Alliance for Justice
Encyclopedia
Alliance for Justice is a national association of environmental
, civil rights
, mental health
, women's
, children's
and consumer advocacy organizations in the USA.
In 1979, 20 advocacy organizations joined to form the Alliance for Justice under its founder, Nan Aron
. Since its inception, Alliance for Justice has worked to advance the cause of justice for all Americans, to strengthen the public interest community's ability to influence public policy
, and to foster the next generation of advocates. Today, AFJ has almost 80 member organizations.
In 2004, AJF expanded with the launch of its West Coast office. This office expanded West Coast operations by more than 50%.
Alliance for Justice focuses on four main areas of advocacy
, representing Judicial, Foundation, Nonprofit, and Student interests.
's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States
in 1987. They supported the nomination of Roger Gregory
, the first African American judge in the Fourth Circuit in 2001. They played a role in efforts to support ten Senate filibusters against President George W. Bush
's judicial nominees.
As more nonprofits recognize the need to engage in advocacy, lobbying
, election-related activities and other public policy
work in order to best serve their constituencies, there is an increased demand for information on how to do so within the confines of current tax
and election law
s and regulations. As a result, the demand for AFJ’s services is growing rapidly each year. Through a series of in-person and web-based workshops, ongoing direct legal technical assistance, plain language publications, public education and the development and expansion of state-specific resources, AFJ’s Nonprofit Advocacy Project and Foundation Advocacy Initiative provide leaders and organizations with the information they need to navigate these rules and create an open dialogue on public policy.
With its staff of attorney-trainers, AFJ works to translate these rules into easy-to-understand language, and address questions about the permissibility of specific activities while protecting and expanding the rights of nonprofits to participate actively in public policy development in pursuit of their charitable missions. AFJ is a recognized leader in promoting nonprofit participation in public policy by offering extensive support to nonprofit organizations on the laws and regulations governing nonprofit advocacy work.
Every year on the first Monday in October, the opening of the Supreme Court's session, Student Action Campaign unites student activists on college, university, and law school campuses nationwide to fight for social justice. For more than a decade, AFJ’s First Monday program has produced award-winning documentary films and programs designed to educate the public about important social justice issues and to expose students to careers in public interest advocacy. In 2006, SAC produced the documentary Quiet Revolution in response to the alleged right wing take over of the federal court system. Quiet Revolution has since been distributed to more than 25,000 viewers across the nation, and SAC has gone on to produce Supreme Injustices and Access Denied?, released in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
Student Action Campaign is a campus-based program designed to raise awareness about vital social justice issues. Past campaigns have explored issues such as housing and homelessness
, the death penalty, gun violence
, and post-9/11 civil liberties.
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
, women's
Women's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
, children's
Children's rights
Children's rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education,...
and consumer advocacy organizations in the USA.
In 1979, 20 advocacy organizations joined to form the Alliance for Justice under its founder, Nan Aron
Nan Aron
Nan Aron is a public interest lawyer and civil rights advocate living in Washington, D.C., working to promote and protect public interest in national policy...
. Since its inception, Alliance for Justice has worked to advance the cause of justice for all Americans, to strengthen the public interest community's ability to influence public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
, and to foster the next generation of advocates. Today, AFJ has almost 80 member organizations.
In 2004, AJF expanded with the launch of its West Coast office. This office expanded West Coast operations by more than 50%.
Alliance for Justice focuses on four main areas of advocacy
Advocacy
Advocacy is a political process by an individual or a large group which normally aims to influence public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions; it may be motivated from moral, ethical or faith principles or simply to protect an...
, representing Judicial, Foundation, Nonprofit, and Student interests.
Judicial advocacy
AFJ launched the Judicial Selection Project (JSP) in 1985 “to expose and combat the Reagan administration’s plans to pack the federal judiciary with hard-line conservative jurists.” Through the JSP, AFJ monitors and investigates judicial nominations at all levels of the federal branch, and encourages public participation in the confirmation process. They played a role in the defeat of Robert BorkRobert Bork
Robert Heron Bork is an American legal scholar who has advocated the judicial philosophy of originalism. Bork formerly served as Solicitor General, Acting Attorney General, and judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit...
's nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in 1987. They supported the nomination of Roger Gregory
Roger Gregory
Roger L. Gregory is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.- Background :Gregory was born in Philadelphia but grew up in Petersburg, Virginia. He earned his B.A. degree summa cum laude from Virginia State University in 1975 and his law degree from the...
, the first African American judge in the Fourth Circuit in 2001. They played a role in efforts to support ten Senate filibusters against President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's judicial nominees.
Nonprofit and foundation advocacy
For more than a decade, Alliance for Justice's Nonprofit Advocacy Project and companion Foundation Advocacy Initiative have developed cutting-edge resources, and implemented broadly based initiatives to help build and strengthen the capacity of the nonprofit and foundation communities to take their rightful seat at the policy table. Often, these organizations are the only entities working to provide a voice for individuals too vulnerable or too underrepresented to compete with powerful corporate and special interests that dominate policymaking decisions.As more nonprofits recognize the need to engage in advocacy, lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
, election-related activities and other public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
work in order to best serve their constituencies, there is an increased demand for information on how to do so within the confines of current tax
Tax law
Tax law is the codified system of laws that describes government levies on economic transactions, commonly called taxes.-Major issues:Primary taxation issues facing the governments world over include;* taxes on income and wealth...
and election law
Election law
Election law is a discipline falling at the juncture of constitutional law and political science. It researches "the politics of law and the law of politics"...
s and regulations. As a result, the demand for AFJ’s services is growing rapidly each year. Through a series of in-person and web-based workshops, ongoing direct legal technical assistance, plain language publications, public education and the development and expansion of state-specific resources, AFJ’s Nonprofit Advocacy Project and Foundation Advocacy Initiative provide leaders and organizations with the information they need to navigate these rules and create an open dialogue on public policy.
With its staff of attorney-trainers, AFJ works to translate these rules into easy-to-understand language, and address questions about the permissibility of specific activities while protecting and expanding the rights of nonprofits to participate actively in public policy development in pursuit of their charitable missions. AFJ is a recognized leader in promoting nonprofit participation in public policy by offering extensive support to nonprofit organizations on the laws and regulations governing nonprofit advocacy work.
Student advocacy
One of Alliance for Justice’s primary goals is to provide educational resources to support the next generation of advocates.Every year on the first Monday in October, the opening of the Supreme Court's session, Student Action Campaign unites student activists on college, university, and law school campuses nationwide to fight for social justice. For more than a decade, AFJ’s First Monday program has produced award-winning documentary films and programs designed to educate the public about important social justice issues and to expose students to careers in public interest advocacy. In 2006, SAC produced the documentary Quiet Revolution in response to the alleged right wing take over of the federal court system. Quiet Revolution has since been distributed to more than 25,000 viewers across the nation, and SAC has gone on to produce Supreme Injustices and Access Denied?, released in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
Student Action Campaign is a campus-based program designed to raise awareness about vital social justice issues. Past campaigns have explored issues such as housing and homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
, the death penalty, gun violence
Gun violence
Gun violence defined literally means the use of a firearm to threaten or inflict violence or harm. Gun violence may be broadly defined as a category of violence and crime committed with the use of a firearm; it may or may not include actions ruled as self-defense, actions for law enforcement, or...
, and post-9/11 civil liberties.