“This refusal to accept the stark reality that race matters is regrettable. The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to speak openly and candidly on the subject of race, and to apply the Constitution with eyes open to the unfortunate effects of centuries of racial discrimination…”
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
The Declaration of Independence promotes “justice for all,” yet people of color still face discrimination in this country. Racial bias in our criminal justice system results in significant racial disparities in who is arrested and who is incarcerated. Although it has been more than 60 years since Brown v. Board of Education was decided, our schools remain segregated, and New Jersey has one of the most racially segregated public school systems in the nation. People of color still face discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. The Stein Public Interest Center represents individuals and organizations in impact litigation and appellate cases that affect communities of color.
On May 17, 2018, the 64th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court’s Decision in Brown v. Board of Education, our attorneys, together with co-counsel, filed a lawsuit against the state of New Jersey on behalf of a coalition of civil rights groups and nine children of various racial backgrounds, claiming that persistent racial segregation in New Jersey’s public schools has violated the constitutional rights of hundreds of thousands of New Jersey students. The lawsuit contends that “because educational opportunity is, as a result, undermined for students in schools that are often characterized by intense poverty and social isolation in numerous, well-documented ways, these segregative state laws, policies and practices deny an alarming number of Black and Latino students the benefits of a thorough and efficient education.” The lawsuit reflects a groundbreaking effort that may prove to be among the most important social justice reforms of our time.
Recently, we filed an amicus brief in the New Jersey Supreme Court on behalf of a partner organization addressing the need of people of color who are victims of police brutality to be able to testify candidly about their legitimate fears of law enforcement officers and why they might have refused commands to exit vehicles as a result.
Significant Cases
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Latino Action Network et al. v. The State of New Jersey et al. (filed May 17, 2018)
Lawsuit challenging racial segregation in New Jersey's public schools more...
Press Releases
- The Plaintiffs in the pending school segregation case against the State of New Jersey filed a Motion for Partial Summary Judgment today on the issue of liability, asking the Superior Court in Mercer County to rule based on undisputed facts that the existing levels of racial segregation in New Jersey's public schools violate provisions of the New Jersey Constitution and New Jersey Statutes as a matter of law, eliminating the necessity of a trial on the question of liability. more...
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Lawsuit Seeks Statewide Remedies for New Jersey's Segregated Public School System | March 17, 2018
On the 64th anniversary of the landmark U.S Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which ruled government-mandated segregation of students unconstitutional, Pashman Stein Walder Hayden and Gibbons a coalition of civil rights groups, filed a complaint in Mercer County Superior Court against the state of New Jersey claiming that persistent segregation has violated the constitutional rights of hundreds of thousands of New Jersey's students. more...
News Coverage
- CJ Griffin, Director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, was quoted in New Jersey Law Journal article, "How the NJ Supreme Court Steered Clear of SCOTUS Precedent in License Plate Covering Case." more...
- CJ Griffin, Director of the Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center at Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, was quoted in several articles discussing the recent New Jersey Supreme Court consolidated opinion involving the interpretation of a statute that makes it illegal to drive a vehicle "which has a license plate frame . . . that conceals or otherwise obscures any part of any marking imprinted upon the vehicle's registration plate." more...
- In an important victory for the rights of medical marijuana patients, on April 13, 2021, the New Jersey Supreme Court affirmed an Appellate Division ruling, holding that a workers' compensation judge may order employers in the State of New Jersey to reimburse injured employees for the cost of medical marijuana. more...
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Justice Gary S. Stein Public Interest Center Releases its 2020 Year in Review.
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School Segregation Suit Seeking Big Changes | NorthJersey.com | October 30, 2019
Latino Action Network et al. v. The State of New Jersey et al. (filed May 17, 2018) more... -
Lawsuit: NJ Schools are Illegally Segregated | NewJersey101.5 | October 13, 2019
Latino Action Network et al. v. The State of New Jersey et al. (filed May 17, 2018) more... -
N.J. schools among 'most segregated' in nation, suit says | The Philadelphia Inquirer | May 17, 2018
Latino Action Network et al. v. The State of New Jersey et al. (filed May 17, 2018) more... - Latino Action Network et al. v. The State of New Jersey et al. (filed May 17, 2018) more...
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Group Sues New Jersey to Desegregate Schools | The Observer | May 17, 2018
Latino Action Network et al. v. The State of New Jersey et al. (filed May 17, 2018) more... - Latino Action Network et al. v. The State of New Jersey et al. (filed May 17, 2018) more...
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Suit Aimed at Ending NJ School Segregation Targets Role of Charter Schools | Law.com | May 17, 2018
Latino Action Network et al. v. The State of New Jersey et al. (filed May 17, 2018) more...