Mass Dissent · December 2012 Mass Dissent Page 3 ARTICLES FOR MASS DISSENT The February issue of...

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Guild News page 3 NLG Mass Defense Committee in 2012 page 5 NLG Litigation Committee page 6 Street Law Clinic Project page 7 NLG Student Chapter Reports page 8 NLG Happy Hours: “NLG Presents” & Mentorship page 9 Reflections on My First NLG Convention page 10 Mass Dissent December 2012 www.nlgmass.org Vol. 35, No. 8 NLG, Massachusetts Chapter in 2012 December 2012 Page 1 This has been an exciting and challenging year for our chapter, as we hope the articles in this issue of Mass Dissent will show. Our involvement with the Occupy Movement, particularly with Occupy Boston (OB), has been intense and continuing, and we, like other chapters around the country, have essentially served as counsel to the move- ment. As Jeff Feuer writes in this issue, our Chapter’s Mass Defense Committee is gearing up now for the trials of 26 of the arrested OB activists whose cases from the end of 2011 still await disposition. We also continue in our role as unofficial legal advisors to the movement on issues that go beyond representing protes- tors. All of our committee work has continued this year, and we include articles on our Litigation Committee work by the Committee Intern Kristen Wekony (four cases are pending, and we could file several more with additional attorney sup- port); on our longstanding and important Street Law Clinic project by Yasmeen Peer; on four of seven NLG student law school chapters - Boston College, Harvard, Northeastern, and Suffolk; and on our monthly happy hour get-togethers - “NLG Presents...” and Mentorship - by Bonnie Tenneriello and Urszula Masny-Latos. This year was the 75th anniversary of the National Lawyers Guild, and the October NLG National Convention in Pasadena, California, showed all of us just how integral Guild mem- bers are to many of the important struggles both in this country and abroad. First-time convention attendee Hannah Adams, a first year Northeastern Law student, writes about the con- ference where Northeastern’s Margaret Burnham was a prominent honoree and Angela Davis was the keynote speaker. There is much we are doing that we have not had room to write about in this In This Edition BOARD MEETING December 18, 6:00 pm 14 Beacon St., 1st Fl. Boston Massachusetts Chapter National Lawyers Guild 14 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108 Continued on page 4 MassDissent 12-12_Layout 1 11/14/12 5:23 PM Page 1

Transcript of Mass Dissent · December 2012 Mass Dissent Page 3 ARTICLES FOR MASS DISSENT The February issue of...

Page 1: Mass Dissent · December 2012 Mass Dissent Page 3 ARTICLES FOR MASS DISSENT The February issue of Mass Dissent willfocus on criminal justice in Massachusetts. If you are interested

Guild Newspage 3

NLG Mass Defense Committeein 2012page 5

NLG Litigation Committeepage 6

Street Law Clinic Projectpage 7

NLG Student Chapter Reportspage 8

NLG Happy Hours: “NLGPresents” & Mentorship

page 9

Reflections on My First NLGConvention

page 10

Mass DissentDecember 2012 www.nlgmass.org Vol. 35, No. 8

NLG, Massachusetts Chapter in 2012

December 2012 Page 1

This has been an excitingand challenging year for ourchapter, as we hope the articlesin this issue of Mass Dissentwill show. Our involvementwith the Occupy Movement,particularly with OccupyBoston (OB), has been intenseand continuing, and we, likeother chapters around thecountry, have essentiallyserved as counsel to the move-ment. As Jeff Feuer writes inthis issue, our Chapter’s MassDefense Committee is gearingup now for the trials of 26 ofthe arrested OB activistswhose cases from the end of2011 still await disposition.We also continue in our role asunofficial legal advisors to themovement on issues that gobeyond representing protes-tors.

All of our committeework has continued this year,and we include articles onour Litigation Committeework by the CommitteeIntern Kristen Wekony(four cases are pending, andwe could file several morewith additional attorney sup-port); on our longstanding

and important Street LawClinic project by YasmeenPeer; on four of seven NLGstudent law school chapters -Boston College, Harvard,Northeastern, and Suffolk;and on our monthly happyhour get-togethers - “NLGPresents...” and Mentorship- by Bonnie Tenneriello andUrszula Masny-Latos.

This year was the 75thanniversary of the NationalLawyers Guild, and theOctober NLG NationalConvention in Pasadena,California, showed all of usjust how integral Guild mem-bers are to many of theimportant struggles both inthis country and abroad.First-time conventionattendee Hannah Adams, afirst year Northeastern Lawstudent, writes about the con-ference – whereNortheastern’s MargaretBurnham was a prominenthonoree and Angela Daviswas the keynote speaker.

