First of its kind in U.S., bill would block floct, w of money from NY “charities” subsidizing illegal Israeli settlement 

A coalition of legal and grassroots organizations is rallying behind groundbreaking legislation that would stop New York State from subsidizing illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. Under the bill, the Not on Our Dime! Act, New York-based organizations with charitable status would be prohibited from funding the Israeli settler organizations that are forcing Palestinians out of their generational homes, stealing their land, and committing a range of other human rights abuses. 

“Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has reached alarming levels, and we can't let U.S.-based charities be used as fronts for illegal settlement construction on Palestinian land. New Yorkers are becoming increasingly critical of support for Israeli apartheid. It's long past time our state government caught up and took action to end funding for violence perpetrated against Palestinians.”
- Sumaya Awad, Director of Strategy at the Adalah Justice Project

Continue reading on our website.

People Incarcerated in CA prisons fight to continue landmark settlement that ended long-term solitary confinement 

A class of incarcerated people urged the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to continue court jurisdiction over the landmark 2015 settlement ending indefinite solitary confinement in California. At issue are district court decisions to extend the settlement’s monitoring period. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is challenging those decisions. A ruling entirely in favor of CDCR would remove oversight, halting efforts by the court and plaintiffs to ensure that CDCR is complying with the settlement, which the lower court ruled it had failed to do on multiple occasions. 

“The settlement is something that has to be continued because some of the things CDCR agreed to, they haven’t accomplished. It’s a constant struggle for our rights…We had one mission in common. It was all centered around freedom.”
- Class representative Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa 

The settlement resulted from Ashker v. Governor of California, which began as a lawsuit brought by people held for at least a decade in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay State Prison. The case argued that prolonged solitary violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, and that the absence of meaningful review for placement in the Security Housing Unit (SHU) violated the right to due process. The lawsuit emerged from a movement led by people held in SHUs who carried out mass hunger strikes in 2011 and 2013; the named plaintiffs in Ashker include several leaders of the strikes. For more information, visit our case page. Read the full press release on our website.

Search for the Center for Constitutional Rights' next Communications Director is now open! 

We are looking for a communications leader who will oversee communications strategy and implementation in alignment with our priorities. The ideal candidate will help lead the Center for Constitutional Rights and continue to share important stories, shifting narratives and supporting our political thought leadership. The new Communications Director will work with a deeply committed and talented staff working with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. You can view the full job description on our website. 

The Center for Constitutional Rights has partnered with the executive search firm LeaderFit to lead the search. View the full job description and application instructions on LeaderFit.

May 23: NYC Book Launch: The Revolution Will Not Be Litigated 

Join us for the launch of The Revolution Will Not Be Litigated, a new book edited by Katie Redford and Mark Gevisser. In the book, 25 of the world’s most accomplished movement lawyers and climate activists become storytellers, reflecting on their experiences at the frontlines of some of the most significant struggles of our time. 

The launch will take place at OR Books' headquarters, Frances Kite Club (40 Loisaida Avenue). Hear directly from book contributors:

• Baher Azmy, Legal Director, Center for Constitutional Rights
• Katie Redford, Executive Director, Equation Campaign
• Ayisha Siddiqa, Pakistani-American Climate Justice Advocate recently named a TIME Woman of the Year
• Alejandra Ancheita, founder and Executive Director of the Mexico City-based NGO ProDESC (The Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Project)

RSVP on the Eventbrite page.