About us
Our story
Local governments have a unique ability to proactively enforce laws protecting the rights of those they serve — if they have the right tools and support. Yet most of them don’t. This means that many local governments are underusing their power to stand up for their communities.
Public Rights Project began as a bold idea: fill that gap to build a democracy in which our rights are real. It’s this insight, coming from her time in the California’s attorney general’s office, that inspired seasoned civil rights attorney Jill Habig to start the organization.
Since 2017, we’ve worked to equip local governments with what they need to win real protections for communities. Today, that means partnering with them to protect rights under attack across the country — from voting access to reproductive rights. It means holding the federal government accountable for its illegal actions. And it means ensuring that local governments can pass laws in the best interests of their communities.
We’ve grown from an organization of just two attorneys to a team of nearly 70 — rising to meet the needs of this unique moment in American history.
Our values
Authenticity & inclusion: We embrace diversity in identities, experiences, and expression. We practice radical acceptance — of ourselves and each other. We are creating a workplace that allows us all to bring our whole selves to work and dismantles current or historical barriers to doing so, including our own practices and biases.
Care for people: We put people first, acknowledge our shared humanity, and model community care. We move beyond transactional to deeper, connected relationships by making space to listen and learn each other’s stories and lived experiences.
Change & growth: We are works in progress, moving toward a just future through sustainable growth and learning rooted in our mission. We approach our learning with curiosity, vulnerability, and openness, reflecting on and accepting our limitations as part of the process.
Partnership for impact: We build a network of mutual support, collaboration, learning, and accountability based on trust and shared values with and between community and government partners. We believe in harnessing the power and the experiences of the collective to have a greater impact than we could on our own.
Reimagining justice: We know justice is not a singular outcome, but a continuum. We center people of color and their communities, focusing on people who have historically been least served by government and capitalism. We hold powerful actors accountable and tackle root causes of systems of oppression. We pursue equity to work towards collective liberation and transform our world.
Mission and vision
Our vision is a democracy that delivers equity and justice for all — where every government protects and advances civil rights.
Our impact
This means that we’re not just securing legal wins — but building that lasts for the millions of people served by our local government partners.
Our commitment to equity
Local governments play a role in promoting justice for those who are most harmed by systemic inequities. We support them in actions to protect communities against discrimination — and to advance those rights that ensure that everyone they serve can thrive, regardless of race, gender, immigration status, and sexual orientation.