James C. Harrington facts for kids
James C. Harrington is a special kind of lawyer from Texas. He started an important group called the Texas Civil Rights Project. James Harrington has always worked hard for fairness and justice. He even fought for the rights of farm workers with a famous leader named Cesar Chavez.
Harrington was known for standing up to big and powerful groups. This included the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas State Bar. He worked on many different cases. These cases involved civil rights, workers' rights, and stopping unfair treatment based on race. He also helped people with disabilities using a law called the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). James Harrington also taught law at the University of Texas. Students liked his classes because he taught them about real-world problems, not just theories.
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Early Life and Helping Others
James Harrington grew up wanting to help people who were struggling. His childhood and summers spent working with farm workers in Michigan shaped this desire. At first, he studied to become a priest. After eight years, he realized he could help people even more as a lawyer.
He went to law school at the University of Detroit. There, he met Rebecca Flores. They got married in 1972. The next year, they moved to Texas. Harrington then started working for the Texas part of the American Civil Liberties Union. This group works to protect people's rights.
Working for Justice
James Harrington worked with the Texas American Civil Liberties Union from 1973 to 1990. During this time, he teamed up with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. They worked together to make sure farm workers had basic rights. This included clean bathrooms, toilets, and drinking water in the fields.
Harrington was Cesar Chavez's lawyer for 18 years. They also helped farm workers get unemployment benefits. They secured workers' compensation if they got hurt on the job. They also won the right for workers to know about dangerous chemicals used in their workplaces. In 1981, they even won a ban in Texas. This ban stopped the use of the short-handled hoe. This tool caused serious injuries to farm workers.
Starting the Texas Civil Rights Project
In 1978, Harrington started a group called Oficina Legal del Pueblo Unido, Inc. (OLPU). This group helped people in South Texas. In September 1990, this group grew and became the Texas Civil Rights Project.
Starting the Texas Civil Rights Project meant Harrington stopped working for the Texas Civil Liberties Union. He felt the older group focused more on things like free speech. Harrington wanted to focus more on fairness for all races.
Under Harrington's leadership, the Texas Civil Rights Project made a big difference. They won many important cases. These cases helped people with disabilities. They also helped people in rural areas get economic fairness. The group worked on cases about fair treatment in schools (Title IX). They also worked on improving the criminal justice system. They fought against unfair treatment based on race and police brutality. They also worked to protect people's right to privacy.
After Retirement
After leading the Texas Civil Rights Project for 25 years, James Harrington retired in 2015. He wrote an article in the Texas Observer newspaper. In it, he shared his strong feelings for civil rights. He said he still wanted to help people, but in a "different way."
Since retiring, Jim Harrington has been the director of Proyecto Santiago. This is a program at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Austin. In 2020, he became a priest.
In 2023, Harrington filed a complaint with the Texas State Bar. He asked them to stop Ken Paxton from working as a lawyer in Texas. Harrington accused Paxton of misusing his power and other bad actions. Three former presidents of the State Bar of Texas and ten other lawyers joined Harrington in this complaint.
