Cooley Joins ACLU Campaign + Antiracism Alliance to Combat Systemic Racism

Palo Alto – June 26, 2020 – As part of the firm’s commitment to being an active agent of change, Cooley has joined two coalitions dedicated to dismantling systemic racism. The first, aligned with the ACLU of Louisiana, confronts racially discriminatory policing practices in the US; the second, the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, challenges racism in the law and government institutions. 

Justice Lab: Putting Racist Policing on Trial is the ACLU of Louisiana’s litigation campaign to challenge racially discriminatory policing practices. It seeks to bring up to 1,000 cases in Louisiana challenging racially motivated stops and seizures under the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments and any other applicable laws. By focusing intensive efforts on a single state, Justice Lab aims to test the impact that litigation has on police conduct. 

“Brutal incidents of police violence against people of color violate the Fourth and Fourteenth amendments, yet too many of them have gone unchallenged,” said Cooley partner Maureen Alger. “We are grateful to be part of this initiative, and we look forward to helping to establish a blueprint for challenging racist policing nationwide.”

Cooley has also joined the Law Firm Antiracism Alliance, which seeks to identify and dismantle systemic racism in the law and in government institutions. Acknowledging an ongoing responsibility to increase diversity, equitable access to opportunities and inclusion of people of color in the legal industry, the LFAA will facilitate large-scale pro bono projects addressing systemic racism, with priority areas determined in collaboration with affected communities, community organizers, policy experts and legal aid partners.

The alliance, which includes more than 125 law firms, will mark its official launch by hosting a virtual summit this summer. The summit will facilitate discussions between law firm leaders, diversity and inclusion and pro bono professionals and other racial justice experts. The alliance will also aim to develop a Systemic Racism Legal Inventory – a catalogue of laws, rules, policies and practices that result in negative outcomes for people of color, with the goal of utilizing legislative and regulatory advocacy strategies and high-impact litigation to effectuate reform.

Read more about the ACLU initiative

Read more about the LFAA

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