Alliance for Justice
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| Alliance for Justice | |
|---|---|
| Name | Alliance for Justice |
| Formation | 1979 |
| Type | Nonprofit advocacy organization |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | Nan Aron |
Alliance for Justice Alliance for Justice is a progressive advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C., focused on judicial nominations, civil liberties, and public interest law. Founded in 1979, it operates at the intersection of advocacy networks including American Civil Liberties Union, Brennan Center for Justice, Center for American Progress, Human Rights Campaign, and Campaign Legal Center. The organization engages with institutions such as the United States Senate, Supreme Court of the United States, United States Court of Appeals, American Bar Association, and the Federal Election Commission.
History
The organization was founded during a period of judicial realignment that involved actors like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O'Connor, Thurgood Marshall, and events including the Oil Crisis and the Iran Hostage Crisis. Early interactions connected it to advocacy groups such as National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, League of United Latin American Citizens, National Organization for Women, and institutions like the Ford Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Over decades its activities intersected with nominations involving Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan, and policy debates tied to laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The group has responded to landmark decisions from the Marshall Court, Warren Court, and Rehnquist Court, and to confirmation battles during administrations of Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
Mission and Activities
Alliance for Justice states goals related to protecting civil liberties advanced by actors like Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Dolores Huerta, and organizations such as Southern Poverty Law Center and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. It produces reports used by committees including the Senate Judiciary Committee and stakeholders like the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations and Service Employees International Union. The group's actions intersect with statutes and programs such as the Affordable Care Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and litigation strategies seen in cases involving Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade. It conducts outreach with foundations like Open Society Foundations and think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and Brookings Institution.
Organizational Structure and Leadership
The organization has been led by figures including Nan Aron, and has staff with ties to law schools such as Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and Stanford Law School. Its board has included former staffers from entities like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Public Citizen, and the Legal Services Corporation. The structure comprises affiliated projects mirroring models used by Center for Constitutional Rights, Alliance Defending Freedom, and Institute for Justice, and collaborates with networks such as Progressive Congress Action Fund and Working Families Party.
Major Campaigns and Litigation
Tactics have ranged from amicus briefs in cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to participation in confirmation advocacy resembling efforts by groups like Citizens United and Alliance Defending Freedom. Campaigns have addressed nominations to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, debates over the Filibuster in the United States Senate, and litigation strategies paralleling NAACP v. Alabama and FTC v. Actavis precedents. The organization has mobilized coalitions with MoveOn.org, Indivisible (organization), Planned Parenthood Federation of America, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Sierra Club on issues from judicial confirmations to administrative rulemaking involving the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice.
Funding and Affiliations
Funding sources and affiliations have included foundations and donors comparable to Open Society Foundations, Tides Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and organizational partnerships with Brennan Center for Justice, ACLU Foundation, Human Rights Campaign, and Legal Defense Fund. It has engaged with networks like Democratic National Committee allies, progressive policy hubs such as Center for American Progress Action Fund, labor coalitions including AFL–CIO, and student groups like United States Student Association.
Criticisms and Controversies
Critics drawn from institutions like the Heritage Foundation, Federalist Society, and commentators associated with National Review and The Weekly Standard have accused the organization of partisan advocacy, drawing comparisons to groups including Citizens United and Americans for Prosperity. Controversies have centered on tactics during confirmation fights similar to episodes involving Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas, funding transparency debates echoing disputes faced by Section 527 organizations and rulings such as Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. Opponents include legal networks like Alliance Defending Freedom and think tanks such as Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.