name of attorney who protects rights of citizens

What does a civil rights attorney do?

Jun 25, 2018 · A civil rights attorney specializes in protection and expansion of people’s civil rights and civil liberties. These rights are granted by the U.S. Constitution , as well as by legislation . Even when these rights are not specifically spelled out in such documents, civil rights attorneys advocate for the protection of basic human rights.

What are the laws that protect citizens from civil rights?

You've come to the right place. If you were the victim of police brutality, discrimination, or have had other constitutionally protected rights violated, a civil rights lawyer may be able to help. Other examples of situations where there may be civil rights issues include, gay rights, hate crimes, and other violations against human rights.

Who are the most famous human rights lawyers?

Because of her marriage to a famous actor and impressive career, many consider her the most well-known human rights lawyer in the world. Fatou Bensouda. The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda is one of the world’s most influential human rights lawyers working today. Originally from Gambia, Bensouda received her Barrister of Law from …

What does a human rights lawyer do?

If you believe your civil rights have been violated, contact Feldman Shepherd civil rights lawyers and get the help you need. Civil rights laws protect individuals from discrimination and guarantee certain privileges, including the right to due process, equal protection regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, or age, and freedom of speech.

Who is in charge of protecting civil rights?

What can you do if your human rights are violated by the government?

What constitutes a violation of civil rights?

What is Department of Justice responsible for?

Which department would you approach if your rights are violated?

Can you sue the government for violating the Constitution?

What is a Title 42 lawsuit?

What are the 5 civil rights?

What is deprivation of rights?

Who makes up the DOJ?

Who is the head of the Dept of justice?

How does the DOJ enforce the law?

What is civil rights lawyer?

Civil Rights Lawyer. Lawyers are people with specialized knowledge, who help people with a variety of legal issues. A civil rights lawyer is specifically experienced in issues regarding human rights, social freedoms, and equality. Read on to learn more about becoming a civil rights lawyer.

What is the Department of Justice?

U.S. Department of Justice, Americans with Disabilities Act division – deals with disability discrimination. U.S. Commission on Civil Rights – Aids in the development of civil rights policies, and aids in enforcement of civil rights laws. Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), Civil Rights Office – Advises and represents the FAA in matters ...

Why is it important to get a broad education in law?

Regardless of a law student’s intended field of practice, gaining a broad education can make him or her a better lawyer. In addition to core courses, law schools offer a variety of elective courses, which can be quite helpful, increasing the law student’s scope of knowledge.

What is the role of the FAA?

Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), Civil Rights Office – Advises and represents the FAA in matters of civil rights and equal opportunity. U.S. Department of Education (“DOE”), Office for Civil Rights – Helps ...

How much will the number of attorneys increase in 2024?

Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), employment opportunities for attorneys in general are expected to increase – between the years 2014 and 2024 – by about 6%. This is an average growth rate.

What is the HUD?

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”), Fair Housing Civil Rights – Enforces federal laws that ensure equal access to housing.

What are some examples of civil rights issues?

Other examples of situations where there may be civil rights issues include, gay rights, hate crimes, and other violations against human rights.

What to do if you are a victim of police brutality?

If you were the victim of police brutality, discrimination, or have had other constitutionally protected rights violated, a civil rights lawyer may be able to help.

What is human rights lawyer?

A human rights lawyer is a lawyer that focuses on human rights issues such as discrimination based on characteristics like sex, race, gender, and more. They can represent individuals or groups in court both nationally and internationally, challenging unjust laws and policies ...

Who is Bryan Stevenson?

Best known in the general public for his book A Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative , an Alabama-based human rights organization. Through this organization, Stevenson has taken on and won legal challenges aimed at the prison system. His focuses include unfair and excessive sentencing; innocent death row prisoners; abuse of prisoners and the mentally-ill; and children being prosecuted as adults. Over the course of his career, Stevenson and his team have won relief, reversals, or release for over 135 wrongly-condemned death row prisoners. The cases often go to the United States Supreme Court. In a case from 2012, the court banned mandatory life-imprisonment-without-parole sentences for kids 17 years old and younger, while a more recent case from 2019 ruled in favor of protection for condemned prisoners with dementia.

Who is Julian Falconer?

A Canadian lawyer , Julian Falconer built his career on defending human rights. His alma mater, the University of Toronto, named him as one of their 100 most notable graduates of the twentieth century. At his law firm Falconers LLP, Falconer and his team have represented the family of a young woman who died in custody at a prison; journalists who were unlawfully beaten and arrested at the G20 summit; and Maher Arar, who was detained and tortured after being deported to Syria, instead of Canada, his home. That case made Canadian legal history when Arar received the largest human rights settlement given to an individual plaintiff. Falconer also represented the Urban Alliance on Race Relations in a crucial case, which led to the Court of Appeal for Ontario acknowledging that racial profiling is a valid defense for racial minority communities.

Who is Fatou Bensouda?

Fatou Bensouda. The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda is one of the world’s most influential human rights lawyers working today. Originally from Gambia, Bensouda received her Barrister of Law from the University of Nigeria and became Gambia’s first international maritime law expert.

