The New York Civil Liberties Union works in the courts as a public-interest law firm, bringing constitutional test cases in state and federal court. The NYCLU's legal program balances enforcement litigation, or cases that enforce previously established standards, and cutting-edge test case litigation, or cases that seek to set new standards. While litigation alone does not represent a complete strategy to preserve and enhance civil liberties, the lawsuits pursued by the NYCLU are important because of the particular wrongs they right, the individuals and groups they protect, and the constitutional doctrines they establish. Our litigation complements our proactive program of public education and advocacy.
The New York Civil Liberties Union filed an Article 78 proceeding against the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and Anthony J. Annucci, in his official capacity as Acting Commissioner of the agency, to obtain records related to the use of facial recognition t
The NYCLU, in partnership with the ACLU LGBTQ Project, filed an amicus brief in Carpenter et al. v. James et al.
The New York Civil Liberties Union, with pro bono counsel from Latham & Watkins LLP, filed a lawsuit against the Troy Police Department for unlawfully denying the NYCLU’s requests for records related to police misconduct authorized to be disclosed following the repeal of 50-a.
The New York Civil Liberties Union, with pro bono counsel from Milbank LLP, filed a lawsuit against the Freeport Police Department for unlawfully denying the NYCLU’s requests for the full slate of records related to police misconduct authorized to be disclosed following the repeal of 50-a.
The New York Civil Liberties Union, with pro bono counsel from Shearman & Sterling LLP, filed a lawsuit against the Buffalo Police Department for unlawfully denying the NYCLU’s requests for the full slate of records related to police misconduct authorized to be disclos
The New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union’s National Prison Project sued Jefferson County over its discriminatory and life-endangering policy of denying prescribed medication to people with opioid use disorder in the Jefferson County Jail.