NLG CHICAGO

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NLG Applauds the Compassionate Release of Lynne Stewart

December 31, 2013

Contact: Tasha Moro, 212-679-5100, ext. 15
NEW YORK —Today Judge John G. Koeltl granted the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) request for the compassionate release of Lynne Stewart. This is heartening news. Ms. Stewart is 74 years old and has terminal cancer with a life expectancy of less than 18 months. She has been serving a ten-year sentence at the Federal Medical Center Carswell (FMC Carswell) in Fort Worth, Texas, in connection with her defense of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman.

As her condition has continued to deteriorate, the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and several legal and social justice organizations have twice called on Attorney General Eric Holder to direct the BOP to grant compassionate release. Given that Ms. Stewart’s medical condition clearly falls within recent reforms to the BOP’s compassionate release program announced by Holder in August, and that the warden at FMC Carswell had earlier approved her release, the NLG urged that the process of consideration be expedited.

“From arrest to sentencing, Lynne Stewart’s case was used by the Department of Justice to send a chilling message to attorneys: think twice about who you represent! For speaking to a Reuters reporter about her client’s viewpoints – in violation of an administrative order – an ailing Ms. Stewart was sentenced to a decade in prison. Today’s small measure of justice does little to repair the damage wrought by the government’s unjust prosecution of an advocate whose service to society has been widely documented,” said Heidi Boghosian, Executive Director of the NLG.

Robert J. Boyle, one of Lynne Stewart’s attorneys added, “We are gratified and thankful that the government has agreed to Lynne’s compassionate release request. She has dedicated her life to fighting for justice for the underserved and unpopular. Lynne can now return home to her family and to the community that loves her.”

Ms. Stewart is a longtime member of the National Lawyers Guild. Since her initial indictment, Guild members have educated the public about the many ways her case runs afoul of the Constitution. The Guild’s 2005 publication The Case of Lynne Stewart: A Justice Department Attack on the Bill of Rights is available at nlg.org.

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(dis)Orientation 2013 — It’s Not You, It’s Law School!

Chicago City-wide National Lawyers Guild presents:

 (dis)Orientation *2013*

It’s not you, it’s law school.

Date: September 21, 11am-5pm (followed by HAPPY HOUR!). Lunch included.

Location: Chicago-Kent College of Law, 565 W. Adams St.

Panels Include:

*Welcome to the Guild!*
*Student Tips & Tricks–Surviving Law School without Losing Your Soul*
*Legal Observer AND First Defense Legal Aid Know Your Rights & Hotline Training!*
*Critical Theory: What You Won’t Hear in the Classroom*
*Radical Career Paths*

Interested in social justice lawyering?! NLG is the place to be! Get introduced to the Guild and find out what it’s all about. Plus, a chance to meet and network with NLG law students and Guild lawyers from all over the City!

 RSVP by filling out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1JdJ2UAz0COdeDec6ucg7jlXR7wk4j_snXyw3fot460M/viewform

https://www.facebook.com/events/502601089831033/

In addition: NLG presents: LIVE Screen printing.

Upcycle your wardrobe with our live screen printing setup at (dis)Orientation! Bring your old clothes, pick an awesome design and ink color, and we’ll turn that forgotten sweater into something special.


Please join us afterwards for a special post Dis-O Next Gen Happy Hour with law students from all schools!

Come out to this special happy hour hosted by the Next Gen Committee and welcome students who have just completed the great DisOrientation program! Let’s show them the Guild community and and how great it is here in Chicago.

When: Saturday, Sept. 21st  5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Where: Dylan’s Tavern and Grill

118 South Clinton Street (DisOrientation is at Kent so we want to be nearby)

Specials: Great food and great beer, and a full bar

$5 Corona,

$5 Modelo 

$5 Dos Equis  

Other specials to be announced that day 

The Next Gen Happy Hour:  Every month, the Next Gen Committee of the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago throws a happy hour to bring together young, progressive, and radical attorneys, law students, and legal workers to drink, socialize, organize, and relax.  Join us!

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In Victory for Student Free Speech, Department of Education Dismisses Complaints

August 29, 2013

(Photo: Columbia SJP)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Tasha Moro
Communications Coordinator
(212) 679-5100, ext. 15
communications@nlg.org

IN VICTORY FOR STUDENT FREE SPEECH, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DISMISSES COMPLAINTS:
Decisions on Three California Campuses Defeat Attempts to Silence Campus Activism around Palestine

Berkeley – Civil rights organizations this week welcomed news that the Department of Education’s (DOE) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has closed three investigations against three University of California schools, at Berkeley, Santa Cruz, and Irvine, which falsely alleged that Palestinian rights activism created an anti-Semitic climate. The complaints underlying the investigation claimed that student protests and academic programming in support of Palestinian rights and critical of Israel “created a hostile environment for Jewish students.”

