Defending Democracy and Civil Rights in the Courts and in the Streets
About the PCJF
For over 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
VICTORY! Federal Court Dismisses Civil Rights Conspiracy Claims Against Protestors in Rejection of Ideological Lawfare
In an important victory for free speech, a federal court has dismissed with prejudice all civil rights conspiracy claims brought against The People's Forum and other individual defendants arising from the April 2024 occupation of Hamilton Hall — Hind’s Hall — at Columbia University.
Know Your Rights – When the FBI Knocks – Available in English, Spanish, 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.
PCJF Statement on Recent State Department Cuba Report and The New Red Scare
Trump and his allies are trying to bring McCarthyism back as a political weapon to crush political opposition in the United States.
Impact Litigation
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.
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.
How you can help
Help us challenge federal and local law enforcement efforts to punish, threaten and silence movements for change. Join us in the fight for democracy, civil rights, and social and environmental justice – in the courts and in the streets.
PCJF Resource Archive
Find litigation documents, FOIAs, Know Your Rights information, and more in our resource library.
Recent News
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The PCJF Responds to House Ways & Means Committee’s Subpoenas to The People’s Forum and BreakThrough News: “A witch-hunt is not a valid legislative purpose”
First Amendment attorneys challenge the Committee’s abuse of authority to direct compulsory process in order to punish and silence constitutionally protected expression and viewpoints with which the Committee leadership disagrees.
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PCJF Statement on Recent State Department Cuba Report and The New Red Scare
Trump and his allies are trying to bring McCarthyism back as a political weapon to crush political opposition in the United States.
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Trump Administration’s Plans to Wall Off Lafayette Park, Shut Down America’s Premier Public Forum, and Silence Protest are Unconstitutional and an Open Attack on Participatory Democracy
The PCJF, which defeated Trump’s first-term effort to crush protest on federal land in D.C., condemns plan to permanently fence Lafayette Square and Pennsylvania Avenue
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PCJF Statement on the Prairieland Defendants Sentencing
The sadistically cruel and politically motivated sentencing of the Prairieland defendants, following a trial rife with due process violations, on terrorism and conspiracy charges for involvement with the non-existent Trump-fantasy “antifa” organization is unjustified, disproportionate and openly targets political speech. (Continues)
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Mission Local: Dolores Park hill bomb teens push judge to take lawsuit against S.F. to jury
Excerpts from Mission Local. Read the full article here. “Probable cause must be determined individual by individual, or, in this case, ‘kid by kid,’ Emilly Zhu, a legal fellow at the ACLU of northern California, wrote in a press statement.”
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Federal Court Dismisses Civil Rights Conspiracy Claims Against Pro-Palestine Activists and The People’s Forum: Anti-Zionism Is Not Anti-Semitism
In an important victory for free speech, a federal court has dismissed with prejudice all civil rights conspiracy claims brought against The People’s Forum and other individual defendants arising from the April 2024 occupation of Hamilton Hall — Hind’s Hall — at Columbia University.