IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1078 

Recognizing the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice 

on its 50th anniversary. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 

Mr. LYNCH (for himself, Mr. NEAL, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. KENNEDY, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. CAPUANO, and 

Mr. KEATING) 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 House of Representatives 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 

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•HRES 1078 IH 

les, 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; 


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•HRES 1078 IH 

(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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 

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•HRES 1078 IH 

1 yers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Jus2 tice; and 

3 (2) expresses gratitude to the Lawyers’ Com4 mittee for Civil Rights Under Law and all of its 8 

5 local affiliates for their work to advance civil rights 

6 and their dedication to the pursuit of equal justice 

7 under the law. 

Æ 


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