There is much we aredoing that we have not hadroom to write about in this

In This Edition

BOARD MEETING

December 18, 6:00 pm

14 Beacon St., 1st Fl.Boston

Massachusetts Chapter National Lawyers Guild 14 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108

Continued on page 4

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BOARD OF DIRECTORSCHAIRPERSON

David Kelston, Adkins Kelston & Zavez

TREASURERSPatricia Cantor

Jeff Petrucelly, Petrucelly, Nadler & Norris

MEMBERSMakis Antzoulatos, CPCS

Beverly Chorbajian, solo practitionerHillary Farber, UMass Dartmouth

Jeff Feuer, Goldstein & FeuerDavid Kelston, Adkins, Kelston & ZavezJonathan Messinger, solo practitioner

Halim Moris, Moris & O’SheaJosh Raisler Cohn, CPCS

Stephanie Young, Prisoners’ Legal Services

LAW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVESAlexandra Conlon, Boston University

Jack Godleski, WNECIsaak Kalish & Mickey Kebede, BCTasha Kates & Hillary Knight, NUSLLipou Laliemthavisay, Roger Williams

Megan MacGillivray, New EnglandRoxana Rahmani, Harvard

STAFFExECUTIvE DIRECTOR

Urszula Masny-LatosADMINISTRATIvE ASSISTANT

Ariel OshinskyLRS COORDINATOR

Stephanie FailSTREET LAW CLINIC COORDINATOR

Yasmeen PeerLITIGATION COMMITTEE INTERN

Kristen Wekony

Mass Dissent (ISSN 0887-8536) is publishedmonthly except January, May, July and Augustby the National Lawyers Guild, Mass. Chapter,14 Beacon St., Suite 407, Boston, MA 02108.Second-class postage paid at Boston, MA.POSTMASTER: Send address changes toMass Dissent, NLG, 14 Beacon St., Suite 407,Boston, MA 02108.

NATIONAL LAWYERS GUILDMassachusetts Chapter, Inc.

14 Beacon St., Suite 407Boston, MA 02108

tel.: 617-227-7335 • fax: [email protected][email protected]

www.nlgmass.org

Street Law Clinic Project: The Street Law Clinic project providesworkshops for Massachusetts organizations that address legal needs ofvarious communities. Legal education workshops on 4th AmendmentRights (Stop & Search), Landlord/Tenant Disputes, Workers’ Rights,Civil Disobedience Defense, Bankruptcy Law, Foreclosure PreventionLaw, and Immigration Law are held at community organizations, youthcenters, labor unions, shelters, and pre-release centers. If you are a Guildattorney, law student, or legal worker interested in leading a workshop,please contact the project at 617-723-4330 or [email protected].

Lawyer Referral Service Panel (LRS): Members of the panel providelegal services at reasonable rates. Referral Service Administrative/OversightCommittee members: Neil Berman, Neil Burns, Joshua Goldstein, JeremyRobin, and Azizah Yasin. For more information, contact the Referral ServiceCoordinator at 617-227-7008 or [email protected].

Foreclosure Prevention Task Force: Created in June 2008, theTask Force’s goal is threefold: (1) advocate for policies that addressissues that homeowners and tenants of foreclosed houses face, (2) to pro-vide legal assistance to these homeowners and tenants, and (3) to conductlegal clinics for them. If you are interested in working with the TaskForce, please call the office at 617-227-7335.

Mass Defense Committee: Consists of two sub-committees: (1)“Legal Observers” (students, lawyers, activists) who are trained to serveas legal observers at political demonstrations and (2) “Mass DefenseTeam” (criminal defense attorneys) who represent activists arrested forpolitical activism. To get involved, please contact the office at 617-227-7335.

Litigation Committee: Established in 2010, the Committee bringscivil 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 ofpeople and that serve to perpetuate social, racial and/or economic injus-tice or inequality. To get involved, please contact the Guild office.

NLG National Immigration Project: Works to defend and extendthe human and civil rights of all immigrants, both documented andundocumented. The Committee works in coalitions with communitygroups to organize support for immigrant rights in the face of right-wingpolitical attacks. For more information contact the NLG NationalImmigration Project at 617-227-9727.

NLG Mil i tary Law Task Force: Provides legal advice and assis-tance to those in the military and to others, especially members of theGIRights Hotline, who are counseling military personnel on their rights.It also provides legal support and helps to find local legal referrals whenneeded. For advice and information, GI’s can call 877-447-4487. To getinvolved, please contact Neil Berman ([email protected]) orMarguerite Helen ([email protected]).

Join a Guild Committee

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December 2012 Mass Dissent Page 3

ARTICLES FOR MASS DISSENTThe February issue of Mass Dissent will focus on criminal justice in Massachusetts.

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.

GUILD NEWSWe

hope you will join us for this month’s NLG HappyHour. On the second Wednesday of each month, werotate “Mentorship” Happy Hour with “NLG Presents...”.Please see below about this month’s event and onpage 4 - a report and pictures from the last gathering.If you have an idea for a presentation topic or if youwould like to be a speaker, please call the Guild officeat 617-227-7335.

Youare invited to the NLG Annual Holiday Party, December7, 5:30 pm, at Stern, Shapiro, Weissberg & Garin (90Canal St., 5th Fl., Boston). The evening will be filledwith fun, great food and wine, great people, and raffledrawing which this year will offer amazing prizes (a dayof cross country skiing, kayaking, spa treatment, din-ners, theater tickets, and more). To buy raffle tickets,please call the Guild office at 617-227-7335.

