The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center was founded in 1985 by the adult children of J. Roderick MacArthur, the pioneer of the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s “genius” grants, to honor his lifelong passion for social justice and human rights.
Today MJC has a staff of more than 50 attorneys, paralegals, investigators, communications, operations, and administrative staff advancing a docket of more than 200 cases across our five offices: Chicago, IL; St. Louis, MO; New Orleans, LA; Oxford, MS; and Washington, DC.
Our Supreme Court and Appellate Program (SCAP) fights for civil rights and criminal justice in the U.S. Supreme Court, federal courts of appeals, and state supreme courts across the country. SCAP attorneys frequently partner with state and federal public defenders, private attorneys, and large law firms, offering our extensive experience in litigating high-stakes criminal justice issues before the Supreme Court and other appellate courts.
Our Impact
The MacArthur Justice Center has achieved notable successes in landmark legal and reform efforts in the U.S. Supreme Court and beyond. These include combatting racial discrimination in the criminal justice system; overturning wrongful convictions and death sentences; exposing police and prosecutorial misconduct; winning substantial judgments for victims of prosecutorial, police and prison abuse; supporting the rights of protestors; and securing consent decrees and systemic settlements in cases involving defense resources, prosecutorial and police misconduct, and prison conditions.
MJC has achieved consequential Supreme Court victories, including landmark decisions, on issues that include:
Garza v. Idaho: Establishing the presumption of prejudice for Sixth Amendment purposes applies to the loss of the right to appeal even if that right was waived by the defendant.
Munaf v. Geren: Establishing the right of U.S. citizens to seek a writ of habeas corpus in federal court challenging their detention by the American government, regardless of where they are detained.
Razul v. Bush: Establishing the right of access to the courts through a writ of habeas corpus for foreign nationals held in Guantanamo.
Thompson v. Clark: Allowing a victim of falsified charges to hold the government accountable for malicious prosecution.
The breadth of MJC’s impact is broad, spanning advocacy on behalf of individuals who have been subjected to injustice within the criminal legal system. MJC has successfully litigated consequential and precedent-setting cases on solitary confinement, the death penalty, and denial of parole, and has held multiple prison officials, police, and prosecutors accountable for wrongful conduct.
MJC has recovered over $100 million in civil cases arising out of wrongful convictions, recently serving as co-counsel in securing a $50 million jury verdict, the largest financial award for a wrongful conviction in U.S. history.
MJC’s impact extends well beyond the courtroom to thought leadership and coalition building, with programs such as the National Parole Transformation Project and Mississippi Forensic Navigators, an innovative new program in collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health to help Mississippians in local jails access mental health resources and services.
SHAPING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATES
We know that one of the best ways to ensure real, lasting change is to help shape the next generation of attorneys dedicated to continuing the fight for justice. MJC operates clinical programs at Northwestern University Law School, Harvard Law School, and the University of Mississippi Law School.
In addition to our clinical work, our legal fellowships are designed to facilitate learning for recent law school graduates and to support the work of the regional offices. Legal fellows conduct work under close supervision and direction of an MJC attorney.
Learn more about our senior leadership.