Kansas City – American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri lawyer Gillian Wilcox was announced as a recipient of the 24th Annual Women’s Justice Awards. Since 1999, the Women’s Justice Awards have celebrated extraordinary women lawyers, law students, public officials and others in recognition of the standards of professional excellence they’ve set for their peers.
Wilcox, based in Kansas City, is the Deputy Director for Litigation with the ACLU of Missouri. She was nominated by the Association of Women Lawyers for her tireless dedication to defend civil liberties without regard to the identity or political leanings of the numerous individuals she has represented.
“We are extremely proud of Gillian for her work in protecting the rights of all people,” said Luz María Henríquez, Executive Director of the ACLU of Missouri. “Her work shines a spotlight on a system that has historically steamrolled the rights of members of our most marginalized communities. Gillian and the ACLU of Missouri will continue to be the premier defender of the rights enshrined in the U.S. and Missouri Constitutions by holding the state accountable to those principles.”
Wilcox joined the ACLU of Missouri in 2014 and currently directs the affiliate’s legal program, which investigates and legally challenges violations of Missourians’ constitutional rights and civil liberties issues in both state and federal courts. She is a skilled constitutional rights litigator.
Some of her work includes protecting Missouri’s foster youth by litigating cases to compel the state to follow federal law that requires it to allow youth to remain in or return to foster care during a global pandemic; securing a parole date for Bobby Bostic who was sentenced to serve 241 years in prison for a crime that he committed when he was just 16 years old; and representing transgendered people who are being denied medical coverage for medically necessary procedures based on their gender identification. The ACLU of Missouri legal team is also working on the class action lawsuit to preserve students’ first amendment rights by stopping the practice of the Wentzville R-IV School District from immediately removing books upon receipt of a complaint and then permanently removing them from library shelves.
“We are here to ensure that no one is denied the rights provided by our Constitution,” said Wilcox. “We will stand up for these rights regardless of popularity and even if no one else will.”
More information about the 2022 honorees can be found at the 24th annual Women’s Justice Awards website.
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