Constitutional Accountability Center Constitutional Accountability Center

Civil and Human Rights

Securing the Constitution’s guarantees of liberty and equality for all
i
Civil Rights March on Washington, 1963 | National Archives and Records Administration

Summary

The Constitution–in particular, through amendments ratified in the wake of the Civil War and Reconstruction–provides broad guarantees of liberty and equality. CAC works to ensure that the civil and human rights protected by the Constitution are realized for all.

Civil and Human Rights in Brief

Plaintiffs in U.S. v. Windsor walking down the steps of the Supreme Court | Judith Schaeffer

While major victories have been achieved in the Supreme Court in recent decades, the right to be treated equally remains under attack on issues including affirmative action, reproductive freedom, and the rights of LGBTQ persons. CAC works to defend those rights in the courts and the public square.

Featured Case

Civil and Human Rights November 8, 2024

Payan v. Los Angeles Community College District

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) failed to provide blind students equal educational opportunities by relying on technology, in and out of the classroom, that blind students could not access. Two blind students and two organizations of blind individuals sued the LACCD under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against disabled people by state and local entities. A jury found in favor of the plaintiffs and awarded them damages, but the LACCD argued that the jury’s damage award should be reduced. According to the LACCD, the Supreme Court’s decision in Cummings v. Premier Rehab...

Case Timeline

Current
  • CAC files amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit

Related Issue Areas

Immigration and Citizenship See More
Health Care See More