Legal Momentum facts for kids

Legal Momentum, founded in 1970, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the nation's first and longest-serving legal advocacy group for women in the United States. Betty Friedan and Muriel Fox were its co-founders and Muriel Fox is an ongoing leader of the organization. Carol Baldwin Moody became President and CEO in April 2018. The organization, founded as the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, became Legal Momentum in 2004. Legal Momentum is a multi-issue organization dedicated to advancing women’s rights and gender equality, particularly in the areas of equal education opportunities; fairness in the courts; ending all forms of gender-based violence; workplace equality and economic empowerment. The organization employs three main strategies: impact litigation, policy advocacy, and educational initiatives. It is headquartered in New York City.

Major initiatives and involvement

• Wins Sprogis v. United Air Lines, Inc. (marital status discrimination and sex discrimination), 1970.
• Establishes the Judicial Appointment Project and the National Judicial Education Program to increase the number of female federal judges and eliminate gender bias in the courts, 1978-88. The National Judicial Education Program continues to develop training materials and provide training for judges, prosecutors, and multidisciplinary audiences nationwide in order to improve the handling of assault cases.
• Beginning in 1991, worked with the Senate Judiciary Committee to craft and pass the Violence Against Women Act, 1994, and its 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2013 reauthorizations.
• Wins Tallon v. Liberty Hose Co. No. 1, (women as firefighters and gender-bias), 1984.
• Crafts the Violence Against Women Act, 1994, and its 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2013 reauthorizations.
• Authors and works to enact the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, 1994.
• Amicus curiae in United States v. Virginia involving the Virginia Military Institute's denial of admission to women, 1996.
• Founded Women's eNews in 1999 as an online news service highlighting women's issues.
• Supported the Child and Dependent Care tax credit, 2001.
• Amicus curiae in Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs, 2003.
• Argued United States v. The City of New York (interpreting the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as applied to welfare recipients), 2004.
• Amicus curiae in Young v. United Parcel Service (workplace accommodations for pregnant workers), 2014.
• Legal Momentum published in 2017 the Legal Toolkit for Women's Economic Equality, a comprehensive New York State guide that educates woman and advocates about rights and benefits in 13 cross-cutting areas that relate to women’s economic security.
• Instrumental in passing legislation in 17 states outlawing extortion

Impact Litigation

Legal Momentum pursues precedent-setting litigation to define and defend women’s rights. It brings cases of national significance to the field of women's rights and contributes amicus ("friend of the court") briefs in cases dealing with issues central to its mission.

The Syms Legal Momentum Gender Equality Helpline is a free, national resource that provides information, assistance, and referrals for anyone facing gender discrimination. Each year, Legal Momentum fields hundreds of inquiries directing people to the appropriate resources and next steps for their individual circumstance and provides legal representation in a small number of potentially high-impact cases.

Legislation and Advocacy

Legal Momentum leads advocacy efforts on a range of policy solutions aimed at responding to and eradicating gender discrimination and achieving gender equality.

Beginning in 1991, Legal Momentum worked closely with then-Senator Biden to draft and pass the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Since 1994, VAWA has provided billions of dollars for victim services, education for justice system professionals and prevention programs aimed at ending gender-based violence.

Educational Initiatives

The National Judicial Education Program (NJEP), founded in 1980, creates, presents and publishes a range of curricula and articles grounded in legal, social, and neuroscience research used to educate the judiciary about gender bias and how it can undermine fairness in our justice system.

Legal Momentum’s Rights Now! peer education program works with youth, especially young women of color, by developing their knowledge and leadership on issues of gender-based violence and discrimination, and empowering them to carry that knowledge back into their communities to teach others.

Legal Momentum’s Women Valued leads legislative advocacy and know-your-rights educational initiatives focused on safeguarding the rights of groups who have long been underserved by law, including women of color, immigrant women, victims of gender-based violence, and the disproportionate number of women relegated to low-wage work.

Name and brand identity

In 2004, the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund rebranded to Legal Momentum, a more succinct, mission-centric name that reflects the evolution and ongoing work of the organization.