Laying the Foundation The Brandeis Center was founded in 2011 by Kenneth L. Marcus, a civil rights attorney who recognized the need for an organization that utilizes law-based initiatives to combat anti-Semitism. Mr. Marcus foresaw the escalating anti-Semitism in higher education and understood the importance of harnessing the power of the law to combat the scourge. When universities realize they could face legal liability for failing to protect students from unlawful harassment and discrimination, they become motivated to change the climate on campus. In 2012, LDB launched its legal advocacy initiative to defend the civil rights of Jewish American college students, hiring its first staff attorney. LDB also began training college administrators on the application of civil rights laws to Jewish students facing discrimination and initiating legal actions to defend Jewish college students. In 2013, LDB held its first national law student conference and formed its first law school chapter. In 2014, LDB’s white paper, The Morass of Middle East Studies, persuaded the U.S. Department of Education to adopt processes designed to correct anti-Israel indoctrination in Middle East Studies programs. Marcus’ book, The Definition of Anti-Semitism, published in 2015, has helped shape multiple U.S. policies and laid the groundwork for President Trump’s Executive Order on Anti-Semitism. In 2016, LDB sued the American Studies Association over BDS support. Setting the Standard In 2018, Alyza Lewin became president of LDB when Marcus left to serve as Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights. Lewin launched LDB’s JIGSAW Fellowship. In 2020, Marcus returned to LDB. During the 2020-2021 academic year, LDB successfully defended two prominent Jewish student government leaders, Rose Ritch (USC) and Max Price (Tufts), defending them against attempted impeachment. In 2021, LDB filed a high-profile EEOC anti-Semitism complaint against Stanford University. In 2022, LDB achieved a significant victory against BDS, negotiating a settlement with Unilever and its subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s after they terminated a 34-year-old licensing arrangement with an Israeli company, solely because the company refused to carry out unlawful directions to boycott parts of Israel. In 2023, LDB reached a landmark settlement with the University of Vermont as a result of an OCR complaint LDB brought. Not only was this the first campus anti-Semitism Resolution Agreement issued by the Biden Administration, but it was also noteworthy as it treated anti-Zionist harassment as a form of national origin discrimination on the basis of shared ancestry. The same year, LDB helped lead the coalition that prompted Morningstar, Inc. to commit to removing anti-Israel bias from its ESG platform and urged the SEC to implement ESG disclosure requirements that would alert investors to biased ratings. Looking Ahead In January 2025, LDB reached a landmark settlement with Harvard University over unchecked campus anti-Semitism, that when fully and faithfully implemented, will help ensure that Jewish students at Harvard and on campuses across the country are able to learn and thrive in an environment free from anti-Semitism. Just a month later, LDB earned a major settlement with Santa Ana Unified School District, marking a turning point in so-called “ethnic studies” curriculum in K-12 schools: teaching must be based on fact, and no teacher or speaker may use the classroom or materials to advocate their own religious, political, economic or social views. Also in 2025, LDB announced the launch of the Center for Legal Innovation (CLI), a public interest law firm housed within LDB’s corporate structure. The CLI takes LDB’s litigation efforts beyond education-focused Title VI complaints, advancing legal strategies for responding not just to the discrimination and harassment on campus, but also to the groups that are funding, organizing, and enabling the anti-Semitic activity. With the launch, LDB has significantly expanded its litigation capacity, strengthened its leadership team, and broadened its strategy to address anti-Semitism not only in education but also in workplaces, healthcare, unions, and public institutions. The Brandeis Center has unparalleled expertise and ability to fight anti-Semitism through civil rights law – from campuses to corporations. When institutions fail to comply with their legal obligations, LDB holds them accountable. For nearly two decades, the Brandeis Center has advanced the most significant legal protections for Jewish Americans.