A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech, press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right to equality in public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class. Statutes have been enacted to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin, and in some instances sexual preference. Civil rights attorneys handle cases involving the rights of individuals to be free from unequal treatment (or discrimination) based on legally-protected characteristics such as race, gender, disability, national origin, age, sexual orientation, and religion. Civil rights cases can arise in a number of settings -- including employment, housing, lending, and education.
The Town of Brookhaven is a town located in central Suffolk County, New York, USA, and stretches from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island. Brookhaven is part of the New York metropolitan area. The population of the town was 448,248 at the 2000 census. It is the largest town (by area, if including water area) in the state of New York, and the second most populous, exceeded only by the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County.