named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Legal Advocacy for Victims of Terrorism
Provides legal support and representation to victims of state-sponsored terrorism and their families in filing civil suits against designated state sponsors of terrorism in U.S. federal courts
Mark vs Sudan
Represents the Mark family in litigation against the Republic of Sudan for material support to Hamas in connection with a 2016 terrorist attack that killed Rabbi Mark and injured his family
Stethem v. Islamic Republic of Iran
Represented the family of Robert Stethem, a U.S. Navy diver murdered during the 1985 TWA Flight 847 hijacking, in a successful lawsuit against Iran for material support to Hizballah
Surette (William Buckley)
Supported the family of William Buckley, CIA Station Chief kidnapped and killed in Beirut in 1984, in legal action against Iran for his torture and death
activities · 2 groups
What they do
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Conflict and Geopolitical Research Analysis 1 activity
- Conducting investigative work to support terrorism-related litigationConducts long-term investigations to gather intelligence and evidence linking foreign states and terrorist organizations to specific attacks, including an eight-year investigation connecting Iran and Hamas to a terrorist attack, and intelligence collection on Iranian, Syrian, and Russian government involvement in the torture and execution of Colonel William Richard Higgins.
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Uncategorized 5 activities
- Advocating for legal reforms and policy changes supporting victims' rightsLobbied for legislative and judicial changes to expand victims’ rights in terrorism-related litigation, including support for the Flatow Amendment enabling U.S. federal court claims for state-sponsored terrorism, and advocacy that enabled Major Robin Higgins to seek supplemental relief in 2008 by allowing punitive damages for family members.
- Filing civil lawsuits against foreign governments for material support of terrorismFiles civil actions under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and other legal frameworks to hold foreign nations accountable for materially supporting terrorist acts, including lawsuits against Iran (for supporting Hezbollah and Hamas), Sudan (for supporting Hamas), Syria, and Libya, resulting in default judgments such as the September 8, 2022 judgment in the Mark family case.
- Providing holistic victim support beyond legal servicesOffers ongoing personal and practical support to victims of terrorism, including assistance accessing mental health care and physical medical services beyond what is provided by the VA, ensuring comprehensive care for survivors.
- Providing legal representation to victims of state-sponsored terrorismRepresents victims and families of state-sponsored terrorism in U.S. federal court litigation against foreign governments and entities, including Iran, Syria, Sudan, and Libya, to secure compensation through default judgments and court awards. The organization has represented plaintiffs in multiple high-profile cases such as Flatow v. Islamic Republic of Iran, Higgins v. Islamic Republic of Iran, Khobar Towers bombing litigation, and Estate of Hirshfeld v. Islamic Republic of Iran.
- Securing monetary compensation for victims and families through civil litigationHas secured over $200 million in court-awarded damages for victims of terrorism, including compensatory, solatium, punitive, and economic damages. Specific awards include $57 million in Higgins v. Iran, $318.9 million for William Buckley’s estate, $345.5 million total for Alann Steen (including $300 million punitive), and $40 million in solatium damages for the Hirshfeld family.
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financials · form 990 · fy2022
revenue
Total revenue$120K
Contributions & grants$29K25%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$91K75%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$584K
Program expenses77%
Admin / overhead23%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$242K
Grants paid out$25K
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.39M
Cash$927K
Investments$0
Liabilities$7K
Net assets$1.38M
Liquid reserves19.0 mo
4 years on record · 2019–2022 · YoY revenue +11.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2022
Who runs it
board members · 1
- DANIEL SCHER — SECRETARY
relationships · 15
Who they work with
- British non-profit organization Partner — Collaborated with Dr. Michael Engelberg to lobby the British Parliament for the recovery of Alec Collett's remains.
- Dr. Michael Engelberg Partner — Acted as attorney-in-fact and used medical expertise to support the Steen case.
- Dr. Michael Engelberg Partner — Administrator of the estate and fiduciary who led legal action on behalf of the Center for Justice & Freedom in pursuing justice for victims of terrorism.
- Dr. Michael Engelberg Partner — Key advocate and legal strategist who collaborated with the Center for Justice and Freedom on advancing victims' rights in cases of state-sponsored terrorism.
- Dr. Michael Engelberg Partner — Lead representative and attorney-in-fact for victims in the Fort Hood case.
- Dr. Michael Engelberg Partner — Provided assistance and support in filing the lawsuit against the Republic of Sudan.
- Dr. Michael Engelberg Partner — Provided legal expertise and guidance to the Center for Justice & Freedom in pursuing damages for the Stethem family.
- Dr. Michael Engelberg Partner — Provides legal and emotional support to families of terrorism victims through the organization's cases.
- Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Government — Named defendant in litigation related to the Khobar Towers attack, accused of involvement in the attack.
- Iranian Minister of Intelligence and Security Government — Named defendant in litigation related to the Khobar Towers attack, accused of organizational and operational support.
- Islamic Republic of Iran Government — Defendant in litigation brought by the Center for Justice & Freedom on behalf of victims' families related to the Khobar Towers attack.
- Islamic Republic of Iran Partner — Subject of legal action by CJF in the case of Higgins v. Islamic Republic of Iran.
- Libya Partner — Named defendant in the legal case Franqui v. Syrian Arab Republic et al. for providing material support to the attackers and later subject to U.S. claims resolution.
- Syrian Arab Republic Partner — Named defendant in the legal case Franqui v. Syrian Arab Republic et al. for providing material support to the attackers.
- United States District Court for the District of Columbia Partner — Filed a lawsuit on behalf of a victim's family against a foreign state for state-sponsored terrorism.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Intelligence-Informed Legal Advocacymethodology: intelligence-informed legal advocacyBy integrating intelligence-gathered evidence with legal strategies, the organization strengthens civil cases on behalf of terrorism victims, because actionable intelligence increases the viability and impact of litigation against opaque state actors.
- Legal Accountability for State-Sponsored Terrorismmethodology: legal accountability for state-sponsored terrorismBy pursuing civil litigation against state sponsors of terrorism and their enablers in U.S. courts, the organization secures legal recognition of responsibility and compensation for victims, because holding states legally accountable reinforces equal access to justice and deters future support for terrorism.
- Medical-Legal Advocacy in Hostage Casesmethodology: medical-legal advocacyBy combining medical expertise with legal representation, the organization documents psychological and physical trauma in prolonged hostage situations to strengthen victims' claims, because clinically validated harm increases legal credibility and justifies higher damages.
- Public Advocacy for Systemic Accountabilitymethodology: public-accountability-advocacyBy leveraging public campaigns and institutional pressure, the organization drives accountability for systemic failures and exclusionary policies, because public visibility compels government responsiveness and corrects injustices like unequal victim compensation.