(AURN News) — The NAACP has named former Justice Department civil rights chief Kristen Clarke as its new general counsel, signaling a major step in its legal fight to protect voting rights and civil liberties, according to The Associated Press.
Clarke, who previously led the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division from 2021 to early 2025, will oversee the organization’s legal strategy and litigation efforts, including cases involving voter access, gerrymandering and First Amendment protections.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson called her “the legal mind this moment demands” as the group confronts what it describes as escalating attacks on civil rights.
Clarke, the first Black woman to lead the DOJ division, has a long history of fighting racial injustice, including work on police reform cases and hate crime prosecutions.
Her appointment underscores the NAACP’s commitment to using legal action to challenge efforts undermining civil rights protections.
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