Center for Individual Rights
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| Abbreviation | CIR |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1988 |
| Founder | Michael McDonald and Michael Greve |
| Type | public charity |
| Registration no. | 521600481 |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) non-profit |
| Purpose | Public interest law firm providing representation on issues of significant public interest. |
| Location |
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| Coordinates | 38°54′23″N 77°02′40″W / 38.9065°N 77.0445°WCoordinates: 38°54′23″N 77°02′40″W / 38.9065°N 77.0445°W |
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Region
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United States |
| Methods | litigating and publicizing individual cases |
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President
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Terence J. Pell |
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Jeremy A. Rabkin (Chairman) Larry P. Arnn (President of Hillsdale College) |
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Revenue (2015)
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$2,280,370 |
| Expenses (2015) | $2,139,103 |
| Mission | The defense of individual liberties against the increasingly aggressive and unchecked authority of federal and state governments. |
| Website | www |
The Center for Individual Rights (CIR) is a non-profit public interest law firm in the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm is "dedicated to the defense of individual liberties against the increasingly aggressive and unchecked authority of federal and state governments". The Center is officially nonpartisan. Its work focuses on enforcement of constitutional limits on state and federal power, primarily through litigation.
CIR's primary focus for most of its existence has been challenges to what it regards as unconstitutional or unlawful preferences based on race, sex, or another protected status. It has represented members of many races but is best known for challenging programs favoring minorities over non-minorities, often called "affirmative action". Another major focus for CIR is free speech. It has represented individuals and groups, often in university environments, challenging attempts to interfere with speech deemed "politically incorrect". A third focus has been federalism, the attempt to prevent Congress from legislating beyond the powers provided to it in the Constitution.
CIR was incorporated in November 1988 and began operations in April 1989. Its name was chosen to underscore that its objective would be to defend individual liberties, broadly understood to encompass both civil and economic rights. Its founders, Michael McDonald and Michael Greve had previously worked together at the conservative Washington Legal Foundation. McDonald, an attorney, specialized in First Amendment litigation. wrote on environmental issues and assisted with WLF's fundraising.
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