CIVIL RIGHTS: The United States was founded on the idea that all people can come to a new land and be free to live, work, and pursue happiness in the way they see fit. The authors of the Constitution therefore created the Bill of Rights, which, along with the amendments that followed, give us civil liberties which form the basis of our civil rights law as it exists today. Equal Protection and Discrimination: History Civil rights law is a widely varied practice area. Perhaps the biggest part involves the right to equal protection under the law, which stems from the Fourteenth Amendment. This aspect of civil rights law is practiced by many attorneys. The Fourteenth Amendment was enacted after the Civil War. The country was flooded with newly freed slaves who wished to work, own property, and build new lives for themselves. However, many people refused to do business with former slaves, and local law enforcement often refused to protect African Americans solely because of their race. Congress therefore passed the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, and, although it was only partially successful at the time, it has since grown to protect people of all races, national origins, and genders from discrimination at the hands of government authorities. The federal government and many state governments have since developed more laws to prevent many forms of discrimination by private establishments. This is why employers cannot make hiring or firing decisions based on protected categories, such as race, religion, national origin, or gender, and restaurants cannot refuse to serve people based purely on race. This section contains extensive background information on the Equal Protection Clause and discrimination laws.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 06:10:18 +0000
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