Lawyers for Civil Rights

Lcr | bizgrow provides free legal assistance, business support, and technical assistance to minority, immigrant, women and lown-income business owners ensuring they encounter fewer obstacles and more opportunities.growing wealth in historically disadvantaged communities is a critical Civil Rights issue. for nearly 25 years, we have helped close the wealth gap by fueling equitable economic growth and increasing access to economic justice. Our programs include free legal representation, technical assistance, and workshops for small business owners on subjects such as entity formation, contracts, taxes, leases, and intellectual property.programmatic highlights: bizgrow conference: the bizgrow conference is our flagship annual event. This free, one-day experience provides entrepreneurs and small business owners with workshops and legal consultations with attorneys who specialize in business issues.foodbiz 101: one of our most popular programs, this accelerator helps aspiring food entrepreneurs turn their vision into reality. Each session is taught by an industry expert and covers a different topic, such as permitting, business planning, and marketing, as well as food-specific subjects, including recipe scaling and labeling. At the conclusion of the series, participants present their business pitches to a panel of experts and graduate ready to live out their dreams as new business owners. Bizgrow launch series: this seminar series provides a comprehensive overview of how to start and run a successful business of your own from writing a business plan and managing legal issues to speaking publicly, comfortably, and confidently about your business. Legal clinics: bizgrow legal clinics provide business owners with free, one-on-one consultations with leading attorneys from major law firms. During these clinics, business owners can ask specific questions about their business and receive the guidance they need to succeed.

Lawyers for Civil Rights, Inc. (the organization") is a nonprofit, nonpartisan legal organization that fosters equal opportunity and fights discrimination on behalf of people of color immigrants and low-income people. The organization engages in creative and courageous legal action, education, and advocacy in collaboration with law firms and community partners.

Alianza americas et al. V. desantis et al. (federal court) class action lawsuit filed september 2022 on behalf of migrants fraudulently induced to travel to martha's vineyard. If we prevail, attorneys' fees available.johnson v. arlington police department (federal court) lawsuit filed august 2022 on behalf of a young black man who was racially profiled, unlawfully stopped and arrested while the arlington police were chasing a white suspect. Case settled in 2024, including attorneys' fees.boston parent coalition v. boston school committee (federal court) represent multiracial coalition of community organizations and families who intervened in lawsuit challenging boston public schools' interim plan for admitting students to boston's selective public schools. No attorneys' fees expected. Henry v. town of needham (federal court) represented black father of four who was detained and handcuffed in public in response to an incorrect description of a known shoplifter. Case settled in 2023, including attorneys' fees.doe v. austin et al. (federal court) lawsuit filed may 2022 on behalf of 21 year old latinx man who was summarily terminated from the Vermont national guard and the rotc solely as a result of being hiv-positive, challenging the decision as arbitrary and unconstitutional. No attorneys' fees expected.massachusetts fair housing center et al. V. hud et al. (federal court) case filed september 2020 challenging hud's attempt to undermine the disparate impact protections of the fair housing act. In 2020, we secured a nationwide preliminary injunction and stay of the rule. Case settled in 2023 with payment of attorneys' fees in 2024.lcr v. uscis (federal court) case filed september 2020 challenging failure of uscis to produce any records relevant to lcr's request for documents surrounding draft public charge rule. Case concluded in 2023; no attorneys' fees.juarez et al. V. sofi et al. (federal court) class action complaint filed on behalf of daca recipients who have been prevented from applying for loans and refinancing by sofi because of their immigration status. Case settled in 2023, including attorneys' fees.centro presente et al. V. trump et al. (federal court) complaint filed in february 2018 against federal government challenging the recission of temporary protected status (tps) for haitian and salvadoran immigrants, on equal protection and other grounds. Amended complaint filed may 2018 to include honduran tps recipients. Case concluded in 2023; no attorneys' fees.coleman v. city of boston et al. (federal court) federal police misconduct lawsuit alleging constitutional, americans with disabilities act (ada), and other statutory claims against the city of boston and other defendants for the shooting death of terrence coleman, a black man living with a mental health disability. Case settled in 2024, including attorneys' fees.k.o. V. united states (federal court) class action lawsuit challenging federal government's 2017 policy of separating immigrant families at border, seeking damages and establishment of mental health fund to treat trauma caused by separation and detention. Case concluded in 2024; no attorneys' fees.jones v. city of boston (federal court) title vii disparate impact case challenging hair drug test used by boston police department as scientifically unreliable and discriminatory against africanamericans. Case settled in 2023, including attorneys' fees.students for fair admissions v. harvard (federal court) in this lawsuit challenging harvard university's raceconscious admissions policy, lcr represented amici current and prospective students who believe their educations would be harmed were harvard prohibited from valuing racial diversity in admissions. Case concluded in 2023; no attorneys' fees received. Castro v. beecher (federal court) monitoring of consent decrees governing hiring process in police and fire department in various municipalities in commonwealth. No attorneys' fees expected.lawyers for Civil Rights et al. V. department of homeland security (federal court) public records litigation filed to gain access to documents detailing the rollout of the "warrant service officer" program. Case concluded in 2023; no attorneys' fees.ortega v. u.s. customs and border patrol (federal court) lawsuit filed on behalf of client who was unlawfully stripsearched multiple times at logan airport as she and her minor daughter returned. Case concluded in 2023; no attorneys' fees.lcr v. bpd (suffolk superior court) public records case filed to secure documents related to employment practices and demographics of boston police department (bpd). In addition to relief as to the particular records request, the lawsuit sought to compel bpd's compliance with the timelines of the public records law in the future as well. Case settled in 2023, including attorneys' fees. In re doe (town of walpole) pre-lawsuit settlement reached in 2023 with town of walpole, stemming from incident in which black third-grader was handcuffed and removed from classroom by police. Settlement included attorneys' fees.florence immigrant & refugee Rights project v. dhs (federal court) foia case filed march 2023 seeking to compel u.s. department of homeland security (dhs) and customs and border protection to produce records related to the adjudication of applications for humanitarian parole. If we prevail, attorneys' fees are available.central ma housing alliance v. town of holden (worcester superior court) declaratory judgment action filed in august 2023 against town of holden for its failure to comply with state's new mbta communities law. No attorneys' fees expected.paula fortes v. B.j. 's service co. (ma commission against discrimination) filed amended mcad discrimination charge in february 2023 on behalf of a cape verdean woman who experienced discrimination at work based on her gender, perceived sexual orientation, race, color, and national origin. Settlement reached in 2023, including attorneys' fees.