Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF)

PCJF has sued both the Washington, D.C., Metro ² and New York City Police Departments ²; represented left-of-center activist Jane Fonda ³ and activists from the Occupy Wall Street movement ² and Black Lives Matter movement; and supported pro-Palestine protests around the Golden Gate Bridge ⁴ as well as on the George Washington University campus in 2024. ^{5 2}

History and Leadership

Partnership for Civil Justice Fund was founded in 1994 by Mara Verheyden-Hillard and Carl Messineo. ^{6 7}

As of September 2024, PCFJ co-founder Mara Verheyden-Hilliard is the executive director of PCFJ. She also directs PCFJ’s Center for Protest Law and Litigation. ⁸ and spoken at left-of-center Netroots Nation conferences. ⁹

Rachel Lederman is senior council for PCJF. Prior to joining PCFJ, Lederman was the president of the radical-left National Lawyers Guild San Francisco Bay Chapter and a member of the left-of-center National Police Accountability Project. She is the founder of the Water Legal Collective and has represented hundreds of left-of-center protestors in court. ¹⁰

Activities

Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) is a left-of-center activist organization that sues law enforcement agencies in defense of critical race theory-influenced “social justice activists.” ¹ The organization promotes what it considers to be civil rights, constitutional rights, and human rights. ¹

PCFJ’s activism is focused on legal and educational programs to defend what it considers the right to speech, the right to privacy, and opposition to police or government misconduct. The organization also supports expanded public records requests, data analysis, and other checks on government organizations. ¹¹

In 2022, PCFJ spent $1,073,380 on program fees including its civil, constitutional, and human rights program; legal program; and educational program. ¹²

PCJF files lawsuits to change and restrict police conduct and rules regarding public assembly and free speech. Its lawsuits often focus on concepts of economic justice, civil rights, and anti-discrimination cases. ⁶

PCJF sues law enforcement and government entities and has claimed to have won several lawsuits in defense of social justice activists, climate activists, members of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Native American protests, and others. ² The organization has also represented protestors who were involved in Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd. ¹³

PCJF represented left-of-center activist Jane Fonda, Fire Drill Fridays for Climate Justice activists, climate justice protestors, Native American activists involved in Standing Rock protests, and Presidential Inauguration Parade protestors; opposed curfew legislation in Philadelphia; and supported other legal cases. ² The organization has sued Washington, D.C., Metro Police for infiltrating protest groups ² and sued the New York Police Department for violence against protestors. ²

Partnership for Civil Justice Fund published a letter criticizing law enforcement for cracking down on anti-Israel protests that blocked the Golden Gate Bridge and other traffic on April 15, 2024. ⁴ PCJF has represented protestors arrested there as well as during pro-Palestinian protestors who were arrested at George Washington University campus in 2024. ^{5 2}

Association with Neville Roy Singham

Funding

Partnership for Civil Justice Fund receives its funding from individual contributions, grants, and program service revenue. In 2022, the organization reported revenue of $1,450,321 and expenses of $1,195,385. In 2021, Partnership for Civil Justice Fund reported revenue of $1,462,350 and expenses of $827,968. ^{12 15}

In 2022, Partnership for Civil Justice Fund received $500,000 from the left-of-center JPB Foundation and $118,000 from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. ¹⁶

PCJF received $102,000 from the left-of-center Schmidt Family Foundation in 2020, ¹⁷ $15,000 from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in 2018, ¹⁸ and a grant of an undisclosed amount from the Proteus Fund. ¹⁹