Earlier this month, the National Lawyers Guild held the #Law4ThePeople Convention in Durham, North Carolina. This blog post is the first in regards to the convention, but will be followed with more event specific commentary. Until then, we wanted to give a brief look at some of the people and sights. Below is a gallery of selected photographs from NLG … Read more>>
Mass Defense Committee Update: Straight Pride Protest and the Fight for Immigrant Rights
10/08/2019
This will not be the most artful update, because I am trying to write it between 1000 other tasks. But I wanted our membership to know about the incredible work of the Mass Defense Committee in the last month.
As folks probably know, there were over 30 people arrested demonstrating against the far-right “Straight Pride” event. The NLG along… Read more>>
NLG-Mass Happy Hour: Supporting Puerto Rico
09/23/2019
Happy Hour: Supporting Puerto Rico
This past summer tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Puerto Rico demanding the ouster of the corrupt governor Ricardo Rosselló. Amazingly, they succeeded in their demands. Rosselló resigned August 2 under threats of impeachment. But that was just one chapter in the long history of the 120 years of corporate dominance and political inequality in … Read more>>
NLG Legal Observers in action at “Straight Pride” Parade Protest
09/10/2019
NLG Legal Observers in action at “Straight Pride” Parade Protest
When “Straight Pride Is Hate Pride” reached out to the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), the NLG responded. This was one of the groups organizing protests of the so-called “Straight Pride” parade in Boston Saturday, August 31, organized by individuals with ties to white supremacist groups.
NLG legal observers are present … Read more>>
Under Arrest for Non-Violent Protest against ICE
09/10/2019
Under Arrest for Non-Violent Protest against ICE
On Thursday, after a march of several hundred mostly young Jewish activists from the Holocaust Memorial across the Longfellow Bridge, twelve of the demonstrators were arrested for siting in the lobby of Amazon’s Cambridge Headquarters protesting Amazon’s complicity with ICE for developing facial recognition software and other cloud based technology in aid of … Read more>>
Judge Sinnott’s Overreach Put in Check by SJC Justice Gaziano
09/10/2019
SJC Justice rules in favor of Suffolk District Attorney Rollins in feud with Boston Municipal Court Judge
As reported by the Boston Globe, on Monday, September 9, 2019, a Supreme Judicial Court justice handed Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins a major victory, ruling that Boston Municipal Court Judge Richard Sinnott III had, “no authority,” to force Rollins to push ahead … Read more>>
Fighting for Free Speech in Critique: In Defense of Minority Union Workers
09/09/2019
Fighting for Free Speech in Critique: In Defense of Minority Union Workers
A local union consisting mostly of racial minorities was recommended for dissolution and transfer of its members into two other local unions because its officers (racial minorities) and members criticized the mostly white staff and officers of the intermediate labor organization to which the local belonged (AFSCME Joint … Read more>>
NLG ATTORNEY TAKEN INTO CUSTODY & HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT
09/05/2019
NLG ATTORNEY TAKEN INTO CUSTODY & HELD IN CONTEMPT OF COURT
On Sep. 3rd and 4th, 2019, individuals charged for their role in counter-protesting the alt-right sponsored Straight Pride parade, were arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court. This has been five days of reckless disregard for the law and justice by some of the people and institutions who are supposed … Read more>>
The Fight Against Climate Change: In Defense of “Extinction Rebellion”
09/03/2019
The Fight Against Climate Change: In Defense of “Extinction Rebellion”
On July 31st, Jeff Feuer of the Mass Defense Committee appeared in the central Boston Municipal Court to represent 10 members of the climate change activist group, Extinction Rebellion. The activists were facing clerk-magistrate “show cause” hearings on charges of trespass and failure to disperse from a so-called “riot” stemming … Read more>>
Flowers v. All White Juries – by Madison Levin
08/27/2019
Flowers v. All White Juries
Madison Levin
When selecting a jury, the attorneys for both sides have the opportunity to peremptorily challenge prospective jurors, striking them from the jury without needing to provide an explanation. These challenges, however, are not without limits. In 1986, in the seminal case Batson v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court ruled that a State may … Read more>>
The Citizenship Question – by Madison Levin
08/27/2019
The Citizenship Question
by Madison Levin
The Enumeration Clause of the Constitution specifies that the population be calculated by “adding to the whole Number of free Persons… three-fifths of all other Persons.” In light of the current census controversy, it is significant that racism was written into the United States Constitution and remains entrenched our democracy and our legal … Read more>>
A Trumped-Up Crisis at the Border! ft. Victor Aronow and Hillary Farber
07/17/2019
On July 9, 2019 at the Cambridge YMCA library, two National Lawyers Guild members presented “A Trumped-Up Crisis at the Border”. Victor Aronow, one of the co-founders of the Massachusetts Chapter of the NLG, lives in Phoenix, Arizona and runs the non-profit Refugee Aid, established by the NLG in Arizona. With migrants crossing the southern border at unprecedented numbers, the… Read more>>
NLG-Mass Chapter Summer Retreat 2019
07/16/2019
On Saturday, July 13th, NLG-Mass Chapter members gathered at the Old Oak Dojo in Jamaica Plain to discuss the present state and future trajectory of the Chapter. In addition to Guild members, several community organizers also came and presented their goals and hopes in continuing to work with the Guild. Those included: Kayla Degala Paraiso of Matahari… Read more>>
NLG Legal Observing at Never Again Protest and Representing Arrested Activists
07/03/2019
NLG Support for Activists from Never Again Movement
18 activists from Never Again Para Nadie: Jews Against ICE were arrested and charged with trespassing on the night of Tuesday, July 2nd at the demonstration organized by Cosecha with a march to the ICE detention facility at the South Bay Jail in Boston. On the morning of Wednesday, July 3rd, they … Read more>>
NLG-Mass Chapter’s Memory Lane – 50th Anniversary Edition
05/29/2019
For 50 years (since its re-establishment in 1969), the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild has worked tirelessly in pursuit of justice for the people. With so many hurdles overcome and still many ahead, we thought it would be nice to take a look back at the history which has helped shape who we are today.