NLG HAPPY HOURS

Street Law Clinic ReportThe following clinics and trainings were conduct-ed for members of Boston area community organ-izations and agencies:

November 6: Legal Observing at anti-Romney rally organized by immigrant rightsorganizations, by Drake Jones and RahelSommer-Hays.November 16: Workers’ Rights training forlaw students at Harvard Law School, by MarkStern.

NLG HOLIDAY PARTY

“NLG Presents” Happy Hour

“JUST CAUSE: A UNION GUIDE TO WINNING DISCIPLINE CASES”

an evening with

Robert M. Schwartz

Wednesday, January 9, 20136:00 - 8:00 pm

Red Hat Cafe (9 Bowdoin St., Boston)

Join us to hear longtime Guild attorney and laborlawyer Robert M. Schwartz talk about his newlypublished book on union rights entitled “JustCause: A Union Guide To Winning DisciplineCases.” The book modifies the well-known"Seven tests of just cause" issued by ArbitratorCarroll R. Daugherty in the 1960s. As with others in his popular series of union

legal handbooks (over 1.2 million copies soldover the past 20 years), “Just Cause” is copiouslysourced and is illustrated by local cartoonist NickThorkelson. (Copies of the book will be availablefor $20.)

SAVE THE DATE

Lawrence and Goodridgeat 10

Friday, April 5, 2013Suffolk Law School

The Chapter co-sponsors a conferencereflecting on a decade since the landmarkdecisions of Lawrence v. Texas andGoodridge v. Massachusetts Department of Health.

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issue, including:• Our Advisory Committeework, where communityactivists meet quarterly withNLG lawyers and legal workersto educate ourselves on eachothers’ work and discuss howwe can work together effective-ly. Committee participants thisyear have included BDS(Boycott, Divest, Sanctions),the Brazilian Immigrant Center,Boston Workers’ Alliance, CityLife/Vida Urbana, CommunityChurch, the MassachusettsTransgender Political Coalition,Occupy Boston, and StudentImmigration Movement.• Our Lawyer ReferralService which provides afford-able legal assistance to low andmoderate income people.• Our participation in andsponsorship of panels andpresentations, which haveincluded panels on the Boston

Regional Intelligence Center(and fusion centers and policespying in general), on theimportance of lititation to pro-duce policy change, and onimmigration law at the BostonLatino International FilmFestival.

Finally, a matter morechallenging than inspiring –our finances. Our membershipremains stable (at last count283 dues-paying members,173 non-paying jailhouselawyers), as is our Sustainers

Program - so important to ourfinances - with 29 currentmembers; however, for the sec-ond year in a row we will oper-ate at a deficit – despite thefact that this year’s “AnnualGala” at Villa Victoria waswonderful and a financial suc-cess. There is seemingly lessgrant money available for us,more dues-paying memberswhose practices face leanertimes, and other factors thathave tightened our finances.This year, as last, we can makethe deficit up from savings, butdeficit spending is not a long-term possibility for us. So, forall of you who appreciate whatour chapter does, and the larg-er role of the NationalLawyers Guild, you will soonreceive your membership andsustainer renewal letters.Please, dig deep.

NLG Massachusetts Chapter in 2012

Prof. Michael Avery (center) introduces JJ Rosenbaum (under the screen) from NewOrleans at a presentation at Suffolk Law School. (Photo by Amy Willis)

2012 Fall Appreciation Event for the NLG Sustainers. Pictured here sustainers (l.-r.):Marjorie Suissman, Mark Stern, Judy Somberg, David Kelston, Michael Avery, RogerGeller, Jonathan Messinger (guest), Marty Rosenthal, Urszula Masny-Latos (organizer),Rob Doyle. (Photo by Deborah Kuhn)

Continued from page 1

- David Kelston -Mass Chapter Chair

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s in previous years, our localchapter’s Mass Defense

Committee (MDC) has been quiteactive throughout 2012 support-ing the growing nationwide anti-foreclosure movement, fightingthe disproportionate MBTA fareincreases for disabled and lowincome residents, and continuingour defense of participants in theOccupy movement. The anti-foreclosure movement has beenspearheaded nationally byBoston’s own City Life/vidaUrbana (CLvU), whose sword(bank protests, eviction block-ades, boycotts, and publicitycampaigns) and shield (legisla-tion, litigation, and forming BankTenant Associations) strategy hasspawned similar organizations ineight other cities in Massa-chusetts and Rhode Island, aswell as in cities includingOakland, Chicago and Seattle.The MDC has continued to sup-port the actions of CLvU and itssister groups in trying to preventfamilies from being unfairly evict-ed from their homes by conduct-ing trainings for Legal Observersand in Civil Disobedience issuesand by defending activists arrest-ed during eviction blockades inBoston, Malden, Quincy,Brockton and elsewhere in east-ern Massachusetts. In mostcases, the volunteer Guildlawyers have been able to get thecriminal charges dismissed out-right or converted to civil infrac-tions with the payment of a smallfine. The MDC has made a com-mitment to providing pro bonocriminal defense representationto all participants in organizedanti-foreclosure/eviction blockadeactions.

