NLG CHICAGO

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2019 Annual Celebration

Our Annual Celebration is coming up on Friday, November 15th, 5:30 – 9:30pm at the Hatchery, 135 N Kedzie.  Come celebrate 82 years of law for the people!  Buy tickets now at www.tinyurl.com/2019AnnualCelebration

Join us for a night of eating, drinking, and merrymaking to support the work of NLG Chicago.  Our 2019 celebration will be a chance for lawyers, legal workers, law students, and all our friends and comrades to come together. There will be catered vegan appetizers, a fabulous silent auction, and more! Space is wheelchair accessible. For other accessibility inquiries or any additional questions, please email chicago@nlg.org.

Our Kinoy Award honoree this year is Dima Khalidi.  Dima Khalidi is the founder and director of Palestine Legal. She oversees Palestine Legal’s array of legal and advocacy work to protect people speaking out for Palestinian freedom from attacks on their civil and constitutional rights. Over the last seven years, in collaboration with the NLG and the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), Dima has built Palestine Legal into a 9-person movement lawyering nonprofit that takes the lead from the movement it serves, using the law as one among many tools that can be deployed together to fight injustice. Palestine Legal’s support to activists advocating for Palestinian freedom and resisting widespread efforts to shut them down models a kind of principled advocacy that demands our individual rights of speech and association, and our collective right to join for justice. Dima’s leadership has built an institution that protects the people who are questioning one of the most entrenched of orthodoxies – unquestioning support for Israel and the political ideology of Zionism – and that is committed to building solidarity with and uplifting other movements for social justice. As a leader, Dima is dedicated to supporting others in building their collective power – both inside the organization she directs and outside in the movements she supports. 

Dima’s past work has also served the Palestinian cause in various ways. She worked with CCR as a cooperating attorney on the Mamilla Cemetery Campaign, petitioning United Nations officials to stop the desecration of an ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem, and advocating on behalf of Palestinian descendants of individuals interred in the cemetery. As a volunteer and intern at CCR, she worked on cases seeking accountability for Israeli violations of international law, as well as on CCR’s Guantanamo Bay docket. She also interned with the People’s Law Office in Chicago, assisting in the acquittal of Palestinian-American Muhammad Salah on major federal criminal charges.

 

The Arthur Kinoy Peoples Law Award is in honor of Arthur Kinoy, a celebrated and beloved member of the National Lawyers Guild who dedicated himself to using the law in service of the people and encouraged generations of others to do the same. Arthur Kinoy was a fierce civil rights lawyer, a co-founder of the Center for Constitutional Rights, and an active Guild member for most of his adult life.

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CLE: Fighting for the Freedom of Political Prisoners

Here are the written materials from our Sept 12 CLE: Fighting for the Freedom of Political Prisoners.

Assembling Parole Packets and Advo Letters Memo 7.31.2019Africa v. Digulielmo_ 2004 Habeas Decision Challenging ConvictionIL Parole Training Materials

 

A siege. A bomb. 48 dogs. And the black commune that would not surrender _ World news _ The Guardian Janet Africa Habeas Memo

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Annual Celebration 2019

Tickets go on sale this Monday at 9am for NLG Chicago’s 2019 Annual Celebration!   We hope you’ll join us to celebrate 82 years of law for the people.

This year, we have a special promotional offer just for the first day of ticket sales.  Buy your ticket on Monday, Sept 23, and you’ll be entered in a raffle for a FREE WINE TASTING at Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant. Tickets can be purchased through the event page.  Remember, buy your tickets on our opening day to get entered in this special promotional raffle.

The event is Friday, November 15th from 5:30-9:30pm at The Hatchery, 135 N Kedzie.  There will be catered vegan appetizers, a fabulous silent auction, and more! Space is wheelchair accessible. Learn more.

Be ready to buy your tickets Monday and WIN A FREE WINE TASTING!

 

 

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International Committee local meet and greet

On Friday, June 28th, the NLG Chicago will host a meet and greet with Colombian refugee Eliasib Amet Ramírez Herrera to talk about international observation and the NLG’s solidarity delegation to Colombia. This event is a partnership between NLG Chicago and ColPaz.

