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Defending Democracy and Civil Rights in the Courts and in the Streets

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About the PCJF

For 30 years, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) has been a leader in the fight to uncompromisingly defend democracy and advance constitutional rights by litigating landmark civil rights and First Amendment cases and providing robust defense to social justice activists and movements. Our work is focused on creating meaningful social and legal changes and dismantling systems of oppression.

Featured Issues

Group of police officers encircling a group of teenagers sitting on the ground.

Federal Court Grants Class Certification in Dolores Hill Bomb Mass Arrest Case

A federal court in San Francisco allowed the civil rights lawsuit challenging the San Francisco Police Department’s 2023…

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PCJF Condemns Trump’s Militarized Takeover of D.C. as an Unlawful Prototype of a Police State 

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund issued the following statement from its executive director, constitutional rights litigator Mara…

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Movement Defense

Know Your Rights – When the FBI Knocks – Available in English, Español and Arabic

Use this quick reference guide to know what to do if the FBI comes to your door. Updated KYR resource available in English, Spanish and Arabic.

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Impact Litigation

PCJF Federal Lawsuit Against DC for MPD’s Indiscriminate and Violent Use of Less Lethal Weapons Against Racial Justice Protests

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF), and its Center for Protest Law & Litigation, filed a federal lawsuit against the District of Columbia challenging the Metropolitan Police Department’s “repressive and violent tactics including the authorized indiscriminate use of ‘less lethal’ projectile weapons against peaceful protestors and bystanders, gratuitously and without notice or warning and in order to intentionally retaliate against and inflict pain upon protestors challenging policing in our society.”

The lawsuit seeks to end the MPD’s unconstitutional and punitive tactics of indiscriminately deploying less lethal weapons, including maiming projectiles, into crowds of persons engaged in First Amendment protected activities, in particular those challenging racist police violence. 

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JOIN THE FIGHT

Your support makes sure we can:

  • Defend front-line communities waging the fight for justice
  • Mount an uncompromising fight back against police repression
  • Challenge outrageous suppressive laws 
  • Expose government misconduct and operations against the social justice movement.

You have made it possible to fight back – and win – including to bring landmark affirmative constitutional rights cases ratifying and expanding the legal recognition of our cherished rights and restricting illegal police tactics.

PCJF Resource Archive

Find litigation documents, FOIAs, Know Your Rights information, and more in our resource library.

Visit the Resource Library

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