Series contains correspondence documenting Lenel's involvement with politically active organizations, including the Friends Committee on Legislation (FCL), Women for Legislative Action (WLA), and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).

Series contains subject files and publications on various topics Lenel followed, including civil liberties curtailment (especially McCarthyism), the civil rights movement, the disarmament, and anti-war movements. Clippings contained in this series are from both English and German newspapers. While the English clippings are generally about Lenel's interests (outlined above), the German ones are mostly from socialist and/or women's publications from before World War II.