In the Spring of 2012, theMDC helped to train and supportwheelchair bound activists whoblocked the street in front of the StateHouse in Boston as a protest againstthe 100% increase in fares to whichdisabled users of the MBTA werebeing subjected. The MDC alsoworked closely with the T-RidersUnion in planning and carrying outnon-violent con-frontations withthe MBTAAdvisory Boardconcerning thefare increases.

The MDChas also beenw o r k i n gthroughout theyear with 26activists whowere arrested atvarious times inOctober andD e c e m b e r ,2011, while par-ticipating in theOccupy Boston movement. Formany of the other OB participantswho were arrested, the MDC hassuccessfully gotten their charges dis-missed or discharged with either aminimal fine or a brief pre-trial proba-tion period. The OB defendants whodid not want to accept a deal havebeen preparing for more than a yearnow for jury trials on the chargesagainst them ranging from disorderlyconduct to resisting arrest.

The volunteer Guild attorneysand law students on the MDC havebeen diligently fighting in court toobtain relevant discovery of the doc-uments, videos and photographs ofthe police surveillance and actionstaken against the Occupy Bostonmovement. The MDC has beenquite successful in discoverymotions, and the D.A.’s office hasturned over a great deal of material

concerning the government’sresponse to the Occupy movement.Through the jury trials, the OB defen-dants and the lawyers of the MDCworking together hope to reveal andpublicize the government’s violationsof the constitutional rights of assem-bly and free speech which were atthe heart of the Occupy movement.

The MDC continues to train and

provide legal observers for a varietyof progressive political events anddemonstrations throughout the state,whenever we are requested to do soby activists and progressive groups.In addition to providing legalobservers for demonstrations, MDClawyers provide free clinics on legalrights/civil disobedience to groupsand individuals who are planning onengaging in direct political action thatcould result in arrests.

Currently active members ofthe MDC include Susan Church,Andrew Fischer, Kevin Barron,Myong Joun, Dan Beck, KenDiesenhof, Jeff Feuer, LeeGoldstein, Benjie Hiller, DougBabcock, Matt Lallier, BeverlyChorbajian, and Neil Berman.

December 2012 Mass Dissent Page 5

NLG Mass Defense Committee 2012

Aby Jeff Feuer

Jeff Feuer coordinates the NLGMass Defense Committee.

NLG Legal Observers in front of the State House at a Spring action againstincreases in MBTA fares.

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NLG Litigation Committee

ince we formed the LitigationCommittee in the spring of

2011, we have been activelyinvolved in pursuing cases thatpromote social, political, and eco-nomic justice on the local level.We have had a successful year,effecting change in areas rangingfrom prisoners’ rights in EssexCounty to the unjust and alarmingpractices of the Boston PoliceDepartment affecting the rights oftenants in foreclosed propertiesin the state of Massachusetts. Inaddition, we are looking forwardto developing a series of newprojects in the coming yeararound similar goals.

For one of our first initiatives,the Litigation Committee, alongwith the American Civil LibertiesUnion of Massachusetts, initiatedan action against the BostonPolice Department, whichbrought into question the activi-ties of its “Boston RegionalIntelligence Center” (BRIC).BRIC is a regional domestic sur-veillance center designed toinvestigate potentially terroristactivity. As a result of this lawsuit,we have uncovered documentsand video footage demonstratingthe unsettling extent to which theBoston Police Department,through BRIC, has been routinelymonitoring, spying, and reportingon ordinary citizens who areengaging in peaceful demonstra-tions. We published a reportsummarizing our findings onOctober 18, 2012, and we havealso sent a letter to Boston PoliceCommissioner Ed Davis demand-ing that the police departmentimmediately stop monitoringpeaceful activists and organiza-tions.

Then in October 2011, in col-laboration with Prisoner LegalServices, we initiated a classaction case against the Sheriff ofEssex County for chargingimproper fees to inmates for rou-tine medical screening. As aresult, we are happy to report thatthe Essex County Sheriff hasstopped charging the fees. Inaddition, the sheriff hasexpressed his intention to settlethe case and return the fees tothe affected individuals that canbe identified.

Finally, the MassachusettsChapter attorneys are currentlyrepresenting two tenants living inforeclosed properties who wereat one time at risk of eviction fromtheir homes. We have success-fully defeated the eviction actionsagainst them due to FannieMae’s failure to follow proper pro-cedure under M.G.L. ch. 186A,which establishes rights for ten-ants in foreclosed properties.Each violation of this statute issubject to a $5,000 penalty, butthis penalty has never beenenforced. These cases were noexception. In response, we havesubmitted motions to reconsiderthe decisions in both of thesecases and will argue that thepenalty should not only beimposed by the Housing Court,but should be awarded to the ten-ants directly. Uniform enforce-ment of this penalty will effective-ly deter banks from improperlyevicting individuals and will pro-vide monetary relief to the inno-cent victims of these violations.