When:  Friday, June 28th, 7pm-10pm

Where: 2742 N Francisco Ave

Email chicago@nlg.org to RSVP or with any questions.

More about Eliasib Amet Ramírez Herrera: Currently studying for a degree in International Relations at UNAM, qualified in Non-Violent Conflict Resolution and Human Rights, he is member of the Colectivo de Colombianos por la Paz (ColPaz) and member of the Red de víctimas de Colombianos por la Paz en América Latina y el Caribe (REVICPAZ- LAC) and founding member of the Red Mundial de Refugiados, formed at the first World Summit of Refugees in Geneva, Switzerland in 2018.  Presently he works in the project  of Education For Peace At  Programa Casa Refugiados A.C. (PCR).

More about the delegation to Colombia, August 3 – August 10, 2019: The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) announces its upcoming delegation to Colombia to be held from August 3 – 10, 2019. This delegation continues the Guild’s on-going solidarity work in Colombia and Latin America, particularly given Colombia’s geopolitical importance, the rise of the far right in the region and the increasing political and military alliance with the U.S.

This timely delegation comes on the heels of many important landmarks – most importantly, the
signing of a final peace agreement on November 30, 2016, between the FARC-EP (Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo) guerrilla and the Colombian government. This
historic treaty, which was approved by Congress, and the possibility for a peaceful transition and
reconstruction of Colombian society is now being threatened by President Ivan Duque. Despite the
creation of the JEP (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz), the newly-created legal entity with
jurisdiction to administer the implementation of the peace accords, compliance with the accords
remains negligent at best.

Notwithstanding the Peace Accords and the ongoing implementation of disarmament and
normalization, there are ongoing concerns for human rights defenders, members of rural,
indigenous, afro-Colombian and displaced communities and victims of the conflict in general, in
particular retaliatory or repressive tactics taken against rural communities, human rights
defenders, indigenous and afro-Colombian communities.

In light of the current political context, the delegation will have several objectives aimed at
providing delegates with a solid general understanding of the human rights, socio-economic, cultural, environmental and political issues facing Colombia at this critical juncture, as well as first-
hand knowledge through meetings with directly impacted communities. We will meet with representatives of key human rights organizations, members of progressive lawyers’ associations, community-based organizations, academic experts, and journalists and/or politicians. Delegates are expected to have an understanding of Colombia’s socio-political history as well as contemporary events and will be expected to contribute to post-delegation writing and work. In addition to meetings in the capital of Bogotá, the delegation will travel to the internal department of Valle del Cauca. The Valle del Cauca is known as one of the areas most impacted by armed conflict and is home to a vast number of afro-Colombian and indigenous communities.
SPONSORS: The delegation is sponsored by the International Committee and the Indigenous
Peoples’ Rights Committee of the National Lawyers Guild. It is hosted primarily by Lazos de
Dignidad and Procesos de Comunidades Negras, two human rights organizations based in Colombia.

OBJECTIVES:
1. To evaluate and monitor the implementation of the Peace Accords in Colombia between the
Colombian government and the FARC-EP guerrilla, including an analysis of the
normalization, disarmament and the role of the U.S. in a post-conflict Colombia;

2. Learn about the human rights issues facing rural, afro-Colombian, and indigenous
communities due to the lack of judicial guarantees, ongoing armed conflict, targeting by
paramilitary forces, mining and forms of extractivist industry;

