...and Justice for All: The Civil Rights Division at 40

Leadership Conference on Civil Rights - December 1997

Despite the staggering importance of the Civil Rights Division, many Americans know very little about the Division's work. While many have heard of the more famous cases handled by the Division, few people understand the complexity involved in defending the basic rights of all people in our society.

The first chapter of this report, The History of the Civil Rights Division, provides a context for the current work of the Division. The second chapter, The Work of the Civil Rights Division, provides a broad overview of the work of the different sections and offices of the Civil Rights Division. The final chapter, Recommendations, outlines the nation's most important "unfinished business" in the civil rights arena and provides suggestions for improving the enforcement of civil rights as the Division commences its fifth decade of operation.