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 a habeas petition to secure release for four petitioners and a class of medically vulnerable people incarcerated at the Sullivan County Jail who face a significant risk of severe illness or death from the coronavirus.
The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against Governor Andrew Cuomo for new executive orders issued this week that allow gatherings up to ten people for people commemorating Memorial Day or gathering for religious purposes, while previous orders maintain a ban on protest and other Fi
The New York Civil Liberties Union and Prisoners Legal Services of New York filed a motion to proceed with a federal class-action lawsuit against ICE officials at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, NY, demanding that they treat medically at-risk people in the facility in complianc
The NYCLU wrote to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights in support of a lawsuit brought by Disability Rights New York against Governor Cuomo challenging New York State’s failure to ensure that congregate care settings serving New Yorkers w
The NYCLU wrote to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights in support of a lawsuit filed by Disability Rights New York against the New York State Department of Health concerning the 2015 Ventilator Allocation Guidelines.
The New York Civil Liberties Union and The Legal Aid Society sued Governor Cuomo and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) to challenge the unconstitutional automatic jailing of people held in New York City jails while waiting for a hearing for alleged parole vi