III 

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; 


rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 646 IS 

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 enVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:48 Sep 25, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR646.IS SR646

rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 646 IS 

sure 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 Senate— 

2 (1) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 

3 founding of the Boston, Massachusetts-based LawVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:48 Sep 25, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR646.IS SR646

rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 646 IS 

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 


rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with BILLS