What did Samantha Power do?

Samantha Power’s career begins with her serving as a war correspondent during the Yugoslav Wars, and then getting her J.D. degree from Harvard Law School. From 1998-2002, she served as the Founding Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. The following year, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her book A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide. The book examined and critiqued America’s indifference to genocides around the world.

What is George Clooney's foundation?

The foundation seeks to promote justice for survivors of war, give vulnerable children an education, and support refugees searching for safety. In 2018, Clooney became an adjunct professor at the Columbia University School of Law.

What to do if you believe your civil rights have been violated?

If you believe your civil rights have been violated, trust the attorneys at Feldman Shepherd to help make things right. Civil rights laws protect individuals from discrimination and guarantee certain privileges, including the right to due process, equal protection regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, or age, and freedom of speech.

What are civil rights?

Civil rights laws protect individuals from discrimination and guarantee certain privileges, including the right to due process, equal protection regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, religion, or age, and freedom of speech. Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals’ freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. These rights ensure one’s ability to participate in the civil and political life of the society and state without discrimination or repression. A violation of an individual’s civil rights can commonly manifest as: 1 Employment Discrimination 2 Police Misconduct 3 Sexual Harassment 4 Infringing the Americans with Disabilities Act

What are civil and political rights?

Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals’ freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. These rights ensure one’s ability to participate in the civil and political life of the society and state without discrimination or repression.

What is a violation of civil rights?

A violation of an individual’s civil rights can commonly manifest as: Both state and federal laws, including the U.S. Constitution, protect citizens from a broad range of injustices including wrongful termination, unlawful retaliation, police misconduct, and other infractions of civil rights.

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual Harassment. Infringing the Americans with Disabilities Act. Both state and federal laws, including the U.S. Constitution, protect citizens from a broad range of injustices including wrongful termination, unlawful retaliation, police misconduct, and other infractions of civil rights.

What is a disability attorney?

The Social Security Disability system can be a particularly complex system in which to navigate. An attorney who specializes in Social Security Disability issues can help you with any step in the Social Security Disability process, including assisting you with eligibility issues, launching an appeal of a decision to deny you benefits and dealing with the reduction or termination of your benefits.

What is an employment lawyer?

Employment Lawyer. Whether you’re a company that’s having a problem with an employee, or an individual who’s having problems with the company you work for, an employment lawyer can generally provide advice about legal issues which arise from an employment contract or within an employment relationship.

What is an estate planning lawyer?

The estate planning lawyer specializes in wills and trusts, and can help you to draw up a will to pass on your assets. Among other estate planning legal services, this type of lawyer can help you set up a trust which will help take care of your children’s financial needs.

What is an IP lawyer?

Also known as an IP attorney, an intellectual property lawyer can advise you with regard to issues relating to intellectual property, such as copyrights, trademarks, patents, industrial design and trade secrets.

What can a corporate lawyer do for you?

A corporate lawyer will be able to help you with issues related to the formation of your corporation, general corporate governance issues and corporate compliance issues.

What is a worker's compensation lawyer?

If you’ve been injured while on the job, or have had to face the death of a loved one as a result of a workplace accident or occupational disease, a lawyer who specializes in workers compensation law can help you navigate the issues you face, such as the extent of the employer’s fault and the amount of benefits to which you are entitled.

Do doctors make mistakes?

Doctors do occasionally make mistakes, and if you’re facing the consequences of a medical mistake such as a medical misdiagnosis or inaccurate treatment, a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice issues can be particular helpful.

What is the role of police officers?

Police officers are responsible for protecting citizens from constitutional violations. If an officer witnesses another officer violating a citizen’s civil rights and does nothing to stop it, that officer can be held for failing to intervene.

Do police officers have to have probable cause?

We have the resources in place to fight, and succeed, at protecting your civil rights. Police officers must have a warrant or at the very minimum, probable cause for arrest. The probable cause must include the belief that the individual in question has committed a crime.

What is a false arrest?

False Arrest. Police officers must have a warrant or at the very minimum, probable cause for arrest. The probable cause must include the belief that the individual in question has committed a crime. False arrest occurs when procedures such as probable cause are not followed properly. False Imprisonment.

What is probable cause for arrest?

Police officers must have a warrant or at the very minimum, probable cause for arrest. The probable cause must include the belief that the individual in question has committed a crime. False arrest occurs when procedures such as probable cause are not followed properly. False Imprisonment.

What is probable cause in criminal cases?

The probable cause must include the belief that the individual in question has committed a crime. False arrest occurs when procedures such as probable cause are not followed properly. False Imprisonment. Any time an individual is unlawfully confined by police, it is considered false imprisonment.

What is malicious prosecution?

Malicious Prosecution. When an officer wrongly deprives an individual of their 14th Amendment right to liberty, it is considered malicious prosecution. In this type of situation, the officer has no probable cause to go after the victim, but continues criminal proceedings anyway. Excessive/Unreasonable Force.

What is false imprisonment?

