Civil rights are constitutionally guaranteed liberties that each American citizen possesses. From time to time, government or agencies acting on its behalf violate these civil rights. Civil rights law often refers to that area of legal practice in which lawyers represent those whose rights may have been violated. Although this is often associated with racial discrimination, civil rights violations can occur within any ethnic community.
With the advent of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, this field has been associated more commonly with issues of racial concern. However, the momentum of the movement has since spilled over into the areas of women's and gay rights as well. In general, civil rights law has come to represent legal representation of all marginalized groups and individuals in American society.
Law schools in the United States offer the juris doctorate (J.D.) as the standard degree for the legal profession. Within the J.D. program, some schools offer concentrations in the area of civil rights law. Some schools even distinguish between corporate or business law education and clinical law education. Clinical law schools allow students to get hands-on experience in the law profession. This often allows students to work on cases of the underrepresented population to gain experience. Civil rights cases are among the cases often taken on by law school clinics. Schools offering training in the area of civil rights law include schools like Boston University, Texas Southern University, City University of New York, American University and Georgetown University.
The curriculum of law degrees in civil rights will vary somewhat from school to school, but in general many of the courses will be similar in their overall emphasis. Courses at the University of Boston include studies in civil rights litigation, law and the color line, the law and sexual minorities and disability law. The City University of New York offers courses in economic justice, criminal defense, women's rights and international human rights. Similarly, Georgetown University offers courses in women's rights and international human rights.
A law degree with an emphasis in civil rights can lead to a number of career options within the legal field. Civil rights lawyers often serve as public defenders or, at the other end of the spectrum, serving as defense counsel for companies or the government when they are accused of civil rights violations. Civil rights law degrees can qualify graduates to serve as faculty members at colleges and universities or, after some time in the field, as judges.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for all lawyers nine months after graduation is $68,500 as of 2007. For lawyers working as government employees or in academic settings, the number dips to between $48,000 and $50,000. According to Lawcrossing.com, lawyers in civil rights law coming out of college will earn around $60,000 per year (as of 2006); the median pay for civil rights lawyers was much higher at $102,400.