Why It Matters
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is deploying significant resources to defend civil rights protections under sustained attack. The organization’s Q3 2025 lobbying—a $530,000 investment with 16 in-house lobbyists—targets legislation dismantling diversity programs, rolling back voting rights, weakening fair lending enforcement, and cutting social safety net programs.
The Leadership Conference directly opposes bills like the Dismantle DEI Act of 2025 (S.382) while championing the Justice for All Act of 2025 (H.R.1354) to codify disparate impact protections.
By the Numbers
The organization spent $530,000 on in-house lobbying during Q3 2025, deploying 16 registered lobbyists. The lobbying team brings substantial Capitol Hill experience: Elizabeth V. King served 8 years as a House Legislative Director, while Kanya Amina Bennett and Jesselyn Burnett McCurdy both worked as House Judiciary Committee Counsel. Frank C. Torres III brings 18 years of technology lobbying experience from Microsoft.
This is not a new entrant to federal advocacy. Since 2003, the organization has filed 208 lobbying disclosures and spent $32.3 million over two decades, establishing itself as a longstanding major player in civil rights lobbying. The organization supplements its in-house team with specialized external firms, including Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP on voting rights and NVG LLC on judicial nominations.
The Agenda
The organization is lobbying on a sweeping civil rights agenda spanning 14 policy areas. Most policies are diametrically opposed to the Trump Administration’s agenda.
Key priorities include supporting the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and opposing the SAVE Act. On education, it opposed the nominations of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education and Kim Richey as Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.
The organization is fighting healthcare cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, plus efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. Economic justice advocacy includes protecting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and pursuing Community Reinvestment Act reform. Additionally, it’s advocating for civil rights protections in artificial intelligence policy and facial recognition technology oversight.
Broader Context
Congressional action on civil rights enforcement has reached a critical juncture. The Dismantle DEI Act of 2025 seeks to eliminate federal diversity offices, directly opposing The Leadership Conference’s support for S.Res.240, which affirms DEIA as a core American value. Ranking Member Bobby Scott has actively defended civil rights protections against rollbacks, creating an urgent legislative environment for advocacy.
Competitive Landscape
The Leadership Conference operates within a crowded civil rights advocacy ecosystem. Allied organizations including the NAACP, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and UnidosUS are simultaneously lobbying on overlapping issues, amplifying collective pressure for civil rights protections.
The Bottom Line
The organization confronts executive actions eliminating disparate impact protections and DEI initiatives while Democratic members introduced counteroffensive legislation. The lobbying reflects a sharp ideological divide over federal civil rights enforcement.
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