# American Constitutional Law Foundation
> A nonprofit, public-interest organization dedicated to First Amendment freedoms, direct democracy, and the constitutional legacy of Buckley v. ACLF (525 U.S. 182).

## About

The American Constitutional Law Foundation (ACLF) was founded in 1994 in Colorado to challenge unconstitutional restrictions on the initiative-petition process. In a landmark 6–3 decision on January 12, 1999, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ACLF in Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation, Inc., 525 U.S. 182 (1999), striking down three of Colorado's petition circulator requirements as violations of the First Amendment.

## Pages

- /: Home page — mission, featured case, constitutional principles, newsletter signup
- /history: Foundation History — timeline from 1994 founding to 1999 Supreme Court victory and ongoing legacy
- /research: Research Archive — legal case studies and documents
- /research/buckley-v-american-constitutional-law-foundation: Full analysis of Buckley v. ACLF (525 U.S. 182, 1999), including majority opinion (Ginsburg, J.), concurrence (Thomas, J.), and dissents (O'Connor, J., Rehnquist, C.J.)
- /community: Community forum for discussion of constitutional law and direct democracy
- /newsletter: Email newsletter subscription

## Key Legal Information

**Case:** Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation, Inc.
**Citation:** 525 U.S. 182 (1999)
**Court:** Supreme Court of the United States
**Docket:** 97-930
**Argued:** October 14, 1998
**Decided:** January 12, 1999
**Vote:** 6–3
**Author:** Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (majority)
**Petitioner:** Victoria Buckley, Secretary of State of Colorado
**Respondent:** American Constitutional Law Foundation, Inc.

**Holdings:**
- Registered voter requirement for petition circulators — STRUCK DOWN (First Amendment)
- Badge/name identification requirement — STRUCK DOWN (right to anonymous speech)
- Monthly paid circulator disclosure reports — STRUCK DOWN (failed exacting scrutiny)
- Circulator affidavit requirement — UPHELD (less burdensome accountability measure)

## Contact

hello@AmericanConstitutionalLawFoundation.com