Proactive Litigation
Suing the government to protect people’s rights
Overview
Our Impact Litigation Practice seeks to identify, develop, and litigate challenges to systemic violations and injustices that affect the communities we represent, including racially discriminatory policing, government seizure of property, lack of access to justice and due process rights, curtailment of parental rights in family court proceedings, and immigration abuses.
Our Approach
Often, the injustices we are fighting in court are bigger than any one person’s case or policy. They represent a fundamental and systematic assault on people’s constitutional rights. As a result, we sometimes go on the offense and sue government agencies to bring these injustices to light – and end them.
Featured Victories
Securing the right to a speedy trial in the Bronx
In Trowbridge v. DiFiore, we challenged the endemic delays in processing misdemeanor cases in the Bronx, which violated defendants’ constitutional rights to a speedy trial. The 2018 settlement mandated reforms to reduce court backlogs and improve timely access to justice for thousands of Bronx residents. It worked.
Protecting parental rights under cannabis legalization
We represented Chanetto Rivers, a Black mother separated from her newborn by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) due to a positive cannabis test—despite cannabis being legal in New York. The settlement not only compensated Ms. Rivers but also set a precedent against unjust family separations based on lawful cannabis use.
Holding NYPD accountable for unlawful home intrusions
Cheyenne Lee was arrested without cause after NYPD officers unlawfully entered her home without a warrant and detained her teenage nephew. Our legal action led to a $125,000 settlement, reinforcing the rights of residents against illegal searches and arrests.
Exposing systemic racial bias in the family policing system
Through a Freedom of Information Law request, we uncovered an internal ACS audit revealing pervasive racial biases and self-protective practices within the agency. This discovery has fueled advocacy for “Family Miranda Rights” legislation to safeguard families from discriminatory interventions.
Active Litigation
Velesaca v. Wolf
We’re challenging ICE’s policy of automatically jailing nearly everyone they arrest in the New York area — without giving people a fair chance to return home while their immigration case moves forward. Learn more.
R.C. v. The City of New York
This lawsuit aims to stop the NYPD from illegally using and sharing sealed arrest records — a violation of long-standing privacy laws that continues to harm thousands of New Yorkers. Learn more.
Securus Litigation
We’re suing the NYC Department of Correction for secretly recording and storing phone calls between incarcerated people and their loved ones — a mass surveillance practice that violates privacy and trust. Learn more.
Ortiz et al. v. Orange County Jail
Alongside partners, we’re suing ICE and local jail officials for retaliating against detained immigrants who peacefully protested their conditions — a clear violation of their First Amendment rights. Learn more.
Ligon v. City of New York
We’re challenging the NYPD’s “Clean Halls” program, which allows officers to patrol private apartment buildings — leading to illegal stops and harassment, especially in Black and brown neighborhoods. Learn more.
Floyd v. City of New York
We’re helping lead the implementation of court-ordered reforms to end the NYPD’s racist stop-and-frisk practices — making sure the voices of impacted New Yorkers shape the changes. Learn more.
Procedural Due Process in Bronx Family Court
We uncovered that long delays in emergency hearings are leading to unnecessary family separations. We’re pushing for legal reforms to ensure due process and keep families together. Read the report.
Vazquez Perez v. Decker
We’re challenging ICE for detaining immigrants for months before they’re allowed to see a judge — a clear violation of due process. Learn more.
P.L. et al. v. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
We’re fighting ICE’s policy of denying immigrants in detention the right to appear in court — forcing them to participate in life-altering hearings by video, not in person. Learn more.