Defending Dissent
Assert Your Rights. We’ve got your back
Supporting the Struggle
The Civil Liberties Defense Center supports movements that seek to dismantle the political and economic structures at the root of social inequality and environmental destruction. We provide litigation, education, legal and strategic resources to strengthen and embolden their success.
CLDC educates, supports and defends grassroots activists nationwide. We are dedicated to being a backbone for the grassroots and the frontlines. We help activists navigate the legal system, we represent them at no cost when they are arrested and we help them make smart choices in the face of state repression. We provide the necessary legal support so that activists can have long, sustainable lifetimes fighting in the movement for justice.
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Upcoming Events
ARMOR UP! Defending Your Identity - a webinar for Trans Youth
February 3, 2026
5:00 pm — 6:00 pm
Virtual and In-Person Options
Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC), TransPonder, and Queer Eugene are coming together to provide two evenings of education and panel discussions on the current legal landscape that trans youth and their allies are facing. Come learn how to legally defend your identity and legal rights in these concerning times, and hear from trans youth and adults on these topics and how they are making decisions and staying resilient. This two-part training will be hybrid with the ability to attend on Zoom or in-person on February 3rd and 5th from 5:00 – 6:00 PM PST. For Trans Youth and their Allies ONLY. REGISTER NOW!
CARSIE BLANTON @ WOW HALL!!
February 27, 2026
6:00 pm
WOW Hall, 291 West 8th Ave, Eugene, OR
💃 "It’s not my revolution if I can't dance to it." ~ Emma Goldman
Join Civil Liberties Defense Center for a night of revelry and camaraderie with a perfect pairing, folksinger/activist Carsie Blanton, a songwriter with hooks, chutzpah, and revolutionary optimism. Dance, laugh, remember the better world we work to create! *with special guest, Peter Wilde! Friday, February 27th, 2026 @ 6pm WOW Hall, 291 West 8th Ave, Eugene, OR $20 - $50 sliding scale ticketsSupport Our Work
When everyone feels like a target of the federal government, CLDC continues to stand up and defend those who are most at risk. We are experienced and tested movement lawyers who understand that every case may be a battle for liberation, the survival of the planet, and all who live upon it. Since the presidential election, we have experienced a surge in requests for legal support and trainings: the State is expanding its target list and adding violent military responses every day, so we’re armoring up with every legal tool we have. Now, we ask you to help us increase our capacity to add more movement lawyers to our team to support people and movements most at risk nationwide.
LATEST NEWS
Introducing the James Murphy Hoopes Clerkship Fund
A Life Dedicated to Liberation James Murphy Hoopes dedicated his life towards wielding his experiences and skills as tools for liberation. A former law clerk, activist, organizer, and filmmaker who passed away on January 18, 2025, Murphy understood what the system...
The Truth About ICE & Qualified Immunity
Today, the Department of Homeland Security shared a video of non-lawyer Trump lackey Stephen Miller offering an...
Cop City Update – Honor the Day of the Forest Defender
Honor the Day of the Forest Defender On January 18, we come together to remember Manuel Esteban “Tortuguita” Paez...
Holiday Solidarity
The Civil Liberties Defense Center team extends holiday wishes to those observing Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa,...
CLDC Wins Temporary Restraining Order & Preliminary Injunction Against Authoritarian Crackdown on Protest
On December 5, 2025, CLDC filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of activists Chloe Longworth and Anna Lardner,...