Looking to the future, theLitigation Committee is investi-gating several new projects. First,we are researching the possibilityof challenging marriage as aninstitution that promotes theinequitable distribution of key

public benefits and rights. Forexample, the federal governmenthas identified 1,138 federal statu-tory provisions that use maritalstatus as a determinative factor inqualifying for federal rights andbenefits. This alone raises anumber of issues for the unmar-ried, including Social Securitysurvivorship rights, income taxdeductions and credits, and theright to care for a loved one underthe Family and Medical LeaveAct. Second, we are examining apotential lawsuit against a resi-dential management companythat operates across the state ofMassachusetts and has beenengaging in what we believe areunfair and deceptive practices.The company has routinely used“bait and switch” advertising tac-tics to lock potential tenants intohigh-rent apartments and has areputation of extremely aggres-sive eviction practices. Third, weare examining the portrayal ofOccupy Boston protestors in localnews media, and in particular,whether peaceful protestors weredepicted as violent or dangerous.Finally, we are considering bring-ing an action on behalf of femaleprisoners, challenging the dis-turbing practice of shacklinginmates during labor.

The Litigation Committee hashad an active year and is lookingforward to developing new proj-ects in the year to come. Thankyou to all of our members andsupporters!

by Kristen Wekony

S

Kristen Wekony is 3rd year lawstudent at Boston University, andthis year she has been an internwith the NLG LItigationCommittee.

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Street Law Clinic Project

he Street Law Clinic Projectbrings the notion ‘knowledge

is power’ to life through conduct-ing workshops (trainings and clin-ics) on various legal issues andthrough sharing legal informationwith those who need it most, whooften have no way to access it, toempower them in their daily lives.

The Project has a simplestructure: NLG attorneys train lawstudents to conduct clinics, andthen trained students, accompa-nied by supervising attorneys, goto various community organiza-tions and provide legal clinics.This year, we’ve offered sevenclinics: Stop & Search, Workers’Rights, Tenant/Landlord Dispute,Immigration Law, Foreclosure/Eviction Prevention, BankruptcyLaw/Consumer Protection, andCivil Disobedience Defense.

Last spring semester wasbusy and filled with many SLCevents. Jeff Feuer trained lawstudents at Boston University inForeclosure Prevention; MarkStern - at Northeastern Universityin Workers’ Rights; and MakisAntzoulatos - at New England inStop & Search. We also conduct-ed a number of clinics and work-shops for various communitygroups and campaigns: AnthonyKeber provided an ImmigrationLaw clinic at CambridgeCommunity Services. HillaryFarber, Jeff Feuer, and UrszulaMasny-Latos conducted severalCivil Disobedience and LegalObserver workshops for OccupyBoston, Occupy UMass Boston,Camp Charlie, and OccupyCharlie; Bradford Adams (law stu-dent at Harvard), Jeff Feuer, andBenjie Hiller conducted a LegalObserver Training in preparation

for a protest in Boston against theMBTA fare hikes; Carl Williamsconducted a Stop and SearchClinic for the NAACP and theLawyers Committee for CivilRights; and Jeff Feuer conducteda Civil Disobedience workshop inBoston for participants in the anti-NATO Summit in Chicago.

The SLC usually breaks forthe summer as a result of the lawstudents finally enjoying timeaway from law school - a brief lib-eration from studying most of thetime and respite from endless to-do lists.

Despite commencing later inthe fall than usual, trainings andclinics have been happeningthroughout the Boston area. InSeptember, three Stop & SearchClinics were conducted; at theNAACP in Boston, by CarlWilliams, and two in Taunton bothconducted by Hillary Farber andBenjamin Evans, one for the Anti-War Coalition, the other for OurCity Speaks - a civil rights organ-ization. Later in the fall, law pro-fessor Melinda Drew conducted aLegal Observer Training forNortheastern law students whichwas well attended, and it inspireda lot of excitement and freshcommitment to the SLC and moregenerally to the NLG among theNUSL 1Ls in attendance, andreinvigorated 2L and 3Ls whohad been patiently awaiting train-ing to be a Legal Observer; MarkStern conducted a Workers’Rights training at New EnglandSchool of Law that was widelyattended and well received (infact, the training’s success isreflected by the emails the SLCreceived the day after the trainingfrom NESL students who attend-ed the training eager to volunteerand conduct upcoming Workers’Rights clinics); Mark Stern also

conducted a Workers’ Rightstraining for law students atHarvard.

At press time, we’ve beenfinalizing a Stop & Search trainingat Northeastern and several clin-ics in December, among them aTenant/ Landlord Dispute clinic atSt. Ambrose Family Inn.

We sincerely thank everyonewho is part of our growing net-work of attorneys, law students,and community organizationswho are involved in the StreetLaw Clinic project. However, theproject would benefit from moreNLG members participating. Weinvite all legal workers, attorneys,law students, and communityorganizations to join us in theimportant and critical task ofincreasing access to legal infor-mation for those who traditionallyand historically have beenpushed aside.

