Partnership for Civil Justice Fund

10/09/2026

The PCJF is hiring a coordinator for our attorney network! To apply visit justiceonline.org/join-us or click the link in bio. This is a full time position, potentially geographically remote in the Eastern time zone. 

We are looking for an enthusiastic, mission-driven, multitasker who has excellent attention to detail. The Attorney Network Coordinator will administer and support a selective network of attorneys who collaborate and share information on cases, litigation strategies, and related legal initiatives defending democracy, the right to protest, and First Amendment protections. Responsibilities include day-to-day operations of attorney network, maintaining attorney records, monitoring participation, verifying applicant identities and other bar licensure information, coordinating with other organizations’ complementary networks, and more.

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund brings high-impact free speech, civil rights and constitutional rights litigation and provides criminal defense to those who are targeted for prosecution because of their First Amendment-protected viewpoints and advocacy for justice. We protect and advance the rights of protestors to organize, assemble, and demand justice around the country.

10/09/2026

The PCJF is hiring a Content and Communications Specialist! To apply visit justiceonline.org/join-us or click the link in bio. This is a full time position, potentially geographically remote in the Eastern time zone. 
 
We are looking for a sharp, meticulous, creative content creator who is an excellent writer and who possesses graphic and video design skills. If you are passionate about the mission of the organization and digital media, design, and storytelling we want to hear from you. Responsibilities include creating and managing content for social media, website, email, press releases, action campaigns and other outreach and education mechanisms. 
 
The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund brings high-impact free speech, civil rights and constitutional rights litigation and provides criminal defense to those who are targeted for prosecution because of their First Amendment-protected viewpoints and advocacy for justice. We protect and advance the rights of protestors to organize, assemble, and demand justice around the country.  
 
More information on compensation, benefits, and about The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund available at application link in bio!

10/02/2026

In a victory for the First Amendment and free speech rights, a federal judge has granted all defendants’ motions to dismiss a civil lawsuit that the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) filed against pro-Palestine protestors in federal court in New Jersey.

09/24/2026

Hours before today’s court hearing on the Paramount-WBD consent decree, the coalition filed an emergency motion asking to formally oppose the deal the state AGs struck with Paramount. Read the statement from PCJF ED Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, who is on the Steering Committee of which is part of the coalition: https://noparamountconcessions.com/press/motion-2026-09-24

09/23/2026

The White House press room isn't the only place journalists are being punished for their reporting. This summer a congressional committee subpoenaed the internal records of indie newsroom BreakThrough News, who we represent. The tools are different, but the goal is the same: to penalize reporting the government disfavors. https://www.justiceonline.org/litigation/defending-press-freedom-and-free-speech-pcjf-represents-organizations-targeted-by-congressional-subpoenas-in-modern-day-witch-hunt/

Trump's defense as the ban on CNN, MS NOW, & Politico is being challenged in federal court this week is that it's "an assault on the FAKE NEWS." That is viewpoint discrimination, in his own words.

The First Amendment forbids punishing journalists for their coverage, by revoking access or by retaliatory investigation. That is true for large establishment networks, and it's true for small independent newsrooms. The PCJF stands with all of them.

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF) is providing legal representation to The People's Forum, a movement organization, and BreakThrough News, an independent press outlet, in response to subpoenas issued by the House Ways and Means Committee.

09/03/2026

President Trump is pushing a plan to permanently fence Lafayette Park, the historic public site for free speech adjacent to the White House — a proposal now before the National Capital Planning Commission is an attack on participatory democracy.

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund has spent three decades litigating to protect public space for free speech in Washington, DC, including defeating the first Trump administration's 2018 effort to impose sweeping restrictions on protest across federal land here. Our statement on this plan's threats to free speech:

The PCJF, which defeated Trump's first-term effort to crush protest on federal land in D.C., condemns plan to permanently fence Lafayette Square and Pennsylvania Avenue

08/07/2026

On Friday, August 7th, the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund issued its response to subpoenas issued by the House Ways and Means Committee to its clients, The People's Forum and BreakThrough News. Read our statement and the responses at the link in our bio.

08/07/2026

This week over 70 organizations released a joint statement opposing the House Ways and Means Committee's subpoena of our client, The People's Forum. We stand with TPF and every organization facing this modern-day HUAC.

Read full coverage on the statement, from City & State NY:

Republicans have accused The People’s Forum of boosting the CCP. Supporters say the investigation is modern McCarthyism.

07/28/2026

The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund is representing The People's Forum and BreakThrough News in response to subpoenas issued by the House Ways and Means Committee. We are proud to stand with our clients in critical legal defense of free speech and a free press.

"These latest attacks on The People’s Forum are not about our organization alone. It is part of an escalating crusade against all progressive organizations and any group or person who expresses opposition to the ultra-right, racist, and pro-war policies of the Trump White House. Only by standing together can we defeat this assault on Free Speech rights, and defend civil liberties and civil rights." *Read the full statement from The People's Forum here*: https://peoplesforum.org/blog_post/trump-allies-in-congress-subpoena-the-peoples-forum-help-us-fight-back/

"BreakThrough News is a nonprofit newsroom, which already complies with all tax, audits and public reporting requirements. We are not charged with any crime, because our only “crime” has been to tell the truth – by covering the activities of the Palestine solidarity movement, unmasking the truth of ICE’s terror in our streets, and exposing Washington’s crimes around the world, from Cuba to the Congo... This is a political witch-hunt against independent media, pure and simple. It isn’t just an attack on us. It’s an attack on all independent media and the very principles of freedom of the press – from the very politicians who campaigned on the basis of “defending free speech.” *Read the full statement from BreakThrough News here*: https://breakthroughnews.org/2026/07/22/breakthrough-news-is-under-attack/

Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, constitutional rights lawyer, PCJF Executive Director, and counsel to the organizations, stated: "The Committee’s subpoenas are openly targeting organizations based on First Amendment-protected viewpoint and independent reporting. They seek to smear and silence those fighting for change, and to shut down media that tells the truth to the American people about the actions of their government. This is an abuse of authority and a direct assault on democratic rights. We are defending our clients’ First Amendment rights – constitutional rights that cannot be compromised – before this modern day HUAC.”

07/23/2026

Trump and his allies are trying to bring McCarthyism back as a political weapon to crush opposition in the United States. Read our full statement on the recent State Department Cuba Report and the New Red Scare on our website, here: https://www.justiceonline.org/news/pcjf-statement-on-recent-state-department-cuba-report-and-the-new-red-scare/

“It is critical to understand exactly what this is. It is a direct frontal assault on free speech and democracy. It is an effort to justify repression at home and usher in a greater crackdown against our constitutionally protected First Amendment rights to speak out and protest,” stated Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, constitutional rights lawyer and Executive Director of the PCJF. “This is an attempt to frighten people into silence. It is an attack on democratic rights by an administration afraid of democracy because it knows the people of the U.S. are growing in opposition to its repressive programs. And it won’t work. Standing together, we can ensure this tired playbook fails.”

Trump and his allies are trying to bring McCarthyism back as a political weapon to crush political opposition in the United States.