Defending Civic Freedoms

A free society depends on the ability of its people to participate in democracy: to cast a ballot, exercise free speech, protest, and petition the government, including to disagree with those in power. These constitutional rights are the bedrock of self-government. Yet complex laws and aggressive enforcement increasingly expose individuals and organizations to criminal investigation, arrest, and prosecution simply for taking part in the political process.

When civic participation is criminalized, defense lawyers stand between the individual and the power of the state. By defending people accused of crimes for voting, speaking out, or protesting, the defense bar protects not only an individual's liberty but the fundamental freedoms on which our democracy rests.