Lawyers for Civil Rights

Background

Lawyers for Civil Rights, also known as the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of the Boston Bar Association, was established in 1968 as an affiliate of the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law . The national organization was formed in 1963 following a meeting convened by then-President John F. Kennedy and then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy with 250 prominent American lawyers. The meeting, held in the White House’s East Room, addressed the legal profession’s role in responding to the civil rights challenges of the era, prompted by events such as police violence against peaceful demonstrations led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and the U.S. Army’s intervention to enforce court-ordered desegregation at the University of Alabama. ²

The Boston-based affiliate was created during a period marked by urban riots in Northern cities, the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Kerner Commission’s report. With initial funding from a Ford Foundation grant and contributions from prominent Boston law firms, the organization became the first of eight independent affiliates of the national Lawyers’ Committee. ²

Programs
Lawyers for Civil Rights offers several programs focused on legal and economic support. The BizGrow initiative provides free legal aid, technical assistance, and workshops on business topics like contracts and taxes to minority, immigrant, women, and low-income entrepreneurs. Key components include the BizGrow Conference, offering workshops and consultations; FoodBiz 101, an accelerator for food entrepreneurs covering permitting and marketing; and BizGrow Launch Series, a seminar on starting businesses. Legal clinics offer one-on-one attorney consultations. ³

Notable cases include Case v. Parakeet Communities, a class action against unfair mobile home park practices, and Johnson v. Arlington Police Department, settled in 2024 for racial profiling. ^{4  5} Other cases, such as Kapur v. Boston Public Schools and Alianza Americas v. DeSantis, address claims of discrimination and migrant rights. ^{6  7}

Financials

In 2024, Lawyers for Civil Rights reported revenue of $4,867,857. Expenses totaled $3,175,265, resulting in a net income of $1,692,592. The organization held net assets of $6,016,864. Notable sources of revenue included contributions amounting to $4,390,877, which represented 90.2 percent of total revenue, program services contributing $265,800, investment income of $184,258, and net fundraising of $26,922. ⁸

Notable expenses included executive compensation of $441,249, accounting for 13.9 percent of total expenses, and other salaries and wages totaling $1,678,297, which made up 52.9 percent of expenses. The organization’s total assets were $6,563,292, with total liabilities at $546,428. From the fiscal years of 2023 to 2024, organization revenues rose over 60 percent, driven largely from a 78 percent increase in total grants and contributions. ⁸

In 2023, Network for Good gave a $194,612 unrestricted grant to Lawyers for Civil Rights. ⁹ Network for Good is a left-of-center processer of online donations using donor-advised fund accounts. ¹⁰

In 2023, the Klarman Family Foundation gave a $150,000 unrestricted grant to Lawyers for Civil Rights. ¹¹ The Klarman Family Foundation is a left-of-center grantmaking organization, and the private foundation of investor Seth Karman. ¹²

In 2024, Lawyer for Civil Rights was a recipient of the MacKenzie Scott Yield Giving Open Call grant for $2,000,000. ¹³

People

As of September 2025, Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal was the executive director for Lawyers for Civil Rights, a position he has held since 2015. ¹⁴