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>>
Mass Dissent – State of the NLG
12/17/2022
State of the NLG – MA Chapter – 2022
Well, another busy year for the MA chapter of the NLG is nearly over. With the support of our members, we have achieved several goals, some in response to decisions of the Supreme Court. As you all know the Court decided the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in which the … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Student Work Update
10/17/2022
We are planning to do a Narcan Training. We are still awaiting some responses and getting the details in order. This Fall, UMass Dartmouth Law NLG Student Chapter plans to host a movie night showing, “Aftershock”; we have invited members of If/When/How and BLSA to join us. We are co-sponsoring a Judicial Accountability event as well as co-sponsoring a post … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Abortion Justice Task Force Update
10/17/2022
NLG-Mass’ Abortion Justice Task Force (AJTF) will start facilitating trainings for groups and communities across Massachusetts in January 2023. 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 … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Annual Dinner 2022
10/17/2022
I recently had the pleasure to attend the 2022 National Lawyers Guild Mass Chapter Annual Dinner as a guest of New England Law I Boston student, Sara Malley. As I am an architect and most certainly not a lawyer, I expect that I may have been one of the few attendees who wasn’t either directly employed in the field of … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – “Summer” Retreat 2022
10/17/2022
There were 13 people participating at this year’s retreat – Bonnie, Doug Smith (Lit. Com.), Eden, Jeff, Jesse Sanderson (2022 Suffolk grad.), Lee, Makis, Melinda, Rebecca Amdemariam, Roberto Patterson, Sara Malley (N.E. Law), Urszula, Zach.
Melinda and Bonnie opened the proceedings up with a brief summary of the topics to be discussed during the retreat. This included the our ongoing … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Litigation Committee Report
10/17/2022
The Litigation Committee of NLG-Mass Chapter September Report
Following the presentation of Drew Friedfertig from the NLG-Buffalo Chapter to the Litigation Committee’s September meeting concerning the Buffalo NLG Chapter’s work in examining police policies and practices to screen out or investigate and discipline police officers who are members of white Nationalist organizations, anti-government militias, sovereign citizen groups, or “domestic terrorist” … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Getting to know Ellen Messing (9/15/2022)
09/15/2022
What/who motivated you to go to law school?
I decided to go to law school in the course of a single moment while representing myself in a university expulsion hearing. Discipline was being sought against several of us for occupying a university building to demand that a faculty member who was basically a war criminal not be allowed back from… Read more>>
I decided to go to law school in the course of a single moment while representing myself in a university expulsion hearing. Discipline was being sought against several of us for occupying a university building to demand that a faculty member who was basically a war criminal not be allowed back from… Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Litigation Committee Report (9/15/2022)
09/15/2022
The Litigation Committee of NLG-Mass. was busy this month. Law student intern Adam Baldasarre finished up his summer duties by investigating Boston police surveillance and especially drone surveillance, with an emphasis on Mass-Cass and other spots where people lacking sustainable housing gather for safety. No present plans for action as of this writing, but come back next month for an … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Ongoing Litigation Against BPD (9/15/2022)
09/15/2022
Our Mass Chapter joined the ACLU, and five community & legal service organizations, with the assistance of a private law firm pro bono, in successfully suing the Boston Police Department (BPD) and the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC) for its failure to timely and fully produce public records of gang surveillance in Boston. The suit was filed in January, 2019, … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Student Meeting Minutes (9/15/2022)
09/15/2022
At the end of August, students from – UMass at Dartmouth, BU Law, Suffolk Law, Northeastern Law, and New England Law – came together to discuss potential campaigns their NLG chapters may adopt for the 22-23 academic year. As students share their scheduled events, the information will be included in Mass Dissent as well as posted on social media. Additionally, … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Starbucks Workers Hold The Line! (8/15/2022)
08/15/2022
In response to corporate union-busting attempts, Starbucks workers from 874 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston went on strike over three weeks ago. It is the longest running strike in Starbucks history. Their efforts were joined by other Starbucks stores in Massachusetts. The Coolidge Corner, Cleveland Circle, Watertown, and Worcester stores picketed, and the Gardner and Reading stores held sip-ins.
Kylah Clay, … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – Post Dobbs Action Plan Meeting (8/15/2022)
08/15/2022
Recently, staff and members of NLG chapters (Mass, Idaho, Buffalo, Las Vegas, Denver, and Pittsburgh) joined an online meeting to discuss ways chapters across the country can collaborate to address the numerous legal concerns following the Dobbs decision.
The conversation largely focused on three key points: access to representation, legal education and potential avenues to contest the legal legitimacy of … Read more>>
Mass Dissent – NLG Mass Abortion Justice Task Force (8/15/2022)
08/15/2022
NLG-Mass Abortion Justice Task Force
NLG-Mass Abortion Justice Task Force is revamping NLG-Mass’ former Reproductive Rights Clinic in light of the Dobbs decision and the numerous legal concerns that have resulted. The goal of the Task Force is to uncover the most pressing legal concerns and to address those concerns through a legal clinic/training offered to groups … Read more>>
