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Lewis v. City of Chicago: “The Chicago Firefighters Case”

In 1995, Chicago administered an entry-level firefighter exam to more than 26,000 applicants.  The passing score was 65 out of 100, but against the advice of its own expert the City arbitrarily divided those who passed into two groups: applicants who scored between 65 and 88, and applicants who scored 89 and above. 36% of […]

Letters to Governors Urging Moratoriums on Utility Shut-Offs during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fighting for Moratoriums on Shut-Offs & Evictions during the COVID-19 Pandemic For decades, LDF has been committed to ensuring all communities have access to safe and affordable water. The COVID-19 outbreak is an unprecedented public health crisis, and water—while always crucial for Black communities—is especially necessary to prevent the virus from spreading further.  Today, LDF sent […]

Leticia Smith-Evans Delivers Keynote Address At Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services 24th Annual Fall Appreciation Luncheon

On Tuesday November 25, 2014, LDF attorney Leticia Smith-Evans delivered the keynote address at the Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services (SMRLS) 24th Annual Fall Appreciation Luncheon on Tuesday.  Her address on the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education was heard by an audience of over 500 including federal and state judges, members of the bar, advocates, corporate and […]

Let’s Remember Chaney, Goodman, Schwerner—and All Those Who Died for Democracy in Miss.

Freedom Summer had just begun, and hundreds of white, Northern college students had volunteered to do civil rights work in Mississippi as news broke that three men—Michael “Mickey” Schwerner, a 24-year-old full-time activist for the Congress of Racial Equality; James Chaney, a local, 21-year-old CORE activist; and Andrew Goodman, a 20-year-old Freedom Summer volunteer—had disappeared in […]

Leslie Proll Weighs In on Senate No Child Left Behind Rewrite Vote

Senate passes No Child Left Behind rewrite, would shrink federal role Leslie Proll, director of the Washington, D.C., office of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, said the bill undermines the intent of the original federal education law from 1965. “It’s simply unfathomable that 50 years after its passage, Congress would consider gutting its […]

Leslie Proll Reacts to Rewrite of the No Child Left Behind Law

President Obama Signs Into Law a Rewrite of No Child Left Behind “The whole purpose behind the original bill was to ensure that there were consistent standards and federal oversight to make sure that states and localities were doing the right thing by poor children, by children who needed that assistance the most, and reducing […]

Leslie Proll Quoted on Judicial Vacancies in Alabama Courts

Judicial Vacancies in Alabama Pile Up “Just because you have a number of vacancies at once doesn’t mean you automatically do a deal,” said Leslie Proll, [LDF Director of the Washington, D.C. Office]. “There is no question that President Obama should be nominating an African American to the 11th Circuit, yesterday.” Read the full article here.

Leslie Cornfeld

Legislative Black Caucus challenges Louisiana House redistricting plan

The Legislative Black Caucus and three civil rights organizations Friday called on the U.S. Justice Department to reject the House redistricting plan drawn at a recent special session of the Louisiana Legislature. Joining the caucus in signing a letter opposing the plan were the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Urban League […]

Legal Team Representing Parents and Students in Baltimore Urge Kirwan Commission to Address Systemic Underfunding

BALTIMORE –The legal team representing concerned parents and students in Baltimore City has written to members of the Kirwan Commission urging them to directly and fully address racial and wealth inequities. The Maryland Constitution requires the Kirwan Commission to allocate adequate funding to the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS), and similarly situated jurisdictions. Yet, […]