The Early Years

LACLJ was founded in 1973 and was originally named the Model Cities for Law and Justice. During the 1970’s, LACLJ played a historic role in many landmark cases. One case gave rise to the Pitchess Motion, allowing persons suing for racial discrimination and police brutality to review the personnel files of law enforcement officers, a huge victory that still provdes relief to California residents today. In another 1970s landmark case, Madrigal v. Quilligan¸ LACLJ challenged the involuntary sterilization of hundreds of Latinas at LA County-USC Medical Center. It was during this period of activism that LACLJ also tackled school desegregation. From the onset, LACLJ saw the eradication of human rights violations as integral to its mission.

The Turbulent Eighties

The 1980’s were monumental years for the Latino community. During this period, despite severe cutbacks in federal funding, LACLJ took the lead in a community wide “Know Your Rights” campaign. Through this campaign, LACLJ staff worked to educate the community about the looming threat of wrongful deportation. By holding townhouse meetings, conducting presentations, and staging demonstrations, LACLJ ensured that immigrants in Los Angeles understood and asserted their legal rights.

New Cases in the Nineties

In the 1990’s, LACLJ pursued employment discrimination claims for employees with HIV who had been fired or forced from their jobs. LACLJ also joined with various organizations to support the elimination of groundwater contamination at Los Angeles Unified School District sites. As the decade closed, LACLJ turned its attention to domestic violence victims by greatly expanding its family law services.

A New Era