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Equality and Liberty

The protection of individual rights lies at the core of a progressive approach to the law. The Equality and Liberty Group addresses means of combating inequality resulting from race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age and other factors. It also explores ways of protecting reproductive freedom, privacy and end-of-life choices and of making work accessible and meaningful.

The Issue Group's Co-Chairs are:


To get involved in the work of the Equality and Liberty Issue Group, please fill out the Issue Group Sign-Up Form.

Also, please note that ACS ResearchLink features a number of topics related to the Equality and Liberty Issue Group’s work on which law students are encouraged to focus their academic scholarship.
Recent Stories

The Convention on Racial Discrimination (CERD): What Does It Mean for U.S. Policy?

On Friday, May 9, ACS will host a briefing on the recent examination of U.S. compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) undertaken by the United Nations CERD Committee. In February, the CERD Committee heard presentations in Geneva from a U.S. government delegation led by Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Grace Chung Becker, as well as from U.S. civil rights and human rights advocates. In March the Committee issued its conclusions and recommendations, expressing concerns over the U.S. record on racial discrimination in areas such as the death penalty and racial profiling, and urging a variety of reforms. Panelists at the briefing, including experts who participated in the Geneva proceedings, will describe CERD and the CERD compliance process, discuss the CERD Committee's findings and recommendations, and explore the role that Congress could play to address U.S. compliance with CERD.

The panel will feature:

2008 Election Year Summit: Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, and Social Justice Issues in the Spotlight

The American Constitution Society and the American Bar Association Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, as well as state and local bar associations, are hosting a day-long conference on the pressing issues of civil rights, civil liberties and social justice being debated during the 2008 election season.

Carolyn Lamm, President-Elect of the American Bar Association, will deliver a welcome to Summit participants. A morning plenary session will provide an overview of the issues to be discussed during the day, and the impact of the upcoming election on individual rights issues. Panelists include Barbara Arnwine, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights; Lisa Brown, Executive Director of the American Constitution Society; Kay Hodge, President of the National Conference of Bar Presidents; and John Payton, Director-Counsel and President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

After the opening plenary, Summit participants may choose from 8 breakout sessions, following three program tracks:

  • Track A: Voter Access
  • Track B: National Security and Civil Liberties
  • Track C: Public Health and Natural Disasters

    • Women of Color in the Legal Profession: Why It Means Success for Everyone

    The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy joined the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and other host organizations in sponsoring this event on hiring and retaining women of color. This is not simply an issue for women of color. With increasing globalization, it makes good business sense to craft strategies to ensure that women of color thrive. Our panelists will discussed concrete steps that can be taken to ensure that women of color succeed.

    This program builds on the Commission's report, "Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms." The report can be accessed here.

    The panel included:

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