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About ACS
The American Constitution Society for Law and Policy (ACS) is the nation’s foremost progressive legal organization, with a diverse nationwide network that includes nearly 200 student and lawyer chapters, and progressive lawyers, students, judges, scholars, elected officials, and advocates.
Mission
Our mission is to support and advocate for laws and legal systems that redress the founding failures of our Constitution, strengthen our democratic legitimacy, uphold the rule of law, and realize the promise of equality for all, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and other historically excluded communities.
Vision
We envision a multi-racial, representative democracy that includes:
- A judiciary that reflects the diversity of the public it serves, vindicates fundamental freedoms, protects democratic guardrails, upholds the rule of law, and interprets the U.S. Constitution through the lens of history and lived experience;
- Democratic institutions that advance equity and justice, uphold the rule of law, and guard against the abuse of power; and
- A robust and diverse legal civil society that actively promotes progressive legal transformation and redress of the founding failures of our Constitution and of our laws and legal systems.
ACS is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan organization, which does not support or oppose candidates or political parties. Donations to ACS are tax deductible.
Shaping Debate
Through our public programs (over 1,100 debates, conferences and press briefings across America each year), publications, and active on-line presence, ACS generates “intellectual capital” for ready use by progressive allies and shapes debates on key legal and public policy issues.
Building Networks
The engine that drives the organization’s work is its rapidly growing nationwide network of student and lawyer chapters in 48 states and almost every law school.
Making a Difference
The strength of ACS’s ideas and the scope of its nationwide network enable it to make a difference in legal and public policy debates and ensure that law is a force to improve the lives of all people.