There is no such thing as "good government" without racial justice.
Lawyers for Good Government is committed to standing in solidarity with all communities that are most directly impacted by systemic racism and oppression.
Our Lawyers for Racial Justice (LRJ) initiative serves as a fundamental framework that informs all our efforts, whether we are fighting for immigrants' rights, reproductive rights, or environmental justice. In all our programs, we mobilize pro bono legal resources to fight systemic racism and support the communities most directly impacted by it.
We work at the intersection of these critical areas with a racial justice lens, recognizing that issues such as police brutality, environmental injustice, and voter suppression are deeply interconnected. Lawyers for Racial Justice seeks to mitigate the impacts of discriminatory policies across the country by advocating for racial equity, particularly at the state level. Through collaboration with our pro bono partners, we produce state-specific, data-driven reports on various racial justice issues, equipping advocates with the tools they need to create lasting impact.
Some other areas of racial justice impact include:
We support the development of affirmative protections for civil and human rights at the state level through our work helping create reproductive and health shield laws.
We help state and federal agencies implement Biden’s Justice40 initiative, which states that 40% of all benefits from federal investments in climate and clean energy go to disadvantaged communities.
We advocate against racist, xenophobic immigration policies, such as forcing migrants to apply for asylum via the CBPOne App.
REPORTS
With over $2 trillion in federal investments from recent legislative acts, this report examines how these funds are being directed to disadvantaged communities under the Justice40 Initiative. It provides a comprehensive 50-state survey on state policies and DAC definitions, offering insights to ensure marginalized and underserved communities benefit from these investments. It also highlights best practices for equitable distribution and meaningful community engagement, aiming to address long-standing environmental and infrastructural inequities.
L4GG's report "Cruel Schools" exposes the ongoing use of corporal punishment in 18 states, disproportionately affecting children of color and students with disabilities. Despite making up only 15.1% of public school students, Black children account for 37.3% of corporal punishment incidents. Similarly, children with disabilities and Native American children face higher rates of corporal punishment relative to their enrollment. This practice perpetuates racial and ableist discrimination, causing significant harm to marginalized students. The report calls for the abolition of corporal punishment in schools to protect vulnerable children from these discriminatory practices.
Transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and two-spirit people face escalating attacks on their right to access medically necessary healthcare. In 2023 alone, 479 anti-trans bills were introduced, with 19 states attempting to ban gender-affirming care. These discriminatory laws, unsupported by scientific evidence, target vulnerable individuals, particularly transgender youth, and disproportionately impact people of color. Despite federal and international protections, states continue to pass harmful legislation. “Lives On The Line” emphasizes the urgent need for coordinated responses to protect the health and rights of transgender individuals against these aggressive and unconstitutional attacks.
“Armed, Dangerous, and Outside the Law” reveals how school resource officers (SROs) escape accountability due to qualified immunity and their duty to maintain order in schools. This legal shield allows SROs to commit unconstitutional acts like excessive force and strip searches without repercussions. Despite increased police presence, schools remain unsafe, especially for children of color and students with disabilities, exacerbating the school-to-prison pipeline. The report advocates reallocating funds from school policing to programs that enhance students' health, safety, and education, echoing the demands of over 500 organizations for a supportive school environment.
L4GG's report "No Time to Vote" highlights persistent barriers to voting that disproportionately affect Black and Brown communities. Despite historical and ongoing legal obstacles, only 20 states and D.C. require paid leave for voting, forcing many to choose between income and their right to vote. This inequity results in longer wait times at polls for Black and Brown voters. The report calls for more states to adopt paid leave for voting to ensure fair access to the polls, addressing a crucial racial justice issue.
L4GG's report "Selfie Defense Training" examines outdated laws that prohibit taking "ballot selfies" and their implications for voter suppression. Despite being a modern method to encourage voting, especially among youth, 13 states ban ballot selfies, while 24 states permit them. Some states have unclear or inconsistent laws, and courts have upheld the First Amendment right to take ballot selfies in certain cases. The report advocates for updating state laws to explicitly allow ballot selfies, thereby balancing the prevention of voter fraud with the protection of free speech.
L4GG's report, "Child Farmworkers: Too Young, Vulnerable, and Unprotected," exposes the severe lack of protections for child farmworkers, disproportionately affecting children of color. It reveals that children as young as 12 can legally work unlimited hours in hazardous conditions across the U.S. Shockingly, 22 states have no minimum age for agricultural work, 25 states and D.C. impose no daily hour limits for child farmworkers under 16, and 35 states and D.C. allow children under 16 to work seven days a week. These gaps in child labor laws perpetuate racial inequities and endanger young lives.