A Civil Rights Lawyer is concerned with sections of federal laws prohibiting discrimination on grounds of race, sex, religion, and national origin. A civil rights lawyer can also help with other federal laws such as those prohibiting employment practices and pregnancy discrimination.

The enforcement mechanism begins with the filing of suits, based upon individual charges of discrimination, to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Charges are filed with the EEOC by individuals who believe that they were unlawfully denied an employment opportunity or otherwise discriminated against by a state or local government employer.

If, after investigation, the EEOC determines that a charge has merit and that efforts to obtain voluntary compliance are unsuccessful, the EEOC then has authority to decide whether or not to commence litigation. A limited number of these suits are files by civil rights lawyers each year.

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