“We are pleased that these baseless complaints have been dismissed, though puzzled by the amount of time it took to reach this result. The National Lawyers Guild will continue to defend the free speech rights of students to engage in sharp criticism of Israel,” said NLG attorney Matt Ross.

“The organized legal bullying campaigns have failed,” said attorney Nasrina Bargzie, of Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus (ALC), who alongside attorneys from Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) advocated for the students whose activism was scrutinized in the investigations.

“OCR’s decision in these cases confirms the obvious – that political activity advocating for Palestinian human rights does not violate the civil rights of Jewish students who find such criticism offensive, and that, to the contrary, colleges and universities have an obligation to create an environment that supports freedom of expression.” said Bargzie.

In its letter to UC Berkeley, OCR officials stated that student demonstrations in support of Palestinian rights “constituted expression on matters of public concern directed to the university community. In the university environment, exposure to such robust and discordant expressions, even when personally offensive and hurtful, is a circumstance that a reasonable student in higher education may experience. In this context, the events that the complainants described do not constitute actionable harassment.”

“We speak out on campus about matters of fundamental human rights. Students at institutions that are all about learning deserve to be part of robust discussion about one of the most pressing human rights issues of our time,” said Taliah Mirmalek, a student at UC Berkeley and a member of Students for Justice in Palestine.

The Berkeley complaint was filed in July 2012 by two attorneys who had previously filed an unsuccessful federal lawsuit on similar grounds. The Berkeley investigation was the latest of the three to be open; the Santa Cruz investigation was opened in March 2011, and the Irvine investigation in 2007.

A number of legal and advocacy groups, including Advancing Justice – ALC, CAIR, CCR, NLG, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, American Muslims for Palestine, the Arab American Institute, and American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California have worked to challenge the misuse of civil rights law to intimidate students and dissuade them from advocating for Palestinian rights on campus.

“Students have faced a pervasive stigma that at times negatively impacted our ability to fundraise and hold events on campus, and even intimidated some of our peers into silence,” said Rebecca Pierce, a recent graduate of UC Santa Cruz and member of the Committee for Justice in Palestine. “However, we feel vindicated that the DOE has rejected this attack on our freedom of expression, and we will continue to advocate in accordance with our values regarding human rights and social justice.”

“The First Amendment unequivocally protects the activities that were targeted in these complaints – holding demonstrations, distributing flyers, street theatre – criticizing the governmental policy of the State of Israel and supporting Palestinian human rights. It is long past time that students engaging in First Amendment activities are able to do so without fear,” said Liz Jackson, Cooperating Counsel with CCR, who also worked with the targeted students.  “While there continue to be threats of Title VI complaints against other universities, we are confident that OCR recognizes these claims as attempts to silence certain speech on Israel/Palestine, and do not present viable claims of discrimination against Jewish students,” said Jackson.   

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QUICK LINKS:

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NextGen Happy Hour at Clark Street Ale House

Next Gen Post Bar Exam Celebratory Happy Hour at Clark Street Ale House! 

Come out and celebrate those who have finished the bar and enjoy a great summer happy hour! 

When: Friday, August 2nd, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Where: Clark Street Ale House  742 North Clark Street

Hopefully on the back patio!

The Next Gen Happy Hour:  Every month, the Next Gen Committee of the National Lawyers Guild of Chicago throws a happy hour to bring together young, progressive, and radical attorneys, law students, and legal workers to drink, socialize, organize, and relax.  Join us!

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NLG Report on New Marijuana Laws

In Wake of New Marijuana Laws, NLG Report Contrasts Legalization Strategies and Obstacles

Traci Yoder
Senior Researcher, National Lawyers Guild
traci@nlg.org
(212) 679-5100, ext. 12
New York

In November 2012, Washington and Colorado became the first states—and the first jurisdictions in the world—to legalize the possession, use, and regulated distribution of marijuana. Although Attorney General Eric Holder promised in March 2013 to announce a Department of Justice policy to address the state initiatives, the White House has yet to take a position. This shifting legal terrain is the subject of “High Crimes: Strategies to Further Marijuana Legalization Initiatives,” a new report by the National Lawyers Guild (NLG).

The NLG report analyzes the legalization process under way in the states, suggests strategies to further marijuana legalization initiatives, and highlights current obstacles to ending prohibition. Among the NLG recommendations: reframe drug use as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice problem, challenge the punitive international drug policy framework, support states’ rights to regulate marijuana use, and reclassify marijuana to allow for medical research.

“High Crimes” also calls attention to the role of law enforcement agencies and private prison industry interventions in the field of US drug policy. “It is crucial to examine who profits from the continued prohibition of marijuana,” said NLG Senior Researcher Traci Yoder, the report’s author. “The increasing militarization of police forces is funded through property and financial seizures during drug arrests.  Continued profit making by private corrections corporations is contingent upon ever-increasing rates of incarceration.”

