American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey

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Cómo Presentar una Queja a la ACLU-NJ

What is the ACLU?

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey is a private, non-profit organization devoted to defending the principles of freedom, justice and equality outlined in the Bill of Rights of the United State Constitution. The Bill of Rights, along with our state and federal laws, protects certain fundamental rights of individuals against the power of the government and the will of the majority.

Our Legal Department reviews all of the complaints we receive, looking for issues with which the ACLU may be able to help. Some of the issues we look for relate to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, government-sponsored religious activities, privacy, illegal discrimination, reproductive rights, police misconduct, censorship in schools or libraries, student rights, workplace privacy, and inhuman jail and prison conditions.

The ACLU provides information to thousands of people each year to assist them in asserting their rights. Sometimes we refer people to other organizations that may be able to help. Sometimes we act as advocates for individuals and take cases to court. However, the ACLU can provide direct representation to only a small number of clients each year in cases with the potential to set legal precedents for the preservation or advancement of civil liberties.

The ACLU is not a government agency or a general legal services organization. We do not dispense general legal advice, provide emergency services, or make referrals to attorneys. In general, the ACLU does not assist in criminal defense, post-conviction appeals, divorce or child custody disputes, property disputes, tax problems, consumer complaints, landlord/tenant disputes, or complaints against lawyers or judges. If your problem falls in one of these areas, you should look for other resources or organizations for help.

The ACLU works with volunteer attorneys throughout New Jersey who donate their time to work on ACLU cases. The ACLU does not charge for its legal representation.

How can the ACLU help you?

To obtain information or ask about assistance, contact us by letter. Due to our limited staff and resources, in-person interviews are generally not possible. The ACLU will try to accommodate individuals who cannot write to us because of a disability.

Your letter should address all of the questions listed below. In writing your letter, you should give a clear chronological account of your difficulty, with an emphasis on the facts of the situation.

Attach copies of any important documents to your letter: Never send original documents. Do not simply send us documents or copies of letters to or from other organizations. We will not respond unless you send a cover letter written by you to us explaining what the problem is and how the documents are important. The ACLU does not review material not addressed to us. Please do not send large amounts of documentation with your letter. If we need more information, we will contact you.

We receive many complaints every week; every letter requesting assistance is answered, but it may take some time. Depending on how urgent your matter is, we will let you know within six weeks whether we can help you. If we cannot assist you, we will try to refer you elsewhere for help.

Unfortunately, the ACLU-NJ does not make referrals to individual attorneys. If you are looking for an attorney referral, please consult the New Jersey State Bar Association's attorney referral service: http://www.njsba.com/for-the-public/lawyer-referral-service.html.

To help you, the ACLU needs these facts:

Describe in your own words what happened to you, including dates, places, and the names of the people directly involved.

• How were your rights violated?
• What explanation, if any, was given for what happened?
• Why do you think this happened to you?
• What steps have you taken to solve the problem (filed an appeal or complaint with the parties involved or with any public agency or official, or any other organization)?
• To whom did you complain and where does the matter currently stand?
• What documentation do you have on the matter?

Please note that if you have an attorney assisting you with this matter, and she or he believes there is a significant civil liberties issue involved, you must have your attorney contact us directly.

How to Send Your Complaint to the ACLU-NJ

By Mail

Be sure to include your name, street address, city, state, ZIP code and telephone number on the top of the first page of your letter.

You must include a complete return address on your envelope, or your letter will not be opened and will be discarded.

Mail your letter to:

Intake Mail Manager
ACLU-NJ
Post Office Box 32159
Newark, NJ 07102

File Online

If you wish to file online, please use our Online Complaint Form. Using our Online Complaint Form will get your complaint to us quickly, but a response from us could still take as long as six weeks.