American Civil Liberties Union

Discription and Purpose of the ACLU

The purpose of the American Civil Liberties Union is to maintain and advance civil liberties, including the rights of free speech, free press, free assemblage, equality before the law, and other civil Liberties, and to take all legitimate action in the furtherance and defense of such purposes.

The basic unit of organization of the ACLU is called an Affiliate. Each state will provide its own Affiliate and local Chapters of the American Civil Liberties Union can be found throughout each state.

ACLU Chapters provide a local presence in major population centers of a state in order to advance the mission of the ACLU. The Wake County chapter serves the entire Triangle area. The mission of ACLU Chapters include:

• Advancing the local, state and national work of the ACLU on civil liberties issues
• Educating the public about civil liberties issues and the ACLU
• Notifying the state Affiliate about local civil liberties issues
• Encouraging people to join and support the ACLU and actively participate in local Chapter programs.

It is important to know that the local Chapters do not provide any legal services. All legal issues should be communicated to the state Affiliate office.

American Civil Liberties Union

ACLU Purpose, Discription and Organization

“So long as we have enough people in this country willing to fight for their rights, we’ll be called a democracy.” – ACLU Founder Roger Baldwin

The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.

These rights include:

• Your First Amendment rights – freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion.
• Your right to equal protection under the law – protection against unlawful discrimination.
• Your right to due process – fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.
• Your right to privacy – freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.

The ACLU also works to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.

The ACLU’s work is sustained by over 500,000 members and supporters who plan an active role in defending freedom.

Nearly 200 ACLU staff attorneys and thousands of volunteer attorneys handle countless civil liberties cases every year.

Our legislative advocates are a constant presence on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures working on civil liberties issue.

The ACLU has staffed offices in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.

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