The Corporate Court

Connect with the Issues

The Corporate Court 

Under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts, the U.S. Supreme Court is furthering a political agenda that consistently favors big corporations over average citizens. In the past several years, the Corporate Court has radically rewritten laws in order to shield big business from liability, insulate corporate interests from regulation, make it easier for companies to discriminate, and enabled powerful interests to flood our election process with special interest dollars. In June 2010, AFJ launched a campaign to raise awareness about how the Court – led by Chief Justice John Roberts – has been transformed from a fair and independent institution into a highly politicized "Corporate Court."

 

Read More »

Did you know?

The conservative wing of John Roberts’s Corporate Court sides with big business 84% of the time. When the Court sides with special interests, who’s protecting yours?

 

Accountability for Torture 

President Barack Obama has ended six years of American torture of suspected terrorists arising from the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks. The torture was originally outlined and sanctioned in 2002 by a series of memos drafted by lawyers in the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel. Were these lawyers simply giving the President their best legal advice? Or was their work part of a larger conspiracy to distort the law and authorize torture? Attorney General Eric Holder must uphold the Constitution and the law by releasing the OPR report and authorizing a full investigation of those who ordered, designed, and justified torture.

 

Read More »

Did you know?

In November 2009, Attorney General Holder testified before Congress that the five-year investigation of the 'torture memos' was close to an end and that OPR's report would be released by the end of the month.

 

Citizens United:  What Now? 

In a sweeping decision on January 28, 2010, the five conservative justices on the Supreme Court have fundamentally changed the rules of the game when it comes to our nation’s elections. In this abrupt break from the past, the Roberts court bent over backwards to rehear this argument in order to reach a broad decision that overturns key campaign finance precedents and creates a major constitutional shift in campaign finance law.

 

Read More »

Did you know?

Justice Stevens wrote in his dissent, ‘The only relevant thing that has changed since Austin and McConnell is the composition of this Court. Today’s ruling thus strikes at the vitals of stare decisis.’

 

Independent Courts and Fair Judges 

Family and medical leave.  A living wage.  Clean air.  Keeping your medical records private.  The right to live together as a family.  In addition to high-profile issues like choice and civil rights, the federal courts decide issues that impact the most basic features of our daily lives. The U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals and the District Courts all exercise tremendous influence over the everyday lives of Americans.

Read More »

Did you know?

Much of the law is shaped in the federal appeals courts.  In 2008, the appeals courts decided 60,439 cases to the Supreme Court's 72.

 

Free Speech Rights of Nonprofits

The Nonprofit Advocacy Project and Foundation Advocacy Initiative are premised on the belief that nonprofit organizations have a unique and necessary role to play in the process of generating and supporting sound, effective, and just public policy. In the case of issues such as environmental protection, healthcare, immigration, reproductive freedom, civil rights, consumer rights, workers’ rights and others, nonprofit organizations are often the only voices standing up for the public interest against well-funded corporate special interests.

Read More »

Did you know?

As of 2008, nine out of thirteen circuits were majority Republican-appointed, three were equally Democrat and Republican appointed, and only one was majority Democrat-appointed.

 

Connect with AFJ Online

Send Alliance for Justice messages via our many social networking sites, read and comment on AFJ’s blogs and help spread the word about our work.  AFJ President Nan Aron is on twitter and facebook, connecting with people across the country about issues of social justice and keeping activists informed about news and upcoming events in their area.    

 

Read More »

Did you know?

In five years, the Bush administration filed just seven lawsuits under the main anti-discrimination provision of the Voting Rights Act. Fourteen were filed in the last two years of Clinton’s presidency alone.