Civil Rights Newsletters

Due Process and Civil Rights
 
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides "due process" and "equal protection" to all Americans. The Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the states from passing or enforcing any law that abridges the "privileges or immunities" of citizens or deprives a person of "life, liberty, or property without due process of law." Put another way, the Due Process Clause protects citizens from interference by a state with most of the rights listed in the United States Constitution. More...
 
Race Discrimination Claims under § 1981
 
Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 prohibits racial discrimination in making and enforcing contracts. Section 1981 protects an individual from racial discrimination not only in making and enforcing contracts, but also in participating in lawsuits and in giving evidence. For example, § 1981 has been applied to enforce contracts of employment, including contractual relationships of at-will employment. In 1991, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1991. In so doing, Congress amended § 1981 by adding § 1981(b) to cover claims of racially discriminatory termination. More...
 
Feeding Tube Law Declared Unconstitutional
 
A Florida woman died nearly two weeks after doctors, under court order, removed her feeding tube for the third and final time. The woman's parents suffered a string of legal settbacks after the removal of the tube, both in state and federal courts, trying to get her feeding tube reconnected. More...
 
Coverage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
 
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was enacted to allow full participation in society by individuals with disabilities. The Rehabilitation Act is a federal law that protects qualified individuals with handicaps from discrimination, based solely on their disability, in any federally funded service, program, or activity, including healthcare and employment. More...
 
Racial Discrimination in Education
 
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal for federally funded schools to discriminate in programs or activities against students based on race, color, national origin, or religion. Federal regulations have been promulgated pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibit discriminatory actions by schools that receive federal funding.More...