Legal Advocacy Fund

We challenge sex discrimination in higher education and the workplace.

Sex discrimination today takes a variety of forms

Unfair pay, pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault and violations of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 can affect both women and men.

AAUW’s Legal Advocacy Fund addresses these barriers by informing people of their rights and using the legal system to seek justice and change. LAF was created in 1981 by AAUW members and has provided millions of dollars to balance the scales of justice for people working toward gender equity through the legal system.

We support brave plaintiffs seeking legal redress for equal pay, Title IX, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and tenure denial violations. We allocate $100,000 annually to help fund landmark cases, such as Wal-Mart v. Dukes and Cioca v. Rumsfeld, as well was cases with the potential to set future precedents like Rizo v. Fresno County Office of Education.

Apply for Funding

Legal Case Support Grant

Legal Advocacy Fund Legal Case Support Grants are available to fund cases in state or federal court that address sex discrimination in employment or education and have the potential to set or reinforce precedent for future cases on gender discrimination. Deadline: September 30

Join us on August 25 for a webinar on graduate education

Graduate Education is Changing: How do you make sure it still works for you? August 25, 2026 from 2 to 3 pm ET.

Our upcoming webinar explores how funding opportunities for graduate students are changing, how graduate programs are evolving and adapting, how students can identify the programs that best align with their goals, and the ways graduate education can create opportunities for leadership, impact and lifelong growth.