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    About the Civil Rights and Social Justice Section

    A network of over 10,000 lawyers, law students, academics, advocates, and thought leaders committed to creating meaningful change.

    About

    Our Committees

    The Civil Rights and Social Justice Section’s Committees and Task Forces provide access to valuable resources, including the Human Rights Magazine, webinars, substantive in-person and virtual meetings, and interactive discussion lists. They also provide members with unique opportunities for content development and leadership. Commitee members can connect with lawyers and advocates from around the world to establish a global network of passionate civil rights leaders.

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    Who We Are

    The Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice promotes policies affecting racial equality, environmental and economic justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, gender equity, and other significant civil rights issues. We are devoted to designing, developing, and implementing programs, initiatives, and resources to enhance your leadership and advocacy and equip you to make a difference in your communities.

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    Our Awards & Initiatives

    The Civil Rights and Social Justice Section sponsors three awards honoring human rights heroes and a number of initiatives and projects designed to promote the Section's mission of protecting and advancing civil liberties, human rights and social justice. We recognize outstanding lawyers with the Thurgood Marshall Award, the Father Robert F. Drinan Award for Distinguished Service, and the Sheila Y. Thomas Committee Excellence Award.

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    Our Goals

    We are committed to furthering the American Bar Association’s four goals:

    Serve Our Members

    Serve Our Members

    We provide exceptional benefits, programs, and opportunities to advance our members' engagement and education on important civil rights and social justice issues facing our communities.

    Improve Our Profession

    Improve Our Profession

    We offer quality live and on-demand education on critical legal issues, legislative updates, and public service or pro bono projects for members to meaningfully contribute to the profession and society.

    Eliminate Bias and Enhance Diversity

    Eliminate Bias and Enhance Diversity

    The success and reputation of the Section requires a high level of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging within its membership and leadership that informs its positions and advocacy to advance civil rights and social justice issues, and we actively ensure our membership reflects this diversity.

    Advance the Rule of Law

    Advance the Rule of Law

    We strive to increase the legal profession's and public's understanding of and respect for the rule of law, the legal process, and the role of the legal profession in protecting the human rights and civil liberties of all persons.

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    Human Rights Magazine

    The award-winning Human Rights Magazine, a publication by the ABA CRSJ Section, covers a diverse array of human and civil rights topics, including Native American and Alaskan Native rights, civil education and literacy, the intersection of LGBTQIA+ rights and religious freedom, and more.

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    CRSJ Chair Columns & Section Articles

    The Section's platform that brings together legal scholars, advocates, thought leaders, and activists committed to tackling the civil rights issues facing our country.

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    Events

    The Section regularly sponsors a variety of powerful events, including quarterly Council Meetings, in-person panels, on-demand webinars, service projects, happy hours, and more!

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    Chair Chat

    The Section's platform that brings together legal scholars, advocates, thought leaders, and activists committed to tackling the civil rights issues facing our country.

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    About

    Our Commitment to Diversity

    The Section recognizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession is essential to achieving a system of justice that reflects and equally respects the diversity of the public it serves. Therefore, the Section recognizes and strives to achieve diversity, equity and inclusion in the ABA, the Section, the legal profession, the justice system and the greater society, among members of historically underrepresented and marginalized groups inclusive of those representing the intersection of overlapping identities such as race, ethnicity, gender identification, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, immigration status and class.

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