As the nation waits for a response from the White House, the NLG joins other organizations and individuals in calling for the end to marijuana prohibition. “Marijuana legalization will create new jobs, generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, and allow law enforcement to focus on serious crimes,” said Brian Vicente, NLG member and one of the primary authors of Colorado’s legalization amendment. “It would be a travesty if the Obama administration used its power to impose marijuana prohibition upon a state whose people have declared, through the democratic process, that they want it to end.”

The report, “High Crimes: Strategies to Further Marijuana Legalization Initiatives,” can be accessed on the NLG website at www.nlg.org.
The National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has members in every state.

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Anti-Eviction Campaign, Ben Austen, and Edward Voci to speak at Loyola

Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign

Join in a discussion with J.R. Fleming, Toussaint Losier, and other Anti-Eviction Campaign activists, attorney Edward Voci, and Ben Austen, author of the NYT article,

“The Death and Life of Chicago*”

*http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/magazine/how-chicagos-housing-crisis-ignited-a-new-form-of- activism.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Chicago has a shortage of 120,000 units of affordable housing and some 100,000 people sleeping in shelters or on the street each year. J.R. Fleming calls this a moral crisis rather than a housing crisis. Please come and explore the intersection of issues of homelessness, lack of affordable housing, and the mortgage foreclosure crisis in Chicago.

  • Loyola School of Law, 25 E Pearson(near the Chicago Red Line stop), Rm 1303 (13th floor)

  • Tuesday, June 25th, 5:30 – 6:45 p.m.

  • Refreshments will be served (though you need not RSVP to attend, if you email emlynr@gmail.com no later than noon on Monday, June 24th, we’d appreciate it)

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Jan Susler of NLG presents to UN on Puerto Rico

Jan Susler of NLG International Committee presents to UN Decolonization Committee on Puerto Rico

Jan Susler, co-chair of the National Lawyers Guild International Committee’s Puerto Rico Subcommittee, presented a paper on Monday, June 17 to the United Nations Decolonization Committee during its annual hearing on the status of Puerto Rico.

Susler’s comprehensive presentation addresses Puerto Rico’s ongoing colonial status, federal intervention and repression in Puerto Rico, other challenges to civil and human rights in Puerto Rico, the economy, the environment, the death penalty, Vieques and the role of the military, and the ongoing confinement of Puerto Rican political prisoners in US jails.

Susler’s presentation concludes with recommendations that the General Assembly pass a resolution calling upon the US government to:
* immediately cease the brutality, criminalization and harassment of, and attacks on, the Puerto Rican Independence Movement and all those who exercise their fundamental rights to expression and association;
* immediately release Puerto Rican political prisoners Oscar López Rivera, who has served more than 32 years in U.S. custody, and Norberto González Claudio;
* identify and hold criminally liable all those responsible for the assassination of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos (2005), Santiago Mari Pesquera (1976), Carlos Muñiz Varela (1979), and other militants of the Puerto Rican independence movement; * withdraw the FBI, the U.S. court, and all other U.S. police, repressive and military forces and agencies from Puerto Rico;
* withdraw from Vieques, formally return legal property of the land to the people of Vieques, cease detonating unexploded ordnance, completely clean up the pollution left by the U.S. Navy’s 60 year occupation through the use of proven, environmentally friendly clean-up methods, foster and support a sustainable economy, and compensate the people of Vieques for the damage to their health done to them by the same;
* cease and desist from the application of the death penalty in Puerto Rico;
* formally commit to negotiate in good faith with the people of Puerto Rico a solution to the colonial condition; and recognize the proposals that emanate from a Constitutional Assembly, initiated by the people of Puerto Rico, such as that called for by the Puerto Rico Bar Association, as the true expression of the aspirations of the people of Puerto Rico, and respond to them accordingly.

The National Lawyers Guild will be holding its 76th annual Law for the People convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico October 23-27, the Guild’s first international convention. The Puerto Rico subcommittee that Susler co-chairs with Judith Berkan and Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan is working with a team of Puerto Rican lawyers, law students and legal workers to host the Convention.

Click here to download presentation: Presentation to UN Decolonization Committee on Puerto Rico

For more info: http://www.nlginternational.org/news/article.php?nid=536

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Legal Observers at IYJL Action

On Tuesday, May 14, Chicago NLG Legal Observers were present at an Immigrant Youth Justice League (IYJL) action at the Broadview Detention Facility in Broadview, Illinois to protest the record high deportations under President Obama and inaction from Illinois elected officials. A group of seven undocumented immigrants from Illinois conducted a sit-in to block the entrance to the Detention Facility.

For more information on the action and the IYJL, visit:
http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=00dcbd39570969a013c8e903c&id=0350ee98a0
http://www.iyjl.org/

Contact

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

(773) 492-1405
chicago[@]nlg.org