NCJ Number
122531
Journal
Barrister Volume: 16 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1989-90) Pages: 24-27
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
A new generation of public interest attorneys, who united in 1983 to form the Public Interest Law Center, has 24 lawyers that focus on how poverty affects justice and the racially disparate impact of government policies.
Abstract
The center is home of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Council of New York Law Associates, the National Organization for Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Asian American Legal Defense Fund. Because of the perceived conservative turn of the U.S. Supreme Court, the center is placing greater emphasis on State constitutional rights. One effort seeks to force States to give equal support to public colleges that have historically had predominantly black student populations. Another effort involves challenging standardized testing and academic tracking as unfairly applied to minorities. The center is active in lawsuits in several States to require that Hispanic children who are not fluent in English be taught in Spanish. The center has successfully challenged height requirements for police officers, resulting in a dramatic increase in Hispanic police officers. Other issues of interest to the center include the elderly, youth programs, health care, sexual harassment of women, reproductive rights, and equal employment.