What does ACLU stand for? The four letters name the American Civil Liberties Union, a private nonprofit organization founded in 1920 that works to defend the individual rights written into the United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights. It is not part of the government, and it does not hold any official power.
You will usually see the name in news stories about court cases, where the group either represents someone or files a brief. It also lobbies lawmakers, publishes reports and runs public education about rights such as free speech, privacy and due process. People across the political spectrum hold strong and differing views of its work, so the focus here is the name and the group's activities.
Quick facts
Stands for
American Civil Liberties UnionType
Initialism, said A C L UWhat it is
A private nonprofit, not a government agencyFounded
1920Main work
Lawsuits, legal briefs, lobbying and public educationStructure
A national office plus affiliates in every stateNot to be confused with
The ADA, a federal law, or the DOJ, a federal department
What does ACLU stand for? A letter by letter look
| Letter | Word | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| A | American | Its focus is the United States |
| C | Civil | Rights a person holds as a member of society |
| L | Liberties | Freedoms the government may not take away without good cause |
| U | Union | A union in the old sense: people joined for a shared purpose, not a labor union |
The word "union" trips some readers up. The ACLU is not a trade union and does not bargain for workers. The name uses the older meaning of a group of members joined together. Civil liberties are mostly protections against the government, such as the right to speak, worship, protest and receive a fair trial.
What the ACLU actually does
Most of the work falls into a few kinds of activity:
- Representing clients. Staff lawyers and volunteer attorneys take cases for people who say a government body violated their rights.
- Friend of the court briefs. In cases where it is not a party, the group often files an amicus brief to argue a legal point.
- Lobbying. It takes positions on bills in Congress and in state legislatures.
- Know your rights materials. It publishes plain guides on topics like what to do when stopped by police.
Topics have ranged widely over the decades, including speech, religion, voting, policing, immigration, privacy and prisons. Supporters and critics often disagree about which cases it chooses, and both sides cite its record. For a sense of the courts these cases reach, see the page on SCOTUS.
National office and state affiliates
The ACLU is organized as a national office with affiliates in all 50 states, plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. The affiliates handle many local cases and state lawmaking. That is why a news report may say "the ACLU of Ohio" or "the Texas affiliate" rather than the national group.
There are also two related legal entities. One does lobbying, and a separate foundation handles most of the litigation and education work. The split exists for tax reasons, since nonprofits that lobby face different rules than those that do not.
In a news headline: "ACLU sues county over library book policy." Here the letters mean the private group, or one of its state affiliates, filed a lawsuit on behalf of residents. It does not mean a federal agency took action.
How to say and write ACLU
Say each letter: "A C L U." Nobody pronounces it as one word. Because it begins with the sound "ay," write an ACLU lawyer, not "a ACLU lawyer." Most writers put "the" in front: the ACLU filed a brief.
Capital letters only; periods are not used. On first mention in formal writing, spell out American Civil Liberties Union and then use the letters after that. The letters come from initials, which makes it an initialism; for how that differs from a word acronym, see what is an acronym.
The ACLU in everyday sentences
- "The ACLU represented the students in their free speech case."
- "Lawyers from the state ACLU affiliate filed a brief in the appeal."
- "She volunteered with the ACLU while in law school."
- "The bill drew comments from the ACLU and from several police groups."
- "An ACLU guide explains what to say if you are stopped while driving."
ACLU vs similar names and letters
A handful of other letter sets appear in these same stories and get mixed up:
- ACLU vs NAACP: both are private nonprofits involved in civil rights cases, but they are separate groups with separate histories.
- ACLU vs DOJ: the Department of Justice is part of the federal government. The ACLU sometimes sues the government; it is never part of it.
- ACLU vs NGO: NGO is a general label for any nongovernmental organization. The ACLU is one example.
You can find more agency and policy letters in our government acronyms guide.
Questions people ask
Is the ACLU a government agency?
No. The ACLU is a private nonprofit funded mainly by members and donors. It cannot enforce any law, but it can file lawsuits like any other party.
What does ACLU stand for in a court case?
It is the same name, the American Civil Liberties Union. In a case title or news story, it means the group or a state affiliate is representing a party or arguing a point as a friend of the court.
When was the ACLU founded?
It was founded in 1920. It has had offices in New York City for most of its history.
Is the ACLU political?
It describes itself as nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. Its positions on issues are debated, and people on different sides of a question often see its role very differently.
How do you pronounce ACLU?
Pronounce it A C L U, keeping each letter separate. Nobody reads it as one word.