For the love of people over property —this is why I joined the NLG and collaborated with friends to start the student chapter of the NLG at Roger Williams University School of Law back in 2011. I was warmly reminded of this sacred truth at this year’s NLG Testimonial Dinner and I felt my fire reignited by the dedicated comrades … Read more>>
Dave Runkle’s Experience at the 2023 NLG-Mass Testimonial Dinner
06/04/2023
Despite being an NLG member since 2021, this was my first opportunity to attend a Testimonial Dinner and I couldn’t be more glad that I finally made it. I joined the Guild shortly after beginning a two-year J.D. program at Suffolk University but somehow, during those two years which also included marrying my amazing partner and welcoming a devastatingly adorable … Read more>>
Police Drastic Actions Against Stop Cop City Activists in Atlanta, GA
06/04/2023
Heavily armed police raided a music festival in a forest near Atlanta and indiscriminately detained and arrested dozens of people on March 5, 2023. https://theintercept.com/2023/03/08/atlanta-cop-city-protesters/
Twenty three of those arrestees have been charged under a Georgia state domestic terrorism law, an overly broad law passed in the wake of the 2020 uprising to criminalize dissent and keep activists out of … Read more>>
Critical Race Theory and Law School Curriculum
04/21/2023
Isabella Forcino, a 3L at Boston College Law School is working on a project tracking the work being done teaching critical race theory and race in the law in American law schools, including the role of student activism. The goal is to make a toolkit for students in other law schools who want to bring CRT courses to their schools. The … Read more>>
Harvard Campaign: No More Comaroff, No More Complicity
04/21/2023
HARVARD CAMPAIGN
No More Comaroff, No More Complicity
By Austin Siebold
On Wednesday, March 29th, I sat in the doorway of the (men’s) basement bathroom in University Hall, a central administrative building in Harvard Yard, where the Dean of the College, Dean of Faculty, and Dean of Students all work.
As I sat there, the door propped open, … Read more>>
Two NLG Legal Observers Arrested in Atlanta, GA
04/21/2023
Two NLG legal observers were arrested during a protest against Cop City in Atlanta, Georgia. Law enforcement detained at least 35 people in Atlanta on Sunday, March 5, at a solidarity music festival over a mile away from the Cop City construction site. All of these arrests are part of ongoing state repression and violence against racial and environmental justice … Read more>>
Massachusetts Chapter of the NLG Condemns the Recent Arrests in Atlanta, Georgia
04/21/2023
The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) strongly condemns the brutal and provocative arrests of environmental activists and the unnecessarily harsh charges brought against the Cop City protestors in Atlanta.
On March 5, 2023, police and other law enforcement personnel arrested some 35 people, including NLG Legal Observers, who attended a peaceful solidarity music festival in Atlanta in … Read more>>
April Legal Observing
04/21/2023
Legal Observing at Abington City Council to Remove Cops from Abington High School on April 3, 2023
Legal Observers – Melissa Costa and Jill Sheridan
Legal Observer Training for Students at Boston University Law School on April 6, 2023
Trainer – Lee Goldstein
Action in Solidarity with Palestinian Worshippers Brutalized in Al Aqsa Mosque on April 9, 2023
Legal Observer … Read more>>
20th Innocence Network Conference
04/21/2023
20th Innocence Network Conference – April 14-15, 2023
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Innocence Network National Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference brings to together lawyers, law students, forensic experts, researchers across a number of fields, activists, various other supporters, and most importantly, people who have been exonerated and freed.
It was an honor to learn from … Read more>>
Community Action in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut
04/21/2023
NLG-Mass was notified of two campaigns happening in Western Massachusetts and one in our neighbor state, Connecticut.
Chase Bank Campaign
A coalition of activist groups organized by Climate Action Now joined the Third Act National Campaign on March 21, 2023 to protest the new Chase Banks opening this year in Western Massachusetts. The protestors also urged Chase Bank to stop … Read more>>
“Let’s Make 2023 the Year We Get Free Phone Calls” By Rachel Roth
03/30/2023
Valentine’s Day Lobbying at the State House for Free Phone Calls from Prisons
For too long, families and friends of people in prison and jail have been charged excessively high rates to talk on the phone. People spend $14 million a year to talk with their loved ones who are incarcerated, which is far more than anyone else in Massachusetts … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Mass Defense Committee Update
02/18/2023
On Friday, February 10th, Jeff Feuer represented 14 Extinction Rebellion activists who were arrested in the evening of February 9th in Governor Healey’s office at the State House as part of a large demonstration (approximately 50 people) done by Extinction Rebellion to demand that the Governor take some immediate steps to address the climate emergency facing our state and country. … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Student Chapter Update
02/18/2023
Harvard Law School
The Harvard Law School NLG Chapter is busy this year holding monthly abolitionist community building (AbCom) events. They are using their first AbCom event to build care packages for community organizers leading de-carceral campaigns (i.e., organizers with People Not Prisons and FJAH). The chapter also plans to hold a series of Reproductive Justice workshops, which will include … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Street Law Clinic Update
02/18/2023
LEGAL OBSERVING
January 17: Legal Observing at a climate justice action in East Boston, organized by Extinction Rebellion-Boston, by Sean McNamara.
