What is the ACLU of Massachusetts?

Each year, ACLU of Massachusetts lawyers provide representation in approximately 70 cases in the courts. In addition, we lobby for and against hundreds of bills filed in the state legislature that would have either a positive or negative impact of civil liberties in the Commonwealth. Our public education and organizing work mobilizes activists and students to fight for the rights and protections that are the hallmarks of our constitutional system.

The ACLU of Massachusetts has two arms

• the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, an IRS 501(c)4 organization which funds our lobbying and legislative work;
  
  
• the ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts, an IRS 501(c)3 organization that primarily engages in litigation and educational activities.

The ACLU of Massachusetts never charges for its services, nor does it receive any government funding. We are funded by membership dues and the generous donations of our supporters.

What is the national ACLU?

The American Civil Liberties Union is the most successful lobbying, communications and law organization in the United States dedicated solely to the protection of civil rights and liberties. Since 1920, this nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has been dedicated to defending and expanding the civil liberties of all Americans. The ACLU is a 50-state network of affiliate offices with over 400,000 active members nationwide. Across the country, the ACLU has more than 60 staff attorneys who collaborate with at least 2,000 volunteer attorneys in handling close to 6,000 cases each year, making the ACLU the largest public interest law firm in the nation. The ACLU appears before the U.S. Supreme Court more than any other organization except the U.S. Department of Justice.

Would you like to volunteer in our Boston office?  We occasionally need assistance with clerical tasks and phones. Email us to learn more. Please include your name, phone number, interests and availability.

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Click here for information about the nomination process for the ACLU of Massachusetts Board