About Us

Since 1930, the ACLU of Wisconsin has steadfastly committed to building a better Wisconsin. Whether in the courtroom, at the capital, or on the streets, defending and fighting for the rights of all Wisconsinites is our passion — and we won’t stop.

The ACLU of Wisconsin is the state affiliate of the national ACLU and is a non-profit, non-partisan, private organization best known for groundbreaking impact litigation.

We work for change in local policy by engaging in advocacy through our 501(c)(4) entity. The ACLU of Wisconsin Foundation is our 501(c)(3) educational wing and includes our legal and community efforts.

Criminal Legal Reform

We are working to reverse the tide of mass incarceration, shift power to under-resourced communities, and elevate approaches to justice and safety that advance fundamental freedoms for all.

First Amendment

Free speech means protecting protest rights, a free press, diversity of thought, freedom of religion, and much more. We are always on guard to ensure that the First Amendment’s protections remain robust — for everyone.

Immigration

The fundamental constitutional protections of due process and equal protection embodied in our Constitution and Bill of Rights apply to every person, regardless of immigration status. And we will fight to protect those rights.

LGBTQ+ Rights & Bodily Autonomy

We continue to defend Wisconsinites’ rights to love who they love, live openly without discrimination, and make their own health care decisions.

Strengthening Democracy

Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy and the fundamental right upon which all our civil liberties rest. We work to protect and expand Wisconsinites' freedom to vote.

"Wisconsin, the battleground for the nation, will continue to lead. Wisconsinites have refused bribery, loudly and well. We have refused to accept representation that is not fair or accurate. We have refused to accept candidates for office who will not serve the communities they represent. We refuse, and will continue to refuse, to accept anything less. It is the dignity of our lives and the future before us that demands no less.

We refuse to accept a reduction of our rights and a smaller vision of our shared future. This future is worth fighting, and sacrificing, for – and we are called to unite for this shared purpose."

Read the rest of this letter from Executive Director Dr. Melinda Q. Brennan — and much more — in our annual report.