Donations Update: Support the American Constitution Society in Defending Democracy and the Rule of Law

Note from the CREDO Mobile team: This September, the American Constitution Society is among three amazing nonprofits that will receive a share of our monthly grant. Funding from the CREDO Mobile community will support ACS in its work to lead in-depth, award-winning investigations into the corruption that undermines our democracy, environment and economic prosperity.

 Read this important message from ACS, then visit CREDO Donations and cast your vote to help send vital grant money to the group to assist its efforts—and the efforts of our other outstanding September grantees.

It has been eight months since Donald Trump took the oath of office and began his second term as president of the United States. In that time, we have seen unrelenting attacks on democratic institutions, civil rights, and the very constitutional order that serves as the foundation of the rule of law in the United States.

The administration has consistently attempted to use its power and influence to chill free speech, stifle dissent, and build a government based on fealty and cronyism.  The administration has unleashed the military on protestors in Los Angeles, and more recently deployed the National Guard in Washington, D.C., and declared a purported emergency to assume control of its police force in a move to strip D.C. of home rule. Unlawful mass firings of the federal workforce have upended the careers of thousands of dedicated, nonpartisan civil servants and decimated entire departments that support our civil rights, health and safety, and social safety net.

This administration has targeted universities in an unabashed attack on academic freedom and detained and deported individuals of all immigration status without due process. As chilling, we have seen law firms and judges targeted in an effort to cow those who might lead legal challenges or make unfavorable rulings against the administration’s many unlawful and unconstitutional actions and protect the most vulnerable among us.

These and so many other extreme actions taken by this administration threaten our constitutional order and the rule of law. But every step of the way, the American Constitution Society has stood up, spoken out, and worked to combat these damaging actions and policies.

As the backbone of the progressive legal movement, ACS has activated its broad and dedicated nationwide network to fight for our democracy and the rule of law, including by:

• Working closely with the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance and other allied organizations to build the Federal Workers Legal Defense Network to help source volunteer attorneys to provide legal advice and representation for federal employees who have been fired or encouraged to resign because of this administration’s actions.
• Vocally pushing back and coordinating legal scholar and law student sign-on petitions against Executive Orders targeting lawyers and law firms, as well as calling on the legal profession to defend those targeted.

• ACS works at a grassroots level to identify and develop a qualified pool of legal professionals to become nominees for the state and federal judiciary. With an unparalleled 55 working groups across 42 states, ACS provides decisionmakers with the most representative, diverse, and competitive candidates who are ready to step into these roles. ACS and its state working groups helped the previous administration identify and confirm 235 diverse, pro-democracy judges across the federal judiciary. In recent months, some of these same judges have ruled against some of the brazenly unconstitutional acts of the Trump administration.

• Tracking judicial confirmations, including Senate votes and judicial demographic information, on the ACS website to enhance transparency and accountability around the judicial confirmation process.

• Producing free, informative, and engaging programs –including the twice a month Broken Law Podcast–to keep the legal profession and public informed and in the know about pressing cases, legal challenges, and attempts to circumvent the rule of law.

• Building the next generation of progressive legal leaders through our law student chapters present at nearly every law school across the country. Thousands of law students annually engage with ACS to supplement their law school curriculum with progressive legal ideas, meaningful civic engagement, and a community rooted in progressive values.

Since its founding in 2001, ACS has been a clarion voice promoting and defending a vision of our Constitution that serves democracy, the rule of law, and all people in this country. With over 200 student and lawyer chapters, ACS is the foremost progressive legal organization that unites law students, legal professionals, scholars, and the general public in the fight to create a just, inclusive, and democratic society.

As we approach ACS’s 25^th anniversary – and our country’s 250^th anniversary – we remain as committed as ever to strengthening our democracy and making the law a means to improve ALL people’s lives. We will not let current events intimidate and paralyze us from speaking out and taking action. We invite you to join us and become part of our community as we continue to fight to protect our rights and freedoms.