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.
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Oct 30, 2019
Johnson v. L.A. Sheriff's Department
Police Practices
Status: Filed
This lawsuit charges that the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) violated California's Right to Know Act, also known as SB 1421, which gives the public the right to access certain records relating to...
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Oct 16, 2019
Adlerstein v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection
National Security
Status: Filed
The ACLU Foundation of Southern California, the ACLU Foundation of Arizona, and the law firm Kirkland & Ellis filed a federal lawsuit in Arizona on behalf of three migrant rights activists surveilled,...
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Oct 15, 2019
Safuto v. City of Los Angeles
Economic Justice
Status: Filed
Joseph Safuto, a person experiencing homelessness, sued the City of Los Angeles, challenging the city's practice of towing vehicles as a mechanism for collecting debt — in this case two unpaid parking...
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Oct 7, 2019
Bragg v. Pacific Maritime Association
Gender Equity and Reproductive Justice
Status: Filed
At the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, pregnant dockworkers who are not yet union members are routinely denied access to job assignments that would allow them to keep working safely. But if they don't...
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Jul 23, 2019
Phillips v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection
National Security
Status: Filed
Beginning in October 2018, the government operation secretly tracked the movements and actions of humanitarian activists who provided aid to migrants, leading to the activists being harassed and detained at...
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Apr 9, 2019
People's Homeless Task Force v. Orange County Board of Supervisors
First Amendment and Democracy
Status: Filed
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California and the law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP filed a lawsuit charging that the Orange County Board of Supervisors violates California's...