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Civil rights protect individuals against unfair treatment and are integral to modern society. Unfortunately, violations of these fundamental rights occur all too often. Regan Zambri Long’s acclaimed Washington, DC civil rights lawyers are dedicated to protecting you against a variety of civil rights violations. With over 200 years’ worth of collective experience, our passion and commitment is clear in our exceptional case results and over 100 5 star reviews on Google.
We have secured over $1 billion in settlements for our clients to date, including many multi-million dollar settlements for civil rights violations. Seven of our attorneys have been named to prestigious directories such as Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers, and our partners Patrick Regan, Salvatore Zambri, and Victor Long all hold board certification in Civil Trial Law and Civil Trial Advocacy from the National Board of Trial Advocacy, underscoring our unwavering dedication to serving the ends of justice.
If you believe that your civil rights have been violated, Regan Zambri Long is here to assist you. Contact one of our expert lawyers today for specialized guidance and compassionate support. Our team is available 24 hours a day, and won’t charge any fees unless we win your case.
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When we think of civil rights violations, we often think of them categorically, like sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace or police brutality. However, you are entitled to your civil rights.
The foundation of anti-discrimination rights in the United States is embedded in various federal laws and statutes designed to protect individuals from unfair treatment based on specific, protected characteristics. These characteristics include:
These rights are essential to ensure equality and fairness across multiple areas of public life ,such as employment, housing, education, and service access. It continues to exist despite legal protections against discrimination, impacting lives daily.
In the workplace, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information.
Unfortunately, employment discrimination remains prevalent, with sex, disability, and race noted as the most-cited protected traits in Office of Human Rights docketed cases in 2024. Common forms of employment discrimination include:
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against any group based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability when purchasing, renting, or financing residential dwellings.
However, housing discrimination persists through practices like redlining, biased mortgage lending practices, and unequal treatment from landlords. Such practices not only violate individual rights but also contribute to segregation and socio-economic disparities across communities.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are two laws designed to safeguard students against gender- and disability-based discrimination in school environments, respectively.
Violations may include unequal access to resources and discriminatory discipline practices or harassment. Often, this leads to unequal access for certain groups of students compared with others – taking legal action and advocacy on policy is critical to ensure equitable treatment and access for all students involved.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other laws ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to public spaces, services, and accommodations. Despite these laws, violations occur, including lack of physical accessibility in buildings, denial of reasonable accommodations in the workplace, and barriers in accessing transportation and healthcare services.
Civil and constitutional rights provide individuals with protection and guarantee their freedoms. Illustrated in the U.S. Constitution and various federal laws, these rights exist to prevent government overreach and ensure equal treatment under the law for everyone. Understanding your rights helps identify any violations when they arise.
The first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, contain fundamental civil liberties. These include:
These liberties play an essential role in maintaining democracy.
The Fourteenth Amendment provides two essential components of civil rights: equal protection under the law and due process. Equal protection requires states to treat individuals within their jurisdiction equally, while due process guarantees fair and equal treatment in court proceedings. Both principles serve to combat discriminatory practices while upholding justice in legal processes.
Voting is a fundamental right in democratic societies and is protected under various constitutional amendments and acts such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Yet even with these safeguards in place, challenges to voting rights persist. This includes:
All of these tactics disproportionately target minority communities. Numerous studies suggest that systemic barriers, including those mentioned above, continue to contribute to the disenfranchisement of ethnic and racial minorities in the United States voting processes.
The Constitution offers certain rights for those accused of crimes, such as their right to:
Ensuring these rights are upheld is integral to maintaining an equal legal system.
Historically, civil rights movements have played an essential role in expanding and protecting marginalized groups’ rights. Their efforts led to landmark legislation and legal cases, which ultimately transformed our understanding and application of civil and constitutional rights nationwide. Today, activists, legal professionals, and everyday citizens remain instrumental in fighting violations while championing expanded liberties and rights.
The judicial system plays an essential role in upholding civil and constitutional rights. Landmark Supreme Court cases have been key in clarifying and expanding these rights. Such cases have dealt with segregation, marriage equality, and abortion rights among others. Today, the courts remain an invaluable way for grievances to be addressed while upholding Constitutionally protected rights.
Civil and constitutional rights are essential in safeguarding individual liberties while upholding fairness and equality in society. Understanding these rights is paramount in recognizing their violations and advocating for more just and equal societies. Individuals, legal professionals, and civil rights organizations all play an integral role in making sure that civil and constitutional rights are recognized yet actively upheld and defended.
Despite the efforts made in anti-discrimination laws, civil rights violations still occur every day, with the OHR receiving 1,349 discrimination-related complaints in 2024 alone. From the right to seek housing and employment to police misconduct and infringement of free speech, the following are common examples:
Discrimination in employment and housing stands as one of the most prevalent civil rights violations. In the workplace, this can take the form of:
These violations often occur based on race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.
Similarly, housing discrimination includes refusal to rent or sell, imposing different terms and conditions because of a protected characteristic, or segregating housing services.
These actions not only violate individual rights but also instill systemic inequalities.
Another example of civil rights infringement is police misconduct, including the use of excessive force by police officers. This issue has gained widespread national attention, as many instances have led to severe injuries or even fatalities. These events often reflect racial biases and a lack of accountability in the justice system.
Equal access to education and safe educational opportunities is a fundamental civil right in the United States. According to the Civil Rights Data Collection Office, which surveys of all public school districts and schools in the 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, issues such as race- and ethnicity-based barriers to education and corporal punishment continue to infringe on students’ educational rights, as per the latest 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) report.
