Civil Liberties Defense Center

What Civil Liberties Defense Center does

Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) is a Eugene, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal organization founded in 2003 (with documented activism roots from 2005) that provides free legal representation and education to frontline social justice, environmental, and climate activists across the United States. The organization operates two core programs: "Justice in Action," a litigation program delivering pro bono criminal defense, civil rights litigation, SLAPP-suit defense, and necessity-defense representation; and "Dissent & Democracy," an education program offering "Know Your Rights & Risks" workshops, digital and operational security training, and Train the Trainer curricula. CLDC attorneys hold admissions across multiple federal appellate courts, the U.S. Supreme Court, and several federal district courts, enabling the small team (1–10 employees) to litigate nationwide.

CLDC's service catalog spans 15+ specialized modules, including Climate Activist Defense, Necessity Defense, Protest & State Repression, Green Scare resources, Amicus Briefs, and a multilingual Resource Library available in 10 languages. The organization does not charge for its legal services; it is funded entirely through individual donations, monthly donors, and organizational members, with no disclosed revenue, institutional investors, or parent organization. Following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, CLDC has experienced a documented surge in demand for legal support, federal civil rights filings, and trainings, and has publicly campaigned to expand its capacity by adding additional movement lawyers to its staff.

Name

Civil Liberties Defense Center

Legal name

Civil Liberties Defense Center

Website

https://cldc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Civil Liberties Defense Center is a Eugene, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing free legal representation, civil rights litigation, and rights/security training to climate, social justice, and immigrant activists across the United States, funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Legal Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Rights, Privacy & Free Expression Advocacy (BPAGAFAL)

Keywords

• Activist legal defense
• Civil rights litigation
• Know your rights training
• SLAPP suit defense
• Nonprofit legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Eugene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: CLDC is funded through donations from individuals, monthly donors, and organizational members. The organization relies on public support to sustain its activist defense operations.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CLDC provides free legal representation, referrals, and educational resources to frontline climate, environmental, and social justice activists across the United States. Its Justice in Action program delivers litigation and criminal defense for activists facing charges from protest activity, SLAPP suits, and state repression, while the Dissent & Democracy program delivers Know Your Rights workshops and digital/operational security trainings. All services are provided at no cost and supported by donations.

Product overview

Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) is a nonprofit legal defense organization, not a technology product company. It provides a comprehensive suite of free legal services and educational resources for activists, consisting of two core programs: Justice in Action (litigation/representation) and Dissent & Democracy (education/training). The organization offers multiple specialized service modules including Climate Activist Defense, Necessity Defense, Protest & State Repression, SLAPPs/Lawfare Defense, Green Scare resources, and Amicus Briefs. Its educational offerings include a Resource Library, Know Your Rights materials, Digital Security training, Climate Critical Infrastructure Primer, Immigrants & Allies resources, Train the Trainer program, and Legal Observer training. All services focus on defending civil liberties and supporting social justice and environmental activists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Justice in Action: CLDC's litigation program providing free legal representation to frontline climate and social justice activists
• Dissent & Democracy

Products and services

• Justice in Action Litigation program providing free legal representation and referrals to frontline social justice and environmental/climate activists facing criminal charges for their activism. Services include direct representation, amicus briefs, and SLAPP suit defense.
• Dissent & Democracy Program Proactive program challenging governmental attacks on civil liberties through Know Your Rights & Risks (KYRR) workshops and digital and operational security trainings, including a Train the Trainer component.
• Legal Observer Program Training and coordination program for volunteers who observe and document protests to support activist safety and provide legal evidence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully compelled DHS to withdraw a subpoena targeting a Reddit user who criticized ICE

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Public Citizen: Nonprofit consumer and democracy advocacy organization that litigates and educates on First Amendment and government accountability issues, with a comparable mix of litigation and public education to CLDC.
• National Lawyers Guild: National association of progressive lawyers and legal workers that provides legal support, observers, and defense for activists and protesters — a direct analog to CLDC's Justice in Action litigation and Legal Observer programs.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Civil liberties nonprofit focused on digital rights, privacy, free expression, and government surveillance — directly comparable to CLDC's Digital Security trainings and its successful Reddit/ICE grand jury subpoena defense.
• Center for Constitutional Rights: Progressive legal nonprofit that litigates cutting-edge constitutional and international human rights cases, including First Amendment protest cases — overlapping with CLDC's federal civil rights litigation focus.
• First Amendment Foundation: Nonprofit dedicated to protecting First Amendment rights of speech, press, assembly, and petition — directly comparable to CLDC's Free Speech Plaza and protest-related litigation.
• Climate Defense Project: Provides pro bono legal defense for climate activists and runs the Climate Defense Network of cooperating attorneys — directly comparable to CLDC's Climate Activist Defense and Necessity Defense offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: National civil rights legal organization that litigates voting rights, fair housing, and criminal justice cases — comparable in mission and pro bono legal services model to CLDC.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Largest U.S. civil liberties legal organization, providing litigation, advocacy, and education on constitutional rights including free speech and protest rights — directly overlapping CLDC's mission but operating at vastly greater scale across all 50 states.

Emerging players

• Protect Democracy: Cross-ideological nonprofit litigating against unconstitutional government actions, particularly executive overreach — overlaps with CLDC's federal building/ICE protester injunction cases and First Amendment defense work.
• Movement for Black Lives Legal Support Ecosystem (e.g., Law for Black Lives): Network providing legal support and infrastructure for racial justice movement organizers and activists — comparable to CLDC's grassroots activist defense and Know Your Rights training model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cldc
• Xx.com/CLDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/theCLDC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Civil Liberties Defense Center