James Edward Stern

Trial Lawyer
Certified "Advocate" by National College of Advocacy

Two core pieces in Civil Rights practice are the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Constitution is a living document that has changed and will continue to change throughout history. The 14th, 15th, and 16th amendments, commonly referred to as the Reconstruction amendments, enhance civil rights for African Americans. Women's rights came into the picture with the 19th amendment some half a century later. In 1920 women gained the right to vote.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed in memory of President John F. Kennedy, who was planning to pass similar legislation when he died. President Lyndon B. Johnson proposed the legislation in President Kennedy's memory. This act focuses on several things, perhaps the best known of which is the famous Title VII, prohibiting employment discrimination. There are many other statutes which prohibit discrimination and complete the back-bone of civil rights law. A number of famous cases interpret the Constitution and statutes. Some of the more noted cases include Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated schools, The Heart of Atlanta Motel, which used congress' power to regulate commerce to hold segregation in the Heart of Atlanta Motel illegal, and Roe v. Wade, which held abortion to be constitutional.