issues, including
racial disparities in school discipline, student achievement, access to advanced placement and honors curriculum and inequities school facilities in three Arkansas school districts: the...
New York City Specialized High School Complaint
In school districts across the nation, talented African Americans and other students of color are denied a fair opportunity to gain access to the life-changing educational experiences provided by specialized schools for high-achieving students and gifted/talented education programs. As a...
MoreSchool to Prison Pipeline
In recent years, a disturbing shift has occurred in our education system. Rather than employ traditional disciplinary measures, such as counseling or detention, when students misbehave, schools are becoming increasingly dependent on suspensions, expulsions, and law enforcement to punish students...
MoreSchuette v. Cantrell
In November 2006, Michigan voters passed a statewide ballot initiative banning efforts to promote racial diversity and inclusion in public employment, public contracting, and public education. Commonly known as Proposal 2, the ballot initiative prohibits Michigan’s state colleges and...
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