- Collection Overview
- Collection Description & Creator Information
- Access & Use
- Collection History
- Find Related Materials
Series 4: Legal Case Files, 1864-2001 (mostly 1965-1995)
Collection Overview
Collection Description & Creator Information
- Scope and Contents
Series finding aid: ACLU Records, Subgroup 3: Legal Case Files Series.
The Legal Case Files series documents the ACLU's involvement in litigation, ranging from files collected on cases for research purposes to records of cases they were significantly involved in. The records include documents filed with the court, correspondence, lawyer's notes, depositions and expert testimony, transcripts of the trials, newspaper clippings, and research materials on the background of the cases and legal precedents.
The Legal Case Files series contains records about over 1,500 cases, with the majority being files collected on non-ACLU cases for research on the broad range of civil liberties which the ACLU investigates. Common subjects include freedom of speech and expression, illegal surveillance and search, injustice in the legal system, public education, racial and sexual discrimination, and the separation of church and state, as well as fair employment and health care practices, immigration, information access and privacy, and politics and voting. Cases which are particularly well documented include Carlos Rivera v. John Rowland about the public defender system in Connecticut and three cases about public education: Brown v. Board of Education, Charlet v. Legislature of Louisiana, and Harper v. Hunt.
This series is a continuation of ACLU Records: Subgroup 2, Legal Case Files Series, 1933-1990. In Subgroup 3, see also Series 2: Project Files and Series 5: Regional Offices for cases litigated by the ACLU.
- Arrangement
The boxes are arranged alphabetically by case.
Collection History
- Appraisal
Development records, personnel records, confidential legal records, and mold-damaged records were separated from this subgroup during processing.
- Sponsorship:
These papers were processed with the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).
- Processing Information
This collection was processed by Adriane Hanson in 2010-2012 with the assistance of Special Collections Assistant David Gillespie and student assistants Alec Egan, Brandon Joseph, Abbie Kimbell, Jamie LaMontagne, and Emma Watt. Finding aid written by Adriane Hanson in April 2011.
Access & Use
- Conditions Governing Access
The ACLU Records have been reviewed for legal restrictions, and the collection contains both open and restricted materials. Please see the restriction notes in the file inventory for more specific information.
- Conditions Governing Use
Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.
- Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.
- Credit this material:
Series 4: Legal Case Files; American Civil Liberties Union Records: Subgroup 3, MC001-03, Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library
- Location:
-
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library65 Olden StreetPrinceton, NJ 08540, USA
Find More
- Existence and Location of Copies
FOR DIGITIZED CONTENT: Please see the Guide to the American Civil Liberties Union Records.
- Other Finding Aids
This finding aid describes a portion of the American Civil Liberties Union Records held at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library. For an overview of the entire collection, instructions on searching the collection and requesting materials, and other information, please see the Guide to the American Civil Liberties Union Records.
- Bibliography
Historical sketch based on In Defense of American Liberties: A History of the ACLU by Samuel Walker. See also Samuel Walker's The American Civil Liberties Union: An Annotated Bibliography.
- Names:
- American civil liberties union
American Civil Liberties Union. Washington Office
Glasser, Ira