The Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic is a litigation clinic focused on civil rights and civil liberties, spanning constitutional liberties like free speech, privacy, due process, and statutory civil rights against discrimination.
Our Cases: These cases are representative of the clinic’s docket.
Our Clients: We represent a range of clients that include individual victims of civil rights violations; investigative journalists and news organizations; and grassroots, regional and national advocacy organizations. Past clients include the New York Civil Liberties Union, Investigative Post, Housing Opportunities Made Equal, and Partnership for the Public Good.
Contact Heather Abraham at habraham@buffalo.edu.
Civil Rights and Transparency Clinic Fund (to support the work of our Clinic)
Student Engagement: This clinic is designed for student attorneys to grow into the attorneys they want to be. Our clinic offers invaluable hands-on experience practicing law, under the supportive supervision of clinical professors. Student attorneys can expect to learn critical lawyering skills to become practice ready (which are increasingly on the bar exam). They work on cutting-edge legal issues and make a positive difference. They walk away with more confidence, a better sense of their lawyering identity, and practical skills that an employer will value. Our student attorneys lead on all aspects of our client representations. They litigate in state and federal court and before agencies. An effective lawyer has a toolbox that includes more than litigation. They also engage in non-litigation advocacy like drafting white papers and policy proposals, presenting them to key decisionmakers.
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
General Coverage:
Buffalo City Police Oversight Committee:
Erie County Jails Lawsuit:
Veterans Data Privacy Lawsuit:
Burn Pits FOIA:
Reforming Court Secrecy Practices