False Imprisonment. Any time an individual is unlawfully confined by police, it is considered false imprisonment. This can occur in the back of a police car, in a jail cell, or even in an individuals’ own home. If you have been unlawfully and falsely imprisoned, you have the right to counsel. Malicious Prosecution.

What are the rights of a person?

The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth, and Eighth Amendments protect a number of significant rights when people are dealing with law enforcement and facing criminal charges, including: 1 freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures 2 the right to remain silent and not to testify against themselves 3 the right to counsel and a court-appointed attorney for defendants who can’t afford to hire their own lawyer 4 the right to a speedy trial, as well as a trial by jury for serious crimes 5 criminal defendants’ right to cross-examine witnesses against them and present their own witnesses 6 protection from double jeopardy, and 7 no cruel and unusual punishment.

What is the right of the people to keep and bear arms?

Keeping Guns. As the Supreme Court now interprets the Second Amendment, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms” applies to individuals. This means that government generally can’t restrict the right of law-abiding individuals to have weapons and use them for legal purposes. But guns rights aren't unlimited.

What are the rights of the First Amendment?

The First Amendment prohibits government interference with two core sets of individual rights: 1 freedom of expression, which includes free speech, free press, and the freedom to assemble and petition the government; and 2 freedom of religion, including the freedom to practice any religion (or none) and the separation of church and state.

Is freedom of speech an absolute right?

Constitution. When people talk about constitutional rights like freedom of speech or religion, they often refer to them as guarantees. But no rights are absolute.

Which amendment protects the right to remain silent?

The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth, and Eighth Amendments protect a number of significant rights when people are dealing with law enforcement and facing criminal charges, including: freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. the right to remain silent and not to testify against themselves.

What is the right to a speedy trial?

the right to a speedy trial, as well as a trial by jury for serious crimes. criminal defendants’ right to cross-examine witnesses against them and present their own witnesses. protection from double jeopardy, and. no cruel and unusual punishment.

Which amendment protects freedom of religion?

The First Amendment prohibits government interference with two core sets of individual rights: freedom of expression, which includes free speech, free press, and the freedom to assemble and petition the government; and. freedom of religion, including the freedom to practice any religion (or none) and the separation of church and state.

Who can consult with constitutional lawyers?

People with advocacies can consult constitutional lawyers if they think their rights have been violated. For instance, non-profit organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) employ constitutional lawyers to protect minorities involved in a legal process.

What do lawyers do outside of court?

Some lawyers mostly do the work outside of the courtroom, such as drafting contracts and wills, preparing documents to comply with a process, negotiating deals, and advising clients on a legal problem. There are also lawyers who present cases in court or litigations to protect their client's best interest.

What is an intellectual property lawyer?

Any original creative, scientific, or technical invention which may benefit the public has to be protected from copycats and duplicates. If you've created an art design, a unique product, a novel, a song or a computer program, you can consult with an intellectual property lawyer for securing copyright, patents, trademarks, and licensing agreements.

What is a family lawyer?

Family Lawyers. These are lawyers who handle all kinds of domestic cases, such as divorce, legal separation, child custody, adoption, paternity, alimony, prenuptial or postnuptial agreements, and emancipation. But family attorneys may also handle reproductive rights cases, and their work may intersect with other areas of the law.

What is a personal injury lawyer?

This lawyer is an expert in tort law, which deals with civil legal liabilities and damages.

What is a business lawyer?

Also known as corporate lawyers, business lawyers are legal eagles who cover a more full range of expertise in building, managing, maintaining, transferring and dissolving a business. Lawyers in this area of practice deal with the formation of the company, employment contracts, tax compliance, acquisitions, and mergers.

What is a real estate lawyer?

Real estate lawyers provide legal guidance for individuals or companies seeking to buy or sell a property. They work with their clients and the real estate agents to draft documents and ensure that the paperwork is legally binding. They may also negotiate for the buyer or seller, or represent a property owner during a foreclosure dispute.

What are the civil rights laws?

Civil rights laws guarantee rights for individuals to receive equal treatment and prohibits discrimination in a number of settings, including education, employment, housing, lending, voting, and more. Below is a list of federal civil rights laws.

What is the purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1991?

Civil Rights Act of 1991 (Intentional Employment Discrimination) To amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to strengthen and improve Federal civil rights laws, to provide for damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination, to clarify provisions regarding disparate impact actions, and for other purposes.

What is the age discrimination in employment act?

Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) Prohibits employers from discriminating against workers and applicants who are 40 years of age and older , based on their age. Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 (ACAA) Prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the provision of (including access to) air transportation.

What is the Equal Pay Act?

Equal Pay Act of 1963 Requires that employers pay all employees equally for equal work, regardless of whether the employees are male or female. Fair Housing Act (FHA) Prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability.

What is the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act?

Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) Protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws; also protects the religious exercise of inmates and other persons confined to certain institutions. Title IX of the Education Amendments ...

What is chapter 21?

Chapter 21 is where a number of federal acts related to civil rights have been codified -- including the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. The U.S. Constitution | Articles | Amendments The U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1789, outlines the role and operation ...