The Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) works to ensure that everyone in Seattle has equal access to housing, employment, public accommodations, and contracting. SOCR investigates and enforces City, State, and Federal anti-discrimination laws, and provides public policy recommendations to the Mayor, City Council, and other City departments. The Office develops and implements policies and programs promoting fairness, equity, and diversity. It also administers the Title VI program of the 1964 Federal Civil Rights Act, and Title II of the federal ADA Act.

http://www.seattle.gov/civilrights

(206) 684-4500

• Every 1st & 3rd Thursday of every month from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse: 700 Stewart Street, Suite 2310 (Ground Floor), Seattle, WA 98101
• Appointment required; call (206) 267-7070 from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Tuesday – Thursday
• Free 30-minute meeting
• Focused on civil rights questions. The Neighborhood Legal Clinics service King County residents or clients with legal issues in King County.
• Sponsored by the King County Bar Association,

http://www.kcba.org/pbs/NLC.aspx

(206) 267-7070

The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation’s guardian of liberty.  The ACLU has staff working in the courts, legislatures and communities across the country to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

The ACLU is a nationwide organization with headquarters in New York, a legislative office in Washington DC, and affiliate offices in every state. The ACLU of Washington is among the strongest affiliates in the country working to defend and extend civil liberties for everyone in our state.

https://www.aclu-wa.org/

(206) 624-2184

The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, created in 1957 by the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, works to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society. The Division enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial status and national origin.

 

https://www.justice.gov/crt

 

Section 1983 Litigation (Third Edition) analyzes the large number of recurring issues that arise in litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This monograph contains new sections on discovery, Bivens claims, new material on stops and searches, and model jury instructions. It includes case law from the October 2013 Supreme Court term ending June 30, 2014, and major courts of appeals and select district court decisions reported through June 30, 2014.

https://www.fjc.gov/content/section-1983-litigation-third-edition

“Section 1983” refers to 42 U.S.C. §1983, the federal statute that enables you to file a civil action for deprivation of constitutional and federal statutory rights by persons acting under “color of law.” Originally enacted in 1871, Section 1983 litigation experienced a period of dormancy, until 1961 and the landmark Supreme Court case, Monroe v. Pape, 365 U.S. 167 (1961), which gave private litigants a federal court remedy as a first resort rather than only in default of (or after) state action.  Today, Section 1983 actions most commonly involve 1st Amendment issues like freedom of speech; 4th Amendment issues like search and seizure or use of force; 8th Amendment issues like cruel and unusual punishment; and 14th Amendment claims of due process violations.

 

http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/uploads/guides/Section_1983_Outline_2012.pdf