Constitutional Accountability Center Constitutional Accountability Center

Fulfilling the progressive promise of the Constitution’s text and history

CAC is working in the courts, with elected leaders, and with legal scholars to preserve the rights and freedoms of all in America, and to protect the integrity of our judiciary.
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United States Constitution | National Archives and Records Administration

What's New at CAC

See highlights from CAC’s recent work, including media appearances, ongoing litigation, newly published scholarship, and upcoming events.

Voting Rights and Democracy
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

In re: Georgia Senate Bill 202

In In re: Georgia Senate Bill 202, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is considering whether the Materiality Provision in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits states from denying...
Access to Justice
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Mick v. Gibbons

In Mick v. Gibbons, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is considering whether the doctrine of state sovereign immunity applies to third party subpoenas.
Voting Rights and Democracy
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

United States v. Paxton

In United States v. Paxton, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is considering whether the Materiality Provision in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits states from denying the right...

Our Latest Work

Rule of Law
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

MagnetSafety.org v. Consumer Product Safety Commission

In MagnetSafety.org v. CPSC, the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is considering whether the leadership structure of the Consumer Product Safety Commission is constitutional.
Rule of Law
U.S. Supreme Court

Lackey v. Stinnie

In Lackey v. Stinnie, the Supreme Court is considering when a civil rights plaintiff is entitled to attorney’s fees as the “prevailing party” in a case.
Rule of Law
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Minnesota Telecom Alliance v. Federal Communications Commission

In Minnesota Telecom Alliance v. Federal Communications Commission, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is considering the legality of the FCC’s new regulations promoting nondiscrimination in access to broadband internet service.
Voting Rights and Democracy
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

Mi Familia Vota v. Petersen

In Mi Familia Vota v. Petersen, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is considering whether requiring voters to include their birthplace on voter registration forms violates the Materiality Provision of the...
Voting Rights and Democracy
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit

In re: Georgia Senate Bill 202

In In re: Georgia Senate Bill 202, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is considering whether the Materiality Provision in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits states from denying...
Access to Justice
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Mick v. Gibbons

In Mick v. Gibbons, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is considering whether the doctrine of state sovereign immunity applies to third party subpoenas.

Issues We Work On

CAC's work addresses many of the most important topics in modern constitutional and federal law.
Access to Justice
Civil and Human Rights
Corporate Accountability
Criminal Law
Environmental Protection
Federal Courts and Nominations
Health Care
Immigration and Citizenship
Rule of Law
Voting Rights and Democracy

Our Latest Cases

Great Hall of the Supreme Court of the United States | Phil Roeder, Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

CAC pursues a litigation strategy unique among progressive legal organizations by relying on the Constitution’s text and history. Our powerful amicus briefs provide invaluable arguments to Supreme Court Justices, legal scholars, and fellow advocates. Our clients include current and former bipartisan Members of Congress, state and local officials, law professors, and various nonprofit organizations. CAC’s efforts help to secure important legal victories in the Supreme Court, lower federal courts, and state supreme courts.

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From Our Think Tank

See More From Our Think Tank
The result of the Fifteenth Amendment | Library of Congress (Public Domain)

CAC produces scholarship showing that the Constitution’s text and history command progressive results. We publish comprehensive accounts of some of the most important and contentious topics in modern constitutional and federal law through issue briefs, white papers, insights, and our think tank series. Our legal experts also inform public discussion around these topics by giving written and oral testimony in congressional committee hearings.

The Arc of Constitutional Progress

The Constitution is, in its most vital respects, a progressive document, written by revolutionaries and amended by We the People who prevailed in the most tumultuous social upheavals of our Nation’s history. Explore the rich history of our Constitution, from the Founding to Reconstruction and beyond.
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Celebrating our Nation's Second Founding

Learn more about the transformational Amendments — the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth — passed during Reconstruction, that helped give our nation what President Lincoln promised at Gettysburg, "a new birth of freedom."
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