Civil rights lawyers and attorneys advise and represent people who have been the victims of civil rights abuses. Such abuses take the form of illegal discrimination, usually on the basis of the victims race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, military status, sexual orientation, national origin, or discrimination against the disabled. Civil rights attorneys can help victims of discrimination understand and put to use protective statutes, including the Americans With Disabilities Act and the Equal Work for Equal Pay Act, among others.