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.
North Lakewood is a neighborhood in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located west of Arlington, east of Lake Goodwin, and north of the Tulalip Indian Reservation. North Lakewood is considered part of greater Smokey Point. Called "Lakewood" since the turn of the 20th Century, the name was changed after the Pierce County community of a similar name incorporated into the City of Lakewood in 1996. This soon created confusion with mail service, as there were now two communities sharing the name. To alleviate this problem, the United States Postal Service granted the Pierce County community the rights to use "Lakewood, Washington", since it was now an incorporated city, and changed the Snohomish County community's name to "North Lakewood", which was unincorporated at the time. This allowed the Snohomish County community to keep its Post Office. Since 2005, the portion of North Lakewood located inside the urban growth boundary has been part of the City of Marysville.