We hope to hear from you.Everyone involved in the projectbenefits from working with us,either as providers or as clinicattendees. Please contact us [email protected] or call us at617-723-4330.

Yasmeen Peer is a 2nd year lawstudent at Northeastern and theSLC coordinator.

by Yasmeen Peer

T

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BOSTON COLLEGE:by Isaak Kalish

In the past year, the BostonCollege National Lawyers Guildchapter has expanded its profileon campus and served as an out-let for progressive students in thewake of Occupy. Our branch wasre-founded only a couple of yearsago by James Racine and JayDiaz, who saw the lack of a forumfor BC Law students to confrontthe issues of systematic econom-ic, gender and racial injusticewithin the legal system that weare rarely taught to approach crit-ically. Since then, our chapterhas grown with students fromdiverse backgrounds, and ourbiggest projects lay ahead.

Operating on a shoestringbudget, BC NLG still managed topull off a number of events thisyear not only to get studentsinterested in the NationalLawyers Guild but to get them toleave the dreary academic con-fines of law school assignmentsfor a moment and join with othersin ongoing struggles for socialjustice. Beginning in fall of lastyear, our branch hosted a legalobserver training, mainly to assistOccupy Boston members whowere being constantly harassed,arrested and surveilled by police.In the spring semester, we man-aged to put together a coalition ofgroups and pulled together ourresources to send a large delega-tion to the Rebellious LawyeringConference (RebLaw) at YaleUniversity. Our members theregot to connect with law studentsand others from places all overthe United States and learn abouthow they can fight in struggles ofenvironmental justice, massincarceration, and movements torecognize the basic human rightsof immigrant workers. After we

returned and held a discussion to“decompress,” we quickly noticedthat for a lot of us seeing hun-dreds of other law students andothers dedicated to their causesat RebLaw was refreshing, andalso that many students wereexposed to issues of injusticethey weren’t aware of before.

It’s been our goal for thecoming year to keep feeding thisnew energy and dedicationamong our membership and pushtoward initiatives to educate our-selves and assist the community.In the next year, we hope to par-ticipate with the MassachusettsNLG chapter in street law clinicson stop and frisk policing, hostspeaking events on issues likethe expanding ‘“homeland securi-ty” surveillance state with theNLG Litigation Committee, and tohold regular lunch time talksabout current flashpoints ofinequality and injustice in the law.

HARVARD:by Roxana Rahmani

The Harvard Law chapter ofthe NLG is working to build a larg-er and more dynamic chapter thisyear. We plan to host severalstreet law clinics this fall andupcoming spring semester, andhave speaker panels in thepipeline related to, among othertopics, the public interest estab-lishment.

In conjunction with Unbound:The Harvard Journal of the LegalLeft, we are working to solicit arti-cle submissions addressing “theOccupy movement and the law”for publication in a specialOccupy issue of the journal. Thearticles will focus on activists(“the law of the camp”) and thelegal support (“the law and thecamp”). We are helping to con-nect with Guild members across

the country who have beeninvolved in either or both capaci-ties.

This year, Harvard NLG willalso be the institutional home ofFirmly Refuse, a campaign thatcalls out the law school as a cor-porate defense pipeline and tobring justice back to legal educa-tion. The campaign will continueto critique law school and thelegal profession through events,flyers, and posters, many ofwhich will attempt to critically nar-rate the 1L experience at HarvardLaw School. Firmly Refuse hasalready expanded to BerkeleyLaw, and Harvard NLG hopes tosimilarly collaborate with otherschools in Boston and across thecountry. Please support and fol-low our activities atfirmlyrefuse.tumblr.com.

NORTHEASTERN:by Tasha Kates

At Northeastern, MomentumBeyond the Podium!

Law school teaches studentshow to understand legal reason-ing and the law, but students atNortheastern University School ofLaw's NLG chapter have extend-ed those lessons beyond theclassroom.

For the last three years,Northeastern NLG students havegravitated toward critical legalstudies to supplement their class-room lessons. These student-cre-ated sessions have introducednew groups of students to every-thing from critical race theory to adifferent perspective on Torts.

The NLG chapter's interest incritical legal studies began asrecently as 2010, when a groupof 1Ls sought a more accessibleand understandable way ofteaching and learning the law.

Continued on page 11

NLG Student Chapters Reports

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December 2012 Mass Dissent Page 9

by Bonnie Tennerielllo

Putting the “social” back in social justice, everyother month, Chapter members gather for "NLGPresents..." Happy Hour to discuss policy work andlitigation over snacks and (optional) drinks at theRed Hat Cafe on Beacon Hill. In 2012, the guestspeakers covered a wide range of topics, alwaysfollowed by a lively discussion.

• March: The Guild was part of an effort toroll back or reduce the harm from “ 3 Strikes” sen-tencing legislation, which imposed harsher penal-ties for “habitual offenders.” Barb Dougan ofFamilies Against Mandatory Minimum; TatumPritchard of Prisoners Legal Services, andJamarhl Crawford of the Blackstonian andOccupy the Hood, discussed the issues and thestrategies.

