A civil right is a basic right granted to every citizen in the United States under government law. It protects people from discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, disability, nationality, or age.
Civil rights also protect a person’s right to free speech, freedom to practice their religion, privacy and fair trials. Civil rights are the essential building blocks to a well-functioning society.
Despite constitutional and legislative protections for civil rights, people in America face unlawful discrimination and hardships every day. When these civil rights infractions occur, having a civil rights attorney is vital to ensure that injustice does not persist.
What Is A Civil Rights Attorney?
A civil rights attorney is an attorney who represents various groups or individuals who have been victims of discrimination, including people who have faced discrimination because of race, religion, gender, sex, national origin and disability.
If the lawsuit being brought forth is a civil rights case, then the plaintiff can hire a civil rights attorney. Civil rights attorneys have extensive knowledge on trials and cases pertaining to civil rights violations.
While a civil rights attorney is most frequently involved in cases that involve a denial of employment or service because of a person’s race, gender or age, they also are needed in less common rights-based cases.
Especially in cases like hate crimes, which are considered criminal cases, a civil rights attorney will represent the victim and help to prove that the crime was motivated by discriminatory actions.
Hate crimes are violent crimes that are prompted by discriminatory beliefs against a certain people group.
When Is A Civil Rights Attorney Needed?
Civil rights violations can take place in various forms and to various people and groups. However, if discrimination occurs that is counteracted by civil rights, then a civil rights attorney could be needed.
Common civil rights violations include losing a job or being denied a job based on discriminatory reasoning, violence because of one’s identity (racial, gender, sexual or religious), being denied equal pay, having freedoms withheld or taken away and denial of healthcare access.
An example of a civil rights violation would be if a person was denied employment based solely off of their gender identity.
Civil rights violators can be ordinary citizens, but they can also be government officials, like police officers.
Unreasonable searches and seizures, cruel and unusual punishments and abuse are all civil rights violations that a person can sue for.
A person could sue the police, with the assistance of a civil rights attorney, for unlawful searches of their premises, for example.
A civil rights attorney can assist a victim of a rights violation in various ways. From consulting immediately following a civil rights violation to gathering and organizing evidence or presenting their case in front of a court, an attorney will assist the victim from beginning to end.
Civil rights cases can be extensive, and sometimes even difficult to convince a jury or a judge. However, having a civil rights attorney can help you detail and organize evidence that a person might struggle to do alone.
Civil rights laws are not static, and it is important to have someone with the most up-to-date knowledge on the laws.
Civil rights attorneys are constantly ensuring that they are knowledgeable about any changes to civil rights laws, whether locally or nationally. Civil rights attorneys also have extensive knowledge on previous cases in order to best craft their arguments to a court.
Hiring A Civil Rights Attorney
Civil rights violations should not be taken lightly. However, the legal processes to ensure that justice is served is a difficult task to take on alone.
Having a qualified, experienced civil rights attorney can ease that burden and ensure that those violations are not dismissed. Experienced lawyers have not only studied numerous civil rights cases but have been a part of them as well.
Whether you have been the victim of a targeted discriminatory act or you simply have a question about whether a particular practice is legal, you can always reach out to a civil rights attorney to clarify the situation.
The Brown Firm would be happy to assist with any concerns that you have regarding discrimination, and if you have been a victim, our Northern Virginia civil rights attorneys can pursue damages.
If you have been denied employment or other opportunities in a manner that violates your rights, you may be able to secure compensation.
Civil rights violations come in a variety of types; reach out to schedule a consultation to discuss what happened to you and how to proceed.
