Civil Rights Law
Civil Rights Law is a field of law focused on litigating for individuals. It addresses the enforcement of rights guaranteed by constitutional law, including the right to free speech, freedom of assembly, and protection from discrimination.
Civil rights law encompasses a range of issues, including equal protection, discrimination in employment, housing, and education, as well as the protection of fundamental constitutional rights. It also involves litigation to enforce civil rights and challenge government actions or laws that may infringe on individual freedoms. In the United States, civil rights law is grounded in the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which provides for due process and equal protection under the law.
Key Statutes
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964
- The Voting Rights Act of 1965
- The Fair Housing Act (1968)
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
- The Equal Pay Act (1963)
Key Terms and Concepts
Key Cases
- Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954) - Declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.
- Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967) - Struck down laws banning interracial marriage.
- Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) - Recognized a woman's constitutional right to privacy to make her own personal medical decisions, including the decision to have an abortion.
- Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978) - Addressed affirmative action in higher education admissions.
- Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013) - Invalidated key provisions of the Voting Rights Act.
- Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 597 U.S. ___ (2022) - Overturned Roe v. Wade, returning the authority to regulate abortion to the individual states.
Bibliography
- Hall, Kermit. The Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions. Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN 978-0195139242.
- McCrudden, Christopher. Understanding Human Rights. Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0199277469.
- Morone, James A. The Democratic Wish: Popular Participation and the Limits of American Government. Yale University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0300074651.