Arkansas Times, LP v. Mark Waldrip, et. al

The NLG and Project South have filed an amicus brief in Arkansas Times, LP v. Mark Waldrip, et. al, challenging Arkansas’ Anti-BDS law. The case is on appeal to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. Such anti-boycott laws which trample upon the First Amendment have passed in dozens of states across the country and are […]

NLG Denounces Civil Rights Violations Against Puerto Rican Activists and Human Rights Lawyers

May 10, 2018 Contact: Natasha Lycia Ora Bannan, NLG President president@nlg.org NEW YORK—The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) joins the Puerto Rican civil rights and legal communities in condemning the actions of law enforcement and the Puerto Rico Department of Justice (PRDOJ), in response to their ongoing persecution and intimidation of human rights lawyers and activists. […]

Whose Speech? A Post-Charlottesville Discussion (3/28 at Georgetown Law)

Whose Speech? A Post-Charlottesville Discussion WASHINGTON, DC—In the wake of the deadly white supremacy march in Charlottesville last summer, social justice advocates face troubling questions about the meaning of free speech. Legal scholars and activists with Law for Black Lives DC and the National Lawyers Guild will host a panel discussion examining the history of […]

Third Charlottesville A12 Counter-Protester Arrested

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: communications@nlg.org | 212-649-5100, ext 15 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—Mr. Donald Blakney was arrested at his home on Friday by Charlottesville Police Department (CPD). He is charged with Malicious Wounding — a felony that carries a 5 year minimum and the possibility of up to 20 years in prison. On August 12, he was […]

A Dozen RNC Protesters Win Dismissals, Legal Support Provided by Local NLG and NAACP Chapters

Judge rules arrests unconstitutional in violation of the First Amendment Contact: Jacqueline Greene and Jocelyn Rosnick, Ohio NLG Co-Coordinators ohio@nlg.org October 27, 2017 CLEVELAND, OHIO ― On October 20, Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Charles L. Patton dismissed all charges against 12 activists charged with ordinance violations of aggravated disorderly conduct and obstruction, who participated in […]

Letter to Congress: Oppose the Israel Anti-Boycott Act

“The Act amends anti -boycott provisions of the federal Export Administration Act (EAA), enacted in 1979 . Those provisions prohibit specific actions taken to comply with or support a boycott of Israel “fostered or imposed” by a foreign country. The sponsors of the new Act propose to add new restrictions on boycotts “fostered or imposed” […]

Legal Observers’ testimony opposing confirmation of Peter Newsham as DC Police Chief

Three individuals who were arrested while serving as NLG Legal Observers during the #J20 protests on Inauguration Day submitted this testimony to the DC City Council in opposition to Peter Newsham (currently Interim Police Chief) being confirmed as the permanent Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief of Police, citing: “His disrespect for First Amendment rights as […]

Anti-Boycott Bills Are Part of Wider Crackdown on Protest

By Chip Gibbons, Policy and Legislative Counsel at Bill of Rights Defense Committee/Defending Dissent Foundation A number of commentators have noted two different trends. First, across the nation Republican lawmakers are pushing for bills criminalizing protests. Second, a number of state legislatures have passed or considered, often at the impetus of Democratic lawmakers, bills aimed at […]

New Anti-Protesting Legislation: A Deeper Look

By Traci Yoder, NLG Director of Research and Education In recent weeks, multiple articles have pointed to the wave of new anti-protesting bills introduced in state legislatures since the end of 2016. The Intercept, Washington Post, AlterNet, Democracy Now!, and other news outlets have provided overviews of the types of bills under consideration, the potential […]