Glossary

Law clerk

a legal professional who assists judges with maintaining records, researching, and writing.

Law clerks

legal professionals responsible for assisting judges with maintaining records, research, and writing

League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

founded in 1929, the oldest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States.

Legal Defense Fund

the NAACP’s legal organization dedicated to fighting for racial justice, founded by Justice Thurgood Marshall 1940

legal rationale

An expression of the reasons behind how a decision was made that is grounded in law.

Legislature

law-making body

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Martin Luther King, Jr., composed a letter from his prison cell in Birmingham in response to local religious leaders’ criticisms of the campaign.

Libel

a published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation

Literacy tests

exams to determine if a person was able to meet the comprehension requirements needed to vote, commonly used by Southern states to keep Black citizens from voting.

Litigation

the process of taking legal action