The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the nation's primary advocate of an individual's civil rights and civil liberties as guaranteed by the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Since 1920, the ACLU has maintained that civil liberties must be respected and it has made it its mission to fight civil liberties violations wherever and whenever they occur. The ACLU is best known for our litigation efforts; many of our ground-breaking cases have changed lives and made history. We also work for change through public education, community activism, public policy analysis, and governmental lobbying. This includes our Youth and Civil Liberties Council, our litigation program, or our lobbying effort in Madison.



The ACLU is a non-profit, non-partisan, private organization divided into 54 affiliates throughout the nation, with a national office headquartered in New York. The ACLU of Wisconsin is the state affiliate of the national ACLU with a 27-person volunteer board of directors from around the state. Over 9,500 Wisconsinites are members of the ACLUof WI and chapters are located throughout the State.