The following photographs … Read more>>
NLG-Mass Chapter Annual Dinner 2019!
05/29/2019
On Friday, May 17th, the NLG-Mass Chapter came together to honor long-time member, Lynn Weissberg, and to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Chapter. Before the ceremony was officially underway, the dining hall was bustling with the sounds of music from the ‘60s and ‘70s (the time when the Chapter was re-created), conversations and the energy of our members. The … Read more>>
NLG-MASS CHAPTER CONDEMNS THE POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED FEDERAL PROSECUTION OF JUDGE SHELLEY RICHMOND JOSEPH
04/30/2019
NLG-MASS CHAPTER CONDEMNS THE POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED FEDERAL PROSECUTION OF JUDGE SHELLEY RICHMOND JOSEPH
The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild condemns the politically-motivated federal prosecution of Judge Shelley Richmond Joseph, a respected judge sitting in the district court division of the Massachusetts Trial Court, and trial court officer Wesley MacGregor. The two have been indicted on charges of obstruction of justice … Read more>>
NLG Annual Meeting 2019
03/26/2019
In March, Mass Chapter members gathered for our Annual Meeting. After short reports from the co-chairs and committees – Litigation, Mass Defense, Finance, and Dinner – and the Referral Directory, we held elections of the new Mass Chapter’s Board of Directors and Officers.
All running candidates were elected to serve on the Board of Directors. Bonnie … Read more>>
Justice Week 2019
02/06/2019
hosted by the NLG-UMass Dartmouth School of Law Chapter
Justice Week is a week long celebration and awareness campaign of contemporary social justice issues. This annual event is hosted by the National Lawyers’ Guild – UMass Law Chapter, and other UMass Law affinity groups. This year’s theme is: “Gender, Gentry, and Grace.” We will be looking at … Read more>>
NLG Legal Observers Defend Boston’s Third Women’s March
01/23/2019
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The third Women’s March in Boston took place last Saturday, 1/19, on a sunny and cold winter’s day. Despite a looming blizzard, thousands of people came out to make their voices heard in Boston Common. As a protestor’s sign said; “You know it’s serious if we are marching in January”.
About 20 counter-protestors were also … Read more>>
LFTP: Employment/Labor Law for the People
01/22/2019
On Thursday, January 17th, at 6:00pm, the NLG-Mass Chapter presented the fifth Know Your Rights teach-in of our six-month long series, “Law For The People.” Northeastern University School of Law co-sponsored and hosted this teach-in, entitled “Employment/Labor Law For The People.”
NLG-Mass member Attorney Mark Stern spoke about the many different types of labor law, from union law to … Read more>>
NLG-Mass January Happy Hour Recap
01/18/2019
On Wednesday, January 9th, at 6pm, the NLG-Massachusetts Chapter hosted a Happy Hour event at the Red Hat Café, featuring a pertinent presentation entitled “What’s Going On At The Southern Border.” About thirty folks attended to discuss the current struggles of immigrants who have fled their countries of origin, where living conditions have become intolerable (often due to exploitative … Read more>>
Call for NLG Members to Assist Migrant Caravan
12/20/2018
from the NLG National Office:
Since November, a Central American exodus of 4,000-5,000 asylum seekers have been arriving at the Tijuana/San Ysidro Port of Entry. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) and Al Otro Lado (AOL) have been mobilizing legal support on both sides of the border to help protect and uphold the human rights of these refugees fleeing violence … Read more>>
NLG-Mass’s 2018 Holiday Party
12/12/2018
On the evening of Friday, December 7th, members and friends of NLG-Mass gathered at the law office of Shapiro, Weissberg, & Garin to celebrate the holiday season. Folks enjoyed delicious food and wine with the good company of fellow comrades. The holiday party also featured an exciting raffle of prizes, ranging from day passes at rock climbing gyms to spa … Read more>>
ACLU of Massachusetts, NLG-Mass Chapter and partner organizations sue Boston Police Department for records on “gang” tracking system
11/15/2018
Groups demand records on database used in deportations
BOSTON, November 15, 2018 – The ACLU of Massachusetts, together with a coalition of legal services and civil rights groups and law firm Anderson & Kreiger LLP, today filed a lawsuit against the Boston Police Department (BPD) seeking information about the police department’s “gang database.”
Little is known about the … Read more>>