• June: Judy Somberg led a discussionabout the history of United States intervention in ElSalvador and the role that the U.S. may haveplayed in the recent elections there. Judy had leda group of eight NLG members to observe theMarch 2012 legislative elections and recountedtheir experiences.

• October: Members of the Chapter’sLitigation Committee, Jeff Feuer, David Kelston,Urszula Masny-Latos, Jonathan Messinger, andKristen Wekony (BU law intern), discussed theCommittee’s work, including a lawsuit that has dis-closed abusive police surveillance activitiesthrough documents from the Boston RegionalIntelligence Center (BRIC) and Boston PoliceDepartment (as widely reported by the media aweek later), two lawsuits to keep tenants in fore-closed homes, a lawsuit to stop Essex CountySheriff charging prisoners medial fees, and otherpromising areas for future litigation.

Stay tuned in 2013 for more sessions at the RedHat Cafe, and please contact Judy Somberg([email protected]) or Bonnie Tenneriello([email protected]) if you have a suggestion fora future topic or speaker (including yourself!)

Urszula Masny-Latos is the Exectuve Directorof the Massachusetts Chapter.

“NLG Presents...” Happy Hour: “Social” Justice Work

Mentorshp Happy Hourby Urszula Masny-Latos

Alternating with “NLG Presents...,” the Chapterholds mentorship gatherings for law students andnew attorneys and legal workers to meet otherGuild members and engage in a conversation onlegal topics that are of interest to students and legalprofessionals new to the trade. The conversationsare led by NLG members who bring to the tabletheir expertise, experience, and passion.

In 2012, we hosted the following presentations:

• February: NLG criminal defense attor-neys, who choose different paths for their legalwork, led a conversation on “Careers in CriminalDefense Law.” Laura Alfring talked about herwork with Committee for Public Counsel ServicesYouth Advocacy Department, Makis Antzoulatosdiscussed his work as a public defender withCPCS, Susan Church shared her thoughts on howto open and maintain a successful criminal defenselaw office, and Hillary Farber discussed an optionof joining legal academia and teaching law.

• April: Heather Ward (2008 law graduate,practicing family and consumer protection law) andDavid Conforto (2005 graduate, practicingemployment law) gave a step-by-step presentationon “How to Go Solo and Open Your Own LawPractice.” They also discussed pros and cons forgoing solo, based on their experience.

• November: Nelson Brill, Iris Gomez,and Ilana Greenstein talked about different pathsthat students interested in immigration law cantake. Iris Gomez has spent most of her profession-al life working for legal services or non-profits,Nelson Brill has been a successful solo practitionerbased in Brookline, and Ilana Greenstein hasworked for a medium-size immigration law firmsince she graduated from law school in 1998.

The Mentorship Happy Hour gatherings are a won-derful way for NLG lawyers and legal workers tomeet and mentor law students, and for students - tofind a mentor or at least get information that mightbe useful. Join us on the second Wednesday ofevery month.

Bonnie Tenneriello, together with JudySomberg, coordinates the “NLG Presents”program.

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December 2012 Mass Dissent Page 10

ike so many of us, I came tolaw school hoping that a

legal education would provideme with tools to support move-ments for social change. Andas is true for so many of uswhen we embark on this jour-ney, the last few months havebeen exciting and deeply chal-lenging as I have been exposedto both the opportunitiesoffered by litigation, and theways in which the law andthe institution of legal educa-tion represent barriers to thework that I and many of myclassmates came here to do.Since my arrival atNortheastern our local NLGchapter has provided mewith much-needed communi-ty, a connection to organizingand political work, and anoutlet for critical conversationsabout the law and my lawschool experience.

Attending the NLG “Lawfor the People” convention inPasadena this past month wasan amazing experience for me.At the convention I connectedwith dozens of lawyers, legalworkers, and law studentswhose work inspires me andreminds me of why I decidedto come to law school.

I attended numerous ses-sions about the amazing move-ment work and organizing thatthe Guild and Guild membersare involved in. Over the

course of the weekend I attend-ed a panel on how publicdefenders can support organiz-ing against Stop and Frisk poli-cies, a session on Guild attor-neys responding to targeting ofMuslim communities andPalestinian human rightsactivists, a panel on the land-scape of immigration law postArizona, et al v. United States,and a session on providing

criminal representation toactivist communities. Perhapsmost exciting to me was thepanel on “Labels and LegalDiscrimination – DenyingBasic Rights to People ofColor.” The panel exploredhow the immigration and crim-inal justice/mass incarcerationsystems have constructed andperpetuated a racial caste sys-tem. As someone interested indisparate impact claims underthe Fair Housing Act, I foundthe dialogue about legally sanc-tioned discrimination, strategicorganizing for institutionalchange, and intersections

between most-affected commu-nities, to be deeply valuable.

