
Defending Democracy and Civil Rights in the Courts and in the Streets
About the PCJF
For 30 years, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) has been a leader in the fight to uncompromisingly defend democracy and advance constitutional rights by litigating landmark civil rights and First Amendment cases and providing robust defense to social justice activists and movements. Our work is focused on creating meaningful social and legal changes and dismantling systems of oppression.
Featured Issues

Trump says he wants to protect free speech. Advocates say he’s undermining it.
In what President Donald Trump says is a move to protect the rule of law and free speech advocates see as an attack on it, the White House is promising tougher punishments for vandalizing public monuments, statues and religious displays.

PCJF challenges Trump’s Executive Order targeting pro-Palestinian protestors as “racist and unhinged” attack on free speech
The Trump Administration’s Executive Order targeting by viewpoint those who have courageously stood against the U.S. backed Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people is a racist and unhinged assault on the fundamental constitutional right to free speech.

PCJF Staff Attorney & former Marine Nick Place spoke to Empire Files’ Mike Prysner on domestic deployment of US military
"Troops actually on the ground, really need to ask themselves if they’ll get the same leeway as Trump and his billionaire bosses for executing the orders Trump gives from the golf course."
Impact Litigation
The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF), and its Center for Protest Law & Litigation, filed a federal lawsuit against the District of Columbia challenging the Metropolitan Police Department’s “repressive and violent tactics including the authorized indiscriminate use of ‘less lethal’ projectile weapons against peaceful protestors and bystanders, gratuitously and without notice or warning and in order to intentionally retaliate against and inflict pain upon protestors challenging policing in our society.”
The lawsuit seeks to end the MPD’s unconstitutional and punitive tactics of indiscriminately deploying less lethal weapons, including maiming projectiles, into crowds of persons engaged in First Amendment protected activities, in particular those challenging racist police violence.

JOIN THE FIGHT
Your support makes sure we can:
- Defend front-line communities waging the fight for justice
- Mount an uncompromising fight back against police repression
- Challenge outrageous suppressive laws
- Expose government misconduct and operations against the social justice movement.
You have made it possible to fight back – and win – including to bring landmark affirmative constitutional rights cases ratifying and expanding the legal recognition of our cherished rights and restricting illegal police tactics.
How you can help
Help us challenge federal and local law enforcement efforts to punish, threaten and silence movements for change. Join us in the fight for democracy, civil rights, and social and environmental justice – in the courts and in the streets.

PCJF Resource Archive
Find litigation documents, FOIAs, Know Your Rights information, and more in our resource library.
Recent News
-
Trump says he wants to protect free speech. Advocates say he’s undermining it.
In what President Donald Trump says is a move to protect the rule of law and free speech advocates see as an attack on it, the White House is promising tougher punishments for vandalizing public monuments, statues and religious displays.
-
PCJF challenges Trump’s Executive Order targeting pro-Palestinian protestors as “racist and unhinged” attack on free speech
The Trump Administration’s Executive Order targeting by viewpoint those who have courageously stood against the U.S. backed Israeli genocide of the Palestinian people is a racist and unhinged assault on the fundamental constitutional right to free speech.
-
PCJF Staff Attorney & former Marine Nick Place spoke to Empire Files’ Mike Prysner on domestic deployment of US military
“Troops actually on the ground, really need to ask themselves if they’ll get the same leeway as Trump and his billionaire bosses for executing the orders Trump gives from the golf course.”
-
Civil Rights Orgs Warn Pomona College: Unprecedented Suspensions of Students Are Unlawful, ‘Punishes the Act of Protest Itself.’
Five legal organizations including Palestine Legal, the Asian Law Caucus, the Center for Protest Law and Litigation, the…
-
New Motions Demand the Court Dismiss Charges and Disqualify DA Brooke Jenkins in GG26 Case
The legal team for 26 activists who were arrested on the Golden Gate Bridge in April filed a…
-
Civil Rights Groups Sue UCSC for Unlawful Campus Bans and Response to Student Protests
Today, The Center for Protest Law & Litigation, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California, and civil rights attorney…