Mass Dissent (ISSN 0887-8536) Is Published Hotline, Who Are Counseling Military Personnel on Their Rights
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
MassDissent 13/12_Layout 1 11/18/13 1:26 PM Page 1 Massachusetts Chapter National Lawyers Guild 14 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108 DeceMmber 2013 assw ww.nDlgmass.org issenVol. 3t 6, No. 8 In This Edition NLG Massachusetts Chapter in 2013 Over 40 years on the scene as ad-hoc activist groups and and has not slowed down! conducted trainings in civil Massachusetts Chapter in 2013 That’s what we all in the disobedience and legal observ - Massachusetts Chapter of the ing, provided legal observers page 1 NLG can proudly claim. We at demonstrations, and repre - Guild News continue building our unique sented those who were arrested community of legal profes - and charged for their protests page 3 sionals and providing a plat - (page 6-7) . The Lawyer NLG Litigation Committee form for radicals to voice their Referral Service Committee page 5 opposition to political wrongs. welcomed a new coordinator This past year, the chapter and new members, and contin - NLG Mass Defense Committee members and committees tack - ued its essential service for the page 6 led hot issues. community. NLG members The Advisory Committee who are on the referral panel SLC Project and LRS provided a space and advice often are the last resort for des - Committee for activists who work on perate low and moderate- page 8 rights for tenants, domestic income people in need of legal workers, LGBT community, help (page 8) . The Street Law “NLG Presents” Happy Hour and prisoners. The Litigation Clinic Project is entering its and Student Reflections on Committee spent the year on 25th year in operation and it’s NLG Convention pending cases including the as strong as ever. We now page 9 surveillance of activists by the offer seven legal clinics which Boston Police Department and are conducted by law students NLG Student Chapters Reports Boston Regional Intelligence we trained and by NLG mem - page 10 Center and on research and bers. We receive requests for exploration of new potential clinics and trainings from all cases. The Committee also over Massachusetts, and also advised and represented the from Rhode Island and Students for Justice in Vermont, and our members BOARD MEETING Palestine at Northeastern don’t mind travelling for sev - University who were targeted eral hours to deliver what’s December 17, 6:00 pm by the school administration needed (page 8) . The “NLG (page 5) . The Mass Defense Presents...” Committee put 14 Beacon St., 1st Fl. Committee worked non-stop together very exciting and Continued on page 4 Boston with well-established as well December 2013 Page 1 MassDissent 13/12_Layout 1 11/18/13 1:26 PM Page 2 NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILD Massachusetts Chapter, Inc. Join a Guild Committee 14 Beacon St., Suite 407 Boston, MA 02108 Street Law Clinic Project: The Street Law Clinic project provides tel.: 617-227-7335 • fax: 617-227-5495 workshops for Massachusetts organizations that address legal needs of [email protected] • [email protected] various communities. Legal education workshops on 4th Amendment www.nlgmass.org Rights (Stop & Search), Landlord/Tenant Disputes, Workers’ Rights, Civil Disobedience Defense, Bankruptcy Law, Foreclosure Prevention Law, and Immigration Law are held at community organizations, youth BOARD OF DIRECTORS centers, labor unions, shelters, and pre-release centers. If you are a Guild attorney, law student, or legal worker interested in leading a workshop, CHAIRPERSON please contact the project at 617-723-4330 or [email protected]. David Kelston, Adkins Kelston & Zavez TREASURERS Lawyer Referral Service Panel (LRS): Members of the panel provide Patricia Cantor legal services at reasonable rates. Referral Service Committee members: Jeff Petrucelly, Petrucelly, Nadler & Norris Makis Antzoulatos, Benjamin Dowling, Sebastian Korth, Douglas Lovenberg, and Jonathan Messinger. For more information, contact the MEMBERS Makis Antzoulatos, CPCS LRS Coordinator at 617-227-7008 or [email protected]. Beverly Chorbajian, Solo Practitioner Hillary Farber, UMass Dartmouth Foreclosure Prevention Task Force: Created in June 2008, the Task Jeff Feuer, Goldstein & Feuer Force’s goal is threefold: (1) advocate for policies that address issues Jonathan Messinger, LoveYourLawyer.com that homeowners and tenants of foreclosed houses face, (2) to provide Halim Moris, Moris & O’Shea legal assistance to these homeowners and tenants, and (3) to conduct Josh Raisler Cohn, CPCS legal clinics for them. If you are interested in working with the Task Solo Practitioner Elaine Sharp, Force, please call the office at 617-227-7335. Carl Williams, CPCS Stephanie Young, Glickman Turley LLP Mass Defense Committee: Consists of two sub-committees: (1) “Legal Observers” (students, lawyers, activists) who are trained to serve as legal LAW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES observers at political demonstrations and (2) “Mass Defense Team” (crim - Ray Burke, Boston College inal defense attorneys) who represent activists arrested for political Alexandra Conlon, Boston University activism. To get involved, please contact the office at 617-227-7335. Tasha