I also enjoyed attendingadministrative sessions to get asense of how the Guild operatesbehind the scenes, and meetingstudents from Guild chaptersaround the country at theStudent Caucus. I learned moreabout the Guild’s history ofmovement work from a filmtribute on Saturday, and I had

the opportunityto do some valu-able vocabularybuilding withother Guildmembers at ananti-racism train-ing. Finally, I gotto celebrate oneof NUSL’s own,Prof. MargaretBurnham, whenshe was honored

with the Ernie Goodman Awardat the Saturday night banquet.

Midway through an aca-demically and ideologicallychallenging first semester inlaw school, I found the inter-generational conversations Iexperienced and participated inat the Guild convention aboutthe role of lawyers and legalworkers in social movements tobe moving and re-invigorating.I look forward to working withthe Guild throughout my lawschool and professional career.

Reflections on my First NLG Conventionby Hannah Adams

L

(front l.) Margaret Burnham at the NLG Convention Banquet, withAngela Davis (r.), Max Stern (behind), and Jeff Petrucelly (center).

Photo by Urszula Masny-Latos

Hannah Adams is a first year lawstudent at Northeastern.

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December 2012 Mass Dissent Page 11

NLG Massachusetts Chapter Sustainers YES, INCLUDE MY NAME AMONG NLG MASSACHUSETTS CHAPTER

SUSTAINERS!

I, _____________________________________, ammaking a commitment to support the MassachusettsChapter of the Guild with an annual contribution of:_____ $500 (not including my membership dues)$ ________ (other above $500)

As a sustainer I will receive:• special listing in the Dinner Program;• 1/8 page ad in the Dinner Program;• acknowledgement in every issue of Mass Dissent;• two (2) free raffle tickets for a Holiday Party raffle;• invitation to special events.

Three ways to become a sustainer:• contribute $500 or more a year (in addition to dues)• pair up with another person and pay $250 each, or• join the “Guild Circle” and pay $50/month minimum.

Please mail to: NLG, Massachusetts Chapter14 Beacon St., Suite 407, Boston, MA 02108

In the spring of 2003, the Massachusetts Chapter of the NLG initiatedthe Chapter Sustainer Program. Since its inception, the Program hasbeen very successful and has been enthusiastically joined by the fol-lowing Guild members:

Adkins, Kelston & Zavez • 2 Anonymous • MichaelAvery • Howard Cooper • Barb Dougan • RobertDoyle • Melinda Drew & Jeff Feuer • CarolynFederoff • Roger Geller & Marjorie Suisman • LisaGordon • Lee Goldstein & Shelley Kroll • BenjieHiller • Andrei Joseph & Sharryn Ross • MyongJoun • Martin Kantrovitz • Nancy Kelly & JohnWillshire-Carrera • David Kelston • EleanorNewhoff & Mark Stern • Petrucelly, Nadler & Norris• Hank Phillippi Ryan & Jonathan Shapiro • AllanRodgers • Martin Rosenthal • Anne Sills &Howard Silverman • Judy Somberg • Stern,Shapiro, Weissberg & GarinThe Sustainer Program is one of the most important Chapter initiatives tosecure its future existence. Please consider joining the Program.

With each influx of 1Ls into theNortheastern chapter, new lifehas been breathed into the ideaof a more socially progressiveperspective on legal education. Inthe last year, the Northeasternchapter has hosted a sessionwith critical legal studies founderand Harvard Law School profes-sor Duncan Kennedy about criti-cal legal studies education. In thefall, Northeastern's critical legalstudies sessions focused on 1Lcourse topics to invigorate andexpand the minds of the school'snewest law students.

The chapter is interested infurther expanding critical legalstudies to everyone who entersNUSL, a goal that the studentsare striving for while continuing towork with other communities and

causes. From supportingNortheastern's cafeteria workersin creating a union to serving aslegal observers at local demon-strations, Northeastern NLG stu-dents have continued to demon-strate their interest in helping thecommunity with the skills theyhave gained in law school.

SUFFOLK:by Alyssa Baldassini

The Suffolk Law Chapter ofthe National Lawyers Guild hasbeen reinstated and has justreceived recognition from theschool. With the e-board solidifiedthe group is now working on budg-etary matters and recruitment.

In addition, the Suffolk NLGChapter co-sponsored a presen-tation by JJ Rosenbaum on the“Importance of LeveragingLitigation Success to Produce

Policy Change.” JJ Rosenbaumis the legal director of the NewOrleans Center for Racial Justiceand the National GuestworkerAlliance. She discussed the suc-cess these organizations haveenjoyed through purposeful litiga-tion and political strategies. Thisevent took place at Suffolk Lawon November 8th.

On November 20th, our NLGstudent chapter hosted a socialhappy hour where law studentscould learn more about the NLGand find out ways to get involvedwith the organization. Other NLGstudent chapters in the Bostonarea were invited to the event.

Next year, at the beginning ofthe Spring semester, we aim tohost at least one Street LawClinic training for law students atour school interested in conduct-ing the clinics.

Contined from page 8

NLG Student Chapters Reports

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Donate to Support the Guild!The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild’s

Mass Defense Committee provides legal representation and assistance to the Occupy Boston movement.

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