For over 30 years, the MacArthur Justice Center has fought cases to right individual wrongs, confront racial and social inequality and demand real reform.

The MacArthur Justice Center stands with the millions of people across the country who continue to take to the streets and raise their voices—loud, angry, tired, fed up, disobedient, peaceful, and righteous—in response to the killing of George Floyd and the inequality inherent in our country.  In New Orleans, we are moderating the New Orleans Police Accountability Coalition as it formulates demands for police reform.  In Chicago, our clients are pushing to enforce the consent decree over the Chicago Police Department and pressing for a robust, zero tolerance response to officers who inflict violence on protesters and deny them access to counsel.  In Mississippi, we are fighting against the unfair charging of a protestor who aptly chose this moment to deface the confederate monument on the University of Mississippi campus. In Missouri, we continue our representation of activists and protesters arrested and prosecuted in retaliation for exercising their First Amendment rights, and have joined other advocacy organizations in distributing a five point plan, including calling for the termination of all officers with a history of excessive force. In Wisconsin, we are suing to ensure that people can make their voices heard at the ballot box, in elections that are safe and accessible to every voter no matter what neighborhood they live in. Our appellate and Supreme Court practice group is re-energized in its fight against so-called “qualified immunity” for police who abuse citizens in violation of the constitution.

We stand in solidarity with all the communities devastated by the murders of Black people by police. We will continue to fight alongside you to combat the institutional racism that has shaped and continues to permeate the U.S. criminal legal system. We continue to confront the culture of silence and compliance that protects and enables the violent, even fatal, harassment and abuse that has instilled fear and jeopardized community safety.

We will say their names – George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and all those who came before – Laquan McDonald, Eric Garner, Alton Sterling, Michael Brown. We honor their memories.