ACLU (American civil liberties union) ‘because freedom can’t protect itself’ Ollie Barraclough

Aim The american civil liberties union is a non profit organization which aims to ‘preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the constitution and the laws of the United States’ They are a non partisan organization who work through lobbying, litigation and community education

The organization has around 500,000 members and a budget of around $100 million They are active in all 50 states along with Puerto Rico They provide advice and assistance in cases in which they believe that people’s civil rights or liberties are at risk

Methods The ACLU uses direct legal action or briefs lawyers involved in current cases on the reasons why liberties may be at risk In addition to representing companies or individuals, they also lobby for policies that have been established by its board of directors These policies are prominent in areas such as abortion and gay rights

Recent cases 1960’s, separation of church and state -Also defended anti-war activists who demonstrated via the burning of draft cards -The Miranda case- involving misconduct by police during investigations 1970’s, involved in several cases fighting for the rights of gays, students, prisoners and the poor March ACLU sued the state of California on behalf of 6 same-sex couples who were denied a marriage certificate (Woo vsLockyer) -June Eventually consolidated into a case which led to the supreme court in California legalizing gay marriage up until proposition 8 was passed on November 4 th 2008

In 2006 the ACLU challenged a Missouri state law that prohibited picketing outside of veterans' funerals. The suit was filed in support of the Westboro Baptist Church and Shirley Phelps-Roper, who were threatened for arrest.TheWestboro Baptist Church is infamous for their picket signs that contain messages such as, "God Hates Fags," "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "Thank God for 9/11." The ACLU issued a statement calling the legislation a "law that infringes on Shirley Phelps-Roper's rights to religious liberty and free speech.” The ACLU prevailed in the lawsuit. In 2008, the ACLU was part of a consortium of legal advocates, including Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights, that challenged California's Proposition 8, which declared same-sex marriages illegal. The ACLU and its allies prevailed.