The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and
protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys
who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit
legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law
as a positive force for social change.

The Center for Constitutional Rights (originally "Law Center for Constitutional Rights") was founded in November 1966 by attorneys Morton Stavis, Arthur Kinoy, Ben Smith and William Kunstler, whose legal work representing civil rights activists in Mississippi convinced them of the need for a privately funded legal center to undertake innovative, impact litigation on behalf of popular movements for social justice. Robert Boehm, who worked with the CCR from its inception, was instrumental in the effort to turn the vision of the founders into a reality. Peter Weiss became part of CCR early in its history and has played an outstanding role, especially in the area of international human rights.

Born out of the early experiences of its founders, CCR develops pro-active legal strategies to address pressing problems and ensure that the basic rights of all citizens are protected under the law. From the beginning, we have used innovative impact litigation to move the law forward and facilitate the construction of a more just society.

Today, CCR continues to nurture innovation in all its docket areas. We continue to craft litigation that exposes the fundamental contradictions in American society that undermine the promise of justice for all: fault lines of race, class and gender; the ascendancy of global corporate privilege over individual rights; the intersection of poverty, race, and industrial pollution; and the indifference with which governments around the world continue to violate the human rights of their citizens. Building upon the legacy we have established, CCR remains attentive to the challenges confronted by civil and human rights activists, so that we may continue to provide cutting-edge legal defense of fundamental rights.

Landmark Cases

Rasul v. Bush
Abramowicz v. Lefkowitz
Monell v. Department of Social Services
Washington State v. Wanrow
Filártiga v. Peña-Irala
NOW v. Terry
Doe v. Unocal
Dombrowski v. Pfister
United States v. Dellinger
Powell v. McCormack
United States v. United States District Court