[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 646 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 646

   Recognizing the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic 
                    Justice on its 50th anniversary.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 25, 2018

    Ms. Warren (for herself and Mr. Markey) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Economic 
                    Justice on its 50th anniversary.

Whereas the Senate recognizes the invaluable contributions to the advancement of 
        civil rights made by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and 
        Economic Justice on the occasion of its 50th anniversary;
Whereas the Boston, Massachusetts-based Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and 
        Economic Justice was the first of 8 affiliated local committees of the 
        national Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (referred to in 
        this resolution as the ``Lawyers' Committee'') and was followed by local 
        affiliates in the cities of Chicago, Illinois, Denver, Colorado, 
        Jackson, Mississippi, Los Angeles, California, Philadelphia, 
        Pennsylvania, San Francisco, California, and Washington, District of 
        Columbia;
Whereas the Lawyers' Committee was founded in 1963 at the request of President 
        John F. Kennedy to enlist the leadership and resources of private bars 
        in combating racial discrimination and the resulting inequality of 
        opportunity;
Whereas Senator Robert F. Kennedy, assassinated 50 years ago as of June 2018, 
        was also critical and central to the launch of the Lawyers' Committee;
Whereas the Lawyers' Committee and its local affiliates organize pro bono 
        services from private law firms to fight for numerous causes, including 
        voting rights, criminal justice, economic justice, environmental 
        justice, educational opportunities, fair housing and community 
        development, and other civil rights matters;
Whereas the Lawyers' Committee and its local affiliates form the largest pro 
        bono civil rights network in the world, working with over 150 national, 
        regional, statewide, and local grassroots organizations and over 150 law 
        firms;
Whereas over the past 5 decades, the Lawyers' Committee and its local affiliates 
        have been on the front lines of the struggle for equal justice in the 
        United States and around the world, with notable contributions 
        including--

    (1) advancing the cause of the civil rights movement by pursuing cases 
involving voting rights, racial segregation, education, economic justice, 
fair housing, criminal justice, hate crimes, and more;

    (2) contributing to the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 
U.S.C. 10301 et seq.) and the authorization of its subsequent extensions;

    (3) leading Election Protection, the Nation's oldest and largest 
nonpartisan voter protection program to ensure greater access to the ballot 
box for all people of the United States;

    (4) contributing to the enactment and enforcement of the Fair Housing 
Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.);

    (5) working to combat the scourge of hate crimes and racially motivated 
violence impacting communities;

    (6) joining the movement to end apartheid in the Republic of South 
Africa by fighting against human rights abuses and representing political 
dissidents in the courts for more than 30 years and through the open 
elections in 1994;

    (7) working to develop and enact the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (Public 
Law 102-166; 105 Stat. 1071), which advanced the rights of workers in 
employment discrimination claims; and

    (8) joining relief efforts during the humanitarian crisis caused by 
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 by helping survivors navigate legal matters, 
including government disaster assistance and insurance claims; and

Whereas the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, in collaboration with 
        its 8 local affiliates across the country, continues to spearhead the 
        struggle against hatred and oppression and pursue equal justice for all 
        through the rule of law, particularly disenfranchised communities that 
        are disproportionately comprised of the economically disadvantaged and 
        people of color: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the founding of 
        the Boston, Massachusetts-based Lawyers' Committee for Civil 
        Rights and Economic Justice; and
            (2) expresses gratitude to the Lawyers' Committee for Civil 
        Rights Under Law and all of its 8 local affiliates for their 
        work to advance civil rights and their dedication to the 
        pursuit of equal justice under the law.
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