Historic Cases

Since 1966, CCR has pioneered daring and innovative legal strategies in pursuit of its mission to advance and protect the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Our work began on behalf of civil rights activists, and since then CCR has lent its expertise and support to virtually every popular progressive movement.

Many of the Center’s historic victories have established major legal precedents – from Filártiga v. Peña-Irala, which opened U.S. courts for victims of serious human rights violations from anywhere in the world to Rasul v. Bush, which established the right of Guantánamo detainees to challenge their detention.

Al-Aulaqi v. Panetta

A challenge to the U.S. drone killing of three U.S. citizens in Yemen.
Updated: June 29, 2015

Daniels, et al. v. the City of New York

A class action lawsuit to challenge the NYPD’s policy of conducting stop-and-frisks without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity as required by the Fourth Amendment. Additionally, the...
Updated: October 1, 2012

Bandele v. City of New York

Bandele v. City of New York was a federal civil rights lawsuit brought against the City of New York and three NYPD officers in 2007. It charges that the defendants falsely arrested and imprisoned the...
Updated: January 20, 2010

Taylor v. Hayes

Taylor v. Hayes is a civil case that went up to the Supreme Court in which the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) contested Kentucky attorney Dan Taylor’s four-and-a half-year jail sentence for...
Updated: October 9, 2007

State of Washington v. Wanrow

State of Washington v. Wanrow is a lawsuit that challenged the murder conviction of Yvonne Swan Wanrow on the grounds of a woman’s right to self-defense against harm to herself or her child. Yvonne...
Updated: October 9, 2007

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