The Northwest Constitutional Rights Center safeguards the rights of political activists, communities of color and immigrants through public interest litigation, advocacy and education. The Center holds the government accountable for its unconstitutional actions, and works to create a just and equitable society.

In litigating the Portland protest cases, NWCRC's attorneys noticed that the police, which are encharged with protecting the public, have become a secret organization and in many ways no longer accountable to the public that they are directed to serve.  Recent surveys have shown that many younger students are not aware of or have mistaken views about their constitutional rights.   The NWCRC is concerned that as a society we have forgotten some of our basis core values and rights which are contained in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.

 NWCRC strongly believes in public education about the constitution and the rights and responsibilities of individuals in a free society. Indeed, informed and active citizens are the Constitution's best defenders. NWCRC will focus its education and outreach efforts toward young people and communities which are disenfranchised in the Pacific Northwest.

During the Portland protest litigation, NWCRC's attorneys discovered a great deal of documentary information about the history of constitutional protest in Portland and the reaction of the Portland Police Department to dissent. NWCRC believes that the preservation of free speech is best served by a public that is knowledgeable about the historical underpinnings of our federal and state constitutions, not just in a theoretical way, but in terms of the practical experiences that shaped their development. This historical information should be preserved, organized and catalogued and will work to ensure that this information is accessible to academics, students, the press or interested members of the public. Finally, the difficulty of litigating the Portland protest cases has made it very clear that individual citizens with limited income are hindered in their efforts to access the courts to pursue enforcement of their rights when this is necessary. Litigation against public bodies is expensive, protracted and beyond the means of most, no matter how just the cause. Yet litigation can serve as a crucial shield against the unconstitutional actions of government. In addition, litigation can educate the public about their constitutional rights. Beginning with loans from some of the case participants (both parties and counsel), NWCRC intends to address these needs. NWCRC has developed the following priorities:

• Litigation: NWCRC will engage in strategic litigation to hold government actors accountable for their unconstitutional actions. NWCRC will pursue litigation on its own and in conjunction with a network of cooperating attorneys and public interest organizations throughout Oregon.
• Public Education: NWCRC will educate the public about their rights by providing access to and explanation of important issues and current events. NWCRC will focus its education efforts on two of the most vulnerable populations: young people and communities that have been historically disenfranchised from the system.
• Organizing: In addition to public education about rights, NWCRC seeks to help mobilize people and create a more active, vibrant, and democratic society.
• Collecting and storing data on government officials who abuse the system so citizens can have access to this data to protect and preserve their rights under the Constitution and Bill of Rights

Attorneys interested in working on Center cases should contact Director Alejandro Queral at 503-295-6400 or email us at info@nwcrc.org.