Cases

The ACLU Foundation of Southern California undertakes litigation when doing so is the most effective way to advance a civil liberties concern. We file lawsuits that will have an impact on people’s rights by setting a legal precedent or affecting the policies and actions of public officials. We both provide direct legal representation to people and file amicus (friend-of-the-court) briefs addressing civil liberties issues in cases initiated by others. All of the ACLU SoCal’s legal work is on a pro bono basis; we never charge for our legal services.

Filter Cases
Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Apr 25, 2005

Diouf v. Napolitano

National Security

Diouf v. Napolitano set important precedent on the due process rights of detained immigrants.  The government detained Mr. Diouf -- a Senegalese native who came the United States...

Visit case page
Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Apr 21, 2005

Johnson v. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Jails Project

Johnson v. LASD is a lawsuit on behalf of inmates with mobility impairments. The plaintiffs argue that the jails are not wheelchair accessible, and that inmates are denied mobility devices such as...

Visit case page
Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Apr 19, 2005

Fitzgerald v. County of Orange

First Amendment and Democracy

The ACLU of Southern California sued Orange County and its Board of Supervisors for violating disabled Vietnam Veteran William D. Fitzgerald’s right of freedom of speech for expressing his views and...

Visit case page
Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Apr 19, 2005

Franco v. Holder

Immigrants' Rights

Franco v. Holder is a class action lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of immigration detainees in California, Arizona, and Washington who suffer from severe mental disabilities. The...

Visit case page
Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Apr 19, 2005

Hamdi v. U.S.C.I.S.

Immigrants' Rights

Tarek Hamdi, a national of Egypt, has lived in the United States for over 30 years. After marrying a U.S. citizen, he became a lawful permanent resident and, in 2001, he applied to naturalize as a U.S....

Visit case page
Wooden gavel
Wooden gavel
Apr 19, 2005

Islamic Shura Council v. FBI

Religious Liberty

Islamic Shura Council is a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit to force the government to reveal information about the FBI’s surveillance of several prominent, law-abiding Muslim...

Visit case page