One of the main ways ACLU-DC works to protect civil liberties and civil rights is through litigation. This section of our website documents the cases we’re working on now and those we’ve handled in recent years. Click here for general information about what types of cases we litigate.
Important disclaimer: Communicating with us through this website does not create an attorney-client relationship; only a signed agreement can create such a relationship. Additionally, past success is no guarantee of future results, even if we agree to represent you.
In early 2014, Alexander Baxter was bitten by a police dog that was unleashed on him while he was sitting with his hands in the air, having surrendered to police. He sued for excessive force, but in late...
The Equal Pay Act (EPA) is a cornerstone of the legal framework protecting women from sex-based inequality and helping to narrow the persistent wage gap between workers of different sexes. More than 50...
In 2017, we received several complaints about the practice of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) of placing adult and juvenile inmates in full shackles during their appearances before D.C. Superior Court. We...
In the summer of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services implemented new policies governing asylum claims – particularly claims based on domestic...
M.B. Cottingham is a 39-year-old African-American man who has lived in Southeast D.C. his entire life. For the past nine years, he has worked as an ice-cream vendor, selling frozen treats out of a truck. He...