Kates, Northeastern Megan MacGillivray, New England K-Sue Park, Harvard Litigation Committee: Established in 2010, the Committee brings Amy Willis, Suffolk civil lawsuits against large institutions (such as government agencies, law enforcement, banks, financial institutions, and/or large corporations) that engage in repressive or predatory actions that affect large numbers STAFF of people and that serve to perpetuate social, racial and/or economic EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR injustice or inequality. To get involved, please contact the Guild office. Urszula Masny-Latos NLG National Immigration Project: Works to defend and extend the LRS COORDINATOR/ADMIN. ASSIST. Ariel Oshinsky human and civil rights of all immigrants, both documented and undocu - mented. The Committee works in coalitions with community groups to STREET LAW CLINIC COORDINATOR organize support for immigrant rights in the face of right-wing political KT Crossman attacks. For more information contact the NLG National Immigration Project at 617-227-9727. LITIGA TION COMMITTEE INTERN Negar Mortazavi NLG Military Law Task Force: Provides legal advice and assistance to those in the military and to others, especially members of the GIRights Mass Dissent (ISSN 0887-8536) is published Hotline, who are counseling military personnel on their rights. It also monthly except January, May, July and August provides legal support and helps to find local legal referrals when need - by the National Lawyers Guild, Mass. Chapter, 14 Beacon St., Suite 407, Boston, MA 02108. ed. For advice and information, GI’s can call 877-447-4487. To get Second-class postage paid at Boston, MA. involved, please contact Neil Berman ([email protected]) or POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mass Dissent, NLG, 14 Beacon St., Suite 407, Marguerite Helen ([email protected]). Boston, MA 02108. December 2013 Mass Dissent Page 2 MassDissent 13/12_Layout 1 11/18/13 1:26 PM Page 3 GUILD NEWS NLG HAPPY HOUR You NLG HOLIDAY PARTY All are invited to the “ NLG Presents...” Happy Hour - an NLG members are invited to the NLG Massachusetts event held quarterly on the 2nd Wednesday of Chapter annual Holiday Party. This year’s party will be January, April, September , and November . See on Friday, December 6, from 5:30pm to 9pm . Once below information about the next event (a report from again, we’ll be hosted by our good friends at Stern, the most recent Happy Hour is on page 4 of Mass Shapiro, Weissberg & Garin (90 Canal St. 5th Floor, Dissent issued the following month.) If you have ideas Boston). Among the party attractions, we will offer great for a presentation or would like to be a speaker, please food, a lot of refreshing beverages, and many wonder - call the NLG office at 617-227-7335. ful raffle prizes. Raffle tickets ($10) are for sale now. Street Law Clinic Report NLG Happy Hour The following clinics and trainings were conducted for members of Boston area community organizations and The CAMPUS ASSAULT ON agencies: PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY WORK October 5: Legal Observing at a protest against an evening with Lynn Police department for killing of Denis Reynoso, by Northeastern law students Charles Max Geller & David Kelston Flewelling and Mark McMahon , and David Nathanson and Rahel Sommer-Hays . Wednesday, January 8, 2013 October 6: Legal Observer and Civil Disobedience 6:00 - 8:00 pm trainings for activists involved in the Keystone Red Hat Cafe (9 Bowdoin St., Boston) Pipeline Pledge of Resistance, by Jeff Feuer and Josh Raisler Cohn . The NLG Litigation Committee has been provid - ing assistance to the Northeastern University October 7: Legal Observing at a protest at the Tip Students for Justice in Palestine organization who O’Neill Federal Building, organized by the has been targetted by the university administration Keystone Pipeline XL campaign, by Melinda and punished for its political organizing. We will Drew, Jeff Feuer, Lee Goldstein, Benjie Hiller, hear from SJP students and members of the NLG Josh Raisler Cohn, and Mark Stern . Litigation Committee. October 18: Legal Observer training for students at Roger Williams University School of Law in School, by Neil Berman . Christian Williams Bristol, Rhode Island, by . November 9: Legal Observer training for Keystone November 3: Legal Observer training for the activists in Springfield, MA, by Beverly Chorbajian . Melinda Keystone activists and for LO trainers, by November 16: Civil Disobedience and Legal Drew Jeff Feuer and . Observer trainings for Keystone activists and other November 5: Bankruptcy Law and Consumer groups active in Randolph, Vermont, by Neil Protection training for law students at Harvard Law Berman , Melinda Drew , and Jeff Feuer . ARTICLES FOR MASS DISSENT The February issue of Mass Dissent will focus on militarization of police force. If you are interested in submitting an article, essay, analysis, or art work (cartoons, pictures) related to the topic, please e-mail your work to [email protected]. The deadline for articles is January 15. December 2013 Mass Dissent Page 3 MassDissent 13/12_Layout 1 11/18/13 1:26 PM Page 4 NLG Massachusetts Chapter in 2013 engaging programs for our almost-monthly Happy Hours where we “think & drink” (page 9) .