American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of the Nation's Capital

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the nationwide non-profit, non-partisan organization devoted to ensuring free speech, equal rights, and other civil liberties. The ACLU of the National Capital Area (ACLU-NCA) is the District of Columbia affilaite of the national ACLU.  With a membership of over 3,500, the ACLU of the National Capital Area (ACLU-NCA)  defends and expands civil liberties in the Nation’s Capital, including important Federal employee matters.

Since the formation of the ACLU-NCA in 1961, our Mission has been to protect and expand civil liberties through legal action, legislative advocacy, and public education.  Each year we review more than 10,000 requests for legal assistance. Sometimes our local case goes all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

We also work with government agencies, trying to defend liberty without litigation. Besides individual court cases, we are using public education, coalition-building and legislation to defend the rights guaranteed to all persons in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.