January 18: Legal Observing at a climate justice action in East Boston, organized by Extinction Rebellion-Boston, by Sean McNamara.
January 23: Legal Observer Training at Northeastern School of Law, by Melinda Drew.
January 28: Legal Observing at a rally … Read more>>
Honoree Spotlight: Ronald Fox, Lifetime Achievement Award
02/18/2023
Ron got the idea of becoming a lawyer early in his life (according to family legend, he requested a law school catalog at ten years old), following in his father’s footsteps. But Ron never really had an idea of what a lawyer did or why he even wanted to be a lawyer. Early in his legal career, Ron began working … Read more>>
NLG-Mass Chapter Annual Meeting
01/20/2023
On January 18, the NLG-Mass Chapter members met for this year’s Annual Meeting. We were hoping that this time, after long 3 years, we’ll be able to hold the meeting in person; however, a survey of our membership showed that people preferred a virtual meeting.
At the meeting, we conducted our annual Elections of the NLG-Mass Chapter Board of Directors … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Student Chapter Update
01/20/2023
Northeastern University
This past fall semester, the NUSL NLG chapter has been excited to be back on campus in full capacity for the first time since 2020. We have held bi-weekly meetings and plan to continue to do so this coming next semester. We held a Street Law Clinic: Know Your Rights training in October. We also held a live … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Street Law Clinic Update
01/20/2023
Thank you for your participation and dedication to NLG! We would like to uplift our work at the Street Law Clinic and encourage those who are interested to get involved! Last semester, we trained many law students to learn how to aid in the facilitation of Know Your Rights: Stop & Search workshops for organizations around Massachusetts. We are excited to … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Mass Defense Committee Update
01/20/2023
On January 9th Victoria Baratain and Cameron Cantelmo provided legal observing at a protest in Cambridge in response to a killing by Cambridge police in Sayed Faisal, organized by Bangladeshi Association of New England (BANE) and Muslim Justice League.
On January 14th Melissa Costa, Mathew Freimuth, and Deb Wilmer provided legal observing at a rally in Fall River in support … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Abortion Justice Task Force Update
12/18/2022
NLG-Mass’ Abortion Justice Task Force (AJTF) was established in response to the Dobbs decision. The AJTF is currently researching the most pressing legal questions for those seeking an abortion, helping with accessing an abortion, and performing abortions in Massachusetts. Additionally, AJTF is researching the added legal concerns for more vulnerable populations, such as college students and noncitizens. We hope to … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Student Chapter Updates
12/17/2022
STUDENT REPORT – HARVARD
This year, the Harvard Law School National Lawyers Guild chapter held a number of events and welcomed new members.
In the spring, we held a series of abolitionist skills training workshops, which taught skills related to de-escalation, first aid at protests, and responding to people in crises. We also continued our monthly abolitionist community building gatherings, which … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Litigation Committee Update
12/17/2022
July 2022 Litigation Committee Meeting
In June 2020, Litigation Committee members, including Jeff Petrucelly and David Kelston, sent public records requests to the Boston Police Department (BPD) and the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC) seeking records concerning the so-called, “Straight Pride Parade” (SPP) of August 31, 2019 and arrests, harassment and abuse of people who protested SPP. BPD and BRIC … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Street Law Clinic Update
12/17/2022
STREET LAW CLINIC
Street Law Clinic project has been working hard to grow our network of law students, practitioners, and community organizations.
This fall, we trained approximately 30 new students from a variety of law schools on how to lead Know Your Rights workshops with community groups. For workshops, we have focused our outreach on local community library branches throughout … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Mass Defense Committee Update
12/17/2022
April 2022 Direct Action Training
Our Mass Defense Committee had an exciting and full year supporting social movements for racial, economic, reproductive and climate justice. We held trainings, represented numerous activists in courts across the state, and partnered with a number of fantastic grassroots groups pushing forward meaningful change.
With the ongoing national attacks on reproductive freedom, the MDC stepped … Read more>>
