Hunton & Williams and WLC Prepare New Report Assessing Human Rights Protections in DC Metro Area

Hunton & Williams LLP, along with a number of other law firms, and The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs (WLC) coordinated the release of a report, “Protecting Civil Rights in the DC Region: A Comparative Assessment of State and Local Human Rights Laws.” The report aims to raise awareness about the civil rights protections available in the DC metropolitan area and to encourage call on public officials to strengthen the rights available in their jurisdictions.

For each of the area’s human rights laws, the report examines what protections exist, the remedies available to people who have been discriminated against, the ways that rights can be enforced (whether in court or through a local human rights agency), and the local human rights agency’s public reporting. The report examines and compares the human rights laws in eight jurisdictions – the District of Columbia, the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia; and Montgomery County and Prince George’s County in Maryland; and Fairfax County, Arlington County, and Alexandria City in Virginia – and makes recommendations for strengthening the human rights laws in each jurisdiction.

Key lawyers involved include Washington partner Rori Malech and associate Greer Watson.