3. Learn about the human rights issues facing, labor unions, and human rights defenders;

4. Make visible the ongoing human rights violations and lack of implementation of the historic
Peace Accords.

PLANNED ITINERARY:
Upon acceptance in the delegation, a detailed travel itinerary will be provided due to security
concerns, but a general we will split our time between Bogotá and Valle de Cauca.
DELEGATIMore about the delegation to Colombia, August 3 – August 10, 2019:ON COST: Approximately $1,100 (costs may vary based on confirmed number of
participants and shifting in-country costs). Costs include lodging, 2 – 3 meals a day, in-country
transportation, trip organization, guiding, and translation. Participants will be two or more to a
room in basic accommodations and may have shared bathroom facilities. Participants should be
able to transport their own luggage through various transfers from taxi, plane, bus, and some
walking. Fee reductions for those with a demonstrated need may be available depending on
finalized costs and size of the group, but the National Lawyers Guild does not finance delegations
for its participants and participants are strongly encouraged to use crowdfunding and seek other
resources to cover costs of their trip. In the past, law students have been able to receive funding via
law schools for summer projects. Participants will arrange and pay for their own travel to and from
Colombia.
FLIGHTS: Delegates will arrange their own flights to arrive in Bogotá by Saturday, August 3, 2019,
and depart from Bogotá on Saturday, August 10, 2019.
*Cost of lodging on the last night in Bogota is not covered, as delegates may choose to stay longer in
Cali, return to Bogota, or generally go elsewhere in Colombia after the conclusion of the delegation.
TYPE OF PARTICIPANT: This delegation is open to lawyers, legal educators, legal workers, law
students, and advocates who are concerned about human rights, the rule of law, and the issues
outlined above. Spanish is not a requirement; however it is helpful to have some basic knowledge.
Participants will be expected to contribute to a delegation report as well as write articles
about the delegation and its findings or other post-delegation work as defined by the group
and in-country partners. This trip will include extensive in-country travel by public and private
buses, plane, and taxis as well as significant amounts of walking. Participants must be able to
handle unexpected changes antaked potentially rustic conditions. The anticipated group size is 10-
15.
CONTACT: For more information, please contact Natali Segovia, segovia.natali@gmail.com and/or
Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan, lyciaora@gmail.com. Please submit your applications ASAP to Natali
Segovia, at segovia.natali@gmail.com.
* An initial deposit of $250 will be due upon acceptance to the delegation. The remaining balance must
be paid in full prior to departure.

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Movement Lawyering CLE: The Criminalization of Homelessness

 

 

Although advocating for people experiencing homelessness is an underappreciated area of criminal defense, the support present at the Mass Defense Committee’s April 24th CLE, “The Criminalization of Homelessness,” demonstrates that those without homes in Chicago are not without people dedicated to fighting for their basic human rights.  Diane O’Connell, a community lawyer at the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) who provides a variety of legal services to people experiencing homelessness, presented along with Ali Simmons, a CCH street outreach worker and community organizer. Nickolas Kaplan, an NLG attorney who was active in providing legal support in the struggle to save the Tent City in Uptown, moderated the event.

The discussion largely focused on the Uptown Tent City, an encampment on the Lake Shore Drive viaduct which experienced consistent government harassment over a period of several years.  Some of the major moments of the campaign reviewed by panelists included a large scale eviction of the encampment in September 2017, as well as subsequent direct actions protesting the evictions.   Simmons strongly reinforced that such encampments function not only as shelter, but refuges of community and support for the people who live there. As a result, when the city displaces an encampment, people lose their community.  For many, encampments are the only viable option for survival due to the lack of availability — and accessibility — of many housing options in the city of Chicago. Accessibility of housing for those with disabilities is one of the many lenses through which Simmons highlighted the intersectional nature of homelessness.  He further discussed how those without homes can be more vulnerable both to sexual violence and incarceration after their encampments are displaced.

O’Connell then went on to discuss various legal strategies aimed at supporting the rights of homeless people.  A prominent legal avenue for this aid is the Illinois Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act, which provides some protection to homeless people and their property.  She emphasized that while a person experiencing homelessness has the right under law to equal treatment without discrimination, in reality the mere fact of homelessness often provides basis for discrimination. Other initiatives of CCH which were discussed included the Bring Chicago Home campaign, a small real estate tax increase which would be used to fund housing increases for communities experiencing homelessness.

Both Simmons and O’Connell underscored the two main points which lawyers should glean from the discussion:  first and foremost comes actively listening to the people who are already in the struggle for their own rights; secondly, when working with the homeless community, it is of utmost importance to follow through on any and all commitments given.  Being present and forming active partnerships between lawyers and people experiencing homelessness provides a framework for reshaping the outlook on the needs of homeless communities, with an emphasis on intersectionality and the concept of refuge.   

Contact

637 S. Dearborn St., 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60605

chicago[@]nlg.org