CHRISTINA JUMP
Federal constitutional and civil rights work informed by decades of litigation and interfaith experience.
Ms. Jump is a civil rights litigator based in the Dallas area whose work focuses on enforcing constitutional rights in federal court. A former labor and employment attorney at national and Texas firms, she led the Civil Litigation department of a nationwide nonprofit Constitutional Law Center before founding Jump Start Legal Justice Center.
A Career of Litigating Rights That Matter
Christy represents clients in cases involving free speech, assembly and protest rights, religious freedom, free exercise, equal protection, and related federal civil rights claims. Her work includes both trial and appellate advocacy, developing factual records in district courts and briefing and arguing appeals when cases advance.
At the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, she built and led a civil litigation team focused on what she describes as the "pure law" of constitutional rights. That work centers on presenting federal courts with clear records and arguments about what the Constitution and civil rights statutes require, regardless of the momentary popularity of the clients or causes involved.
Current Federal Civil Rights Docket
In launching her solo practice, Christy continues as lead counsel in a substantial federal docket. She remains lead counsel in multiple active cases for American Muslims for Palestine, as well as in litigation brought by professors suing the University of Texas at Dallas and in matters for individual plaintiffs pursuing claims ranging from workplace religious accommodation disputes to challenges to federal watchlisting. She is also part of the legal team representing student protestors asserting campus free speech and assembly rights.
Campus protest and retaliation litigation brought by faculty arrested at a peaceful pro-Palestinian encampment at the University of Texas at Dallas, challenging arrests, restrictions, and alleged retaliation for protected speech.
A federal case in which American Muslims for Palestine obtained a temporary injunction preventing enforcement of contempt sanctions tied to donor-list demands that a court found likely overbroad and likely to infringe First Amendment associational rights.
An Interfaith Lens On Equal Application Of Law
Christy approaches civil-rights work through an explicitly interfaith lens. An Episcopalian who serves on the vestry of her Dallas parish, she has emphasized that many of her favorite matters are those rooted in collaboration across communities. In one pro bono case handled with co-counsel at a large firm, she represented Jewish and Muslim inmates seeking reinstatement of religiously compliant meals in a state prison system, litigation that led the corrections department to restore Kosher meal options.
Her representation of American Muslims for Palestine has involved coordination with Jewish, Christian, and other partners, reflecting a consistent commitment to ensuring that constitutional protections apply equally across traditions.
Experience Across Federal Courts
Christy is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, most United States Courts of Appeals, and numerous federal district courts. Her cases have involved free speech and protest rights in public forums, religious freedom and free exercise in land-use and institutional settings, equal protection and anti-discrimination claims, and statutory civil-rights tools such as Section 1983, Bivens, RFRA, and RLUIPA.
How She Speaks For Clients
Christy's public statements in litigation reflect both careful legal framing and clear advocacy for the people she represents. In discussing the lawsuit brought by professors arrested at a peaceful campus encampment, she has emphasized that the professors stood with students who were frightened by a wall of law enforcement and attempted to communicate peacefully, while officials chose arrest and employment consequences instead.
Her focus in such statements is on what happened, why it matters legally, and how courts can address it.
Credentials You Can Verify
- Licensed to practice law in Texas
- Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
- Admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States
- Admitted in most United States Courts of Appeals and in numerous United States District Courts
- Recognized as a Texas Super Lawyer
Recognition does not replace preparation, but it reflects a sustained record of work in complex and contested matters. Each new case receives the same attention to detail.
Clients Christy Commonly Represents
Christy represents religious organizations and houses of worship, faith-based and identity-based nonprofits, individuals who have been treated differently by government actors because of religion, race, or national origin, and activists, students, and community leaders whose speech and assembly rights have come under pressure.
Each potential matter is evaluated individually to determine whether it fits the mission and federal focus of Jump Start Legal Justice Center.
Timeline of Significant Milestones
A chronological look at key career achievements and victories.
Founded Jump Start Legal Justice Center
Launched a solo practice dedicated to federal constitutional and civil rights work, bringing decades of litigation experience to a focused civil rights docket.
Admiral and Wright v. University of Texas at Dallas
Campus protest and retaliation case on behalf of two professors arrested at a peaceful encampment, alleging violations of First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
American Muslims for Palestine v. Miyares
Federal challenge to state demands for nonprofit donor lists and contempt fines, citing likely First Amendment violations and the chilling of protected association.
Nonprofit Donor Protection Injunction
Secured a federal injunction protecting a pro-Palestinian nonprofit's donor lists from a state attorney general demand, successfully citing likely First Amendment violations and the chilling of protected association.
Selected Media and Coverage
Coverage of a lawsuit brought by professors suing the University of Texas at Dallas over arrests and alleged retaliation after a peaceful encampment protest.
Read More
Reporting on a federal injunction protecting a nonprofit's donor lists from a state attorney general demand, citing likely First Amendment violations.
Read More
Profile of Christy's transition from leading civil rights litigation at a national nonprofit to launching her solo practice while continuing as lead counsel in multiple federal cases.
Read More
Learn Whether Your Matter Fits This Practice
If you or your organization are facing government action that appears to single you out because of what you believe, what you say, or how you are perceived, a focused review of the facts and the law can clarify your options. Not every dispute belongs in federal court, but every potential client deserves an honest assessment of possible paths and limits.