Freedom of speech and assembly are fundamental civil rights highlighted in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Violations occur when individuals or groups are censored, intimidated, or physically prevented from peacefully expressing their views or assembling.
This includes scenarios where protesters are unjustly arrested, media outlets are censored, or individuals face retaliation for expressing their opinions. Such violations not only impede individual liberties but also hinder democratic processes.
Civil rights violations, ranging from discrimination in various forms to infringements upon fundamental constitutional liberties, are not just breaches of legal statutes but can have a negative and lasting impact on individuals and communities. Understanding these violations is critical for protecting and upholding the rights that form our society.
It is important to note that pursuing a personal injury claim for civil rights violations requires demonstrating a direct link between the breach and the injuries suffered. You must prove that the discriminatory conduct was a substantial factor in causing the harm. Additionally, the specific elements required for a successful claim may vary depending on the nature of the violation and applicable laws.
If you need expert representation in a personal injury or civil rights violation case, our industry-leading attorneys are here to help. With decades of experience, multiple industry awards won, and numerous civil rights case settlements achieved to date, the quality and results of our legal work speak for themselves. Regan Zambri Long’s three named partners are board certified in Civil Trial Law and Civil Trial Advocacy through the National Board of Trial Advocacy, with Patrick Regan also achieving Fellowship with the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the Thurgood Marshall American Inn of Court.
Seven of our attorneys have also been named to Best Lawyers, with Patrick Regan named Lawyer of the Year for Mass Tort Litigation and Medical Malpractice Law, Salvatore Zambri named Lawyer of the Year for Product Liability Litigation, and Paul Cornoni named Lawyer of the Year for Workers’ Compensation. Furthermore, all six of our partners have been named to the Lawdragon 500 Consumer Plaintiffs’ Lawyers list for their outstanding consumer-focused case work. These achievements underscore our relentless work in upholding our clients’ civil rights and fighting for record-breaking settlements in their favor.
Your civil rights and human rights may overlap in many instances. However, there are key differences between these two types of rights that are important to understand. Civil rights are rights outlined in official government statutes and declarations, including the U.S. Constitution, its Amendments, and Federal and state laws, as well as agencies such as the DC Office of Human Rights. They are guaranteed to all people residing in a specific jurisdiction, such as the United States or the state of Washington, DC, and can legally be enforced in US courts. Civil rights are intended to guarantee every person equal treatment and protection from discrimination and harm.
Human rights carry a broader definition and scope. They are defined by international treaties and declarations, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and may not always be enforceable by United States law. Human rights pertain to numerous fundamental freedoms, including social, political, economic, and civil rights.
Federal and local civil rights protections are both designed to protect and uphold your civil rights and liberties. The primary difference is that Washington, DC civil rights protections are much broader and more extensive than Federal protections.
Local rights, as stipulated in the DC Human Rights Act (DCHRA), outline more protected characteristics – 23 in total. These include race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, and marital status. Also included are traits such as personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender expression and identity, disability status, source of income, and genetic information, among others.
The Washington, DC Office of the Attorney General (OAG) protects the civil rights of all residents in the district. Under the District of Columbia’s civil rights laws, which are some of the strongest in the United States, you have the right to be protected from being treated differently or unfairly based on 23 stipulated characteristics.
These characteristics include your age, color, credit information, disability status, familial status, and family responsibilities, as well as your gender identity, matriculation status, and genetic information. You are further legally entitled to be protected from discrimination due to your national origin, marital status, personal appearance, place of business or residence, political affiliation, sex, race, religion, and source of income.
Employment discrimination takes many shapes and forms. If you have been hired or fired due to your protected traits, have been treated differently in regard to working conditions or compensation, or have been refused a referral for a job due to these traits, you may have experienced illegal discrimination.
Any offending party who excludes a Washington, DC resident from a union, training, or an apprenticeship program, or advertises work opportunities indicating preferences or limitations for certain individuals, may also be partaking in discriminatory employment practices, according to the Office of the Attorney General.
If you are denied or restricted access to educational programs or services based on the DCHRA’s 23 protected traits, you may be experiencing an educational civil rights violation. This also pertains to being asked about your color, race, religion or national origin during applications for admission into an educational institution, except as permitted by local regulations.
If you experience these forms of discrimination, contact Regan Zambri Long immediately for expert guidance.
According to the OAG, you may be a victim of housing discrimination if you are refused the right to rent or purchase a property based on the DCHRA’s protected characteristics. If your use of facilities as a tenant is restricted or denied, this may also constitute illegal discrimination.
The DC Office of the Attorney General defines public accommodations discrimination as the denial of goods or service provision to DC residents due to their protected traits. Any party which publishes advertisements stating that goods or services will be withheld or denied based on these traits may also be committing civil rights violations.
Yes, domestic workers are also protected by the DCHRA – specifically, by the Domestic Workers Employment Rights Amendment Act of 2022. This local amendment allows you as a domestic worker to file discrimination complaints in line with the DCHRA’s anti-discrimination provisions. It is important to note that performing domestic work is not a protected trait, but the DC Human Rights Act prohibits any discrimination against domestic workers according to the 18 stipulated protected traits for employees in the state.
Civil rights violations in this regard include refusal to hire workers based on the 18 traits, exposing workers to hostile work environments, and retaliation for filing complaints with the Office of Human Rights.
If you have been targeted by unfair discrimination due to any of the DCHRA’s protected traits, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering, and social and emotional harm. Regan Zambri Long’s skilled team have been representing clients in civil rights cases for more than 30 years, and have secured many multi-million dollar verdicts in their favor.
Contact us now and our legal specialists will work with you to win you compensation that restores your dignity and upholds your fundamental civil rights.