Summary: The Obama Administration

269 Words2 Pages
Early in the Obama Administration, the Justice Department has filed a so-called statements of interest. This allows the federal government to go around the country seeking local disputes, throw its weight behind private lawsuits and push the limits of civil rights law. Top civil rights prosecutor of the Justice Department, Vanita Gupta, said on an interview, “We want to do as much federal civil rights work as possible, and statements of interest are effective, efficient tools.” She also said that she had encouraged her lawyers to look for local cases that presented opportunities for the federal government to make important civil rights arguments. Civil rights groups have applauded this government intervention in their cases. This is