Law Student Adventures in Conventioneering

Published in the December 09 issue of Mass Dissent
By Liz Dedrick and Cecilia Candia

In October the National Lawyers Guild took Seattle by storm for its national convention, “Law for the People,” in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Organization protests there.  A strong contingent from the Massachusetts chapter attended the convention. Two Northeastern law students report on their adventures at their first Guild convention.

Wednesday:  We left for the airport straight from our co-ops at the Greater Boston Legal Services.  We were so excited about our first NLG convention that we tried to check in at the wrong airline—multiple times.

Thursday: Cecilia spent all day at the NLG National Immigration Project (NIP) meeting.  As a student, she was a little nervous that she would be out of her league.  Instead she was happy to find that not only could she follow along, but was also able to contribute to the discussion.

After meeting Urszula and Sara for dinner, we all rushed to plenary in time to hear outgoing NLG President Marjorie Cohn and keynote speaker Richard Falk.  That night they went to hear live music at the Can Can Cabaret.  Liz instead went to visit her sister, who gave birth to twins that morning.

Friday: Workshops included The Surveillance State and Domestic Spying in the Obama Era: Tactics to End the Bush Legacy (fascinating, excellent panelists); Effective Strategies for Dealing with Immigration Detainers (challenging but interesting); What Difference Does a Revolution Make in a Global Economic Meltdown? (interesting panel about impact of U.S. economic policies in Latin America); and the  plenary session.  The day ended with a screening of a new documentary about William Kunstler, “Disturbing the Universe.” It is an excellent film about a long-time Guild member and civil rights activist, and we highly recommend it.

Saturday:  Cecilia and Liz attended their favorite workshops.  Cecilia enjoyed Communities of Color: Litigating and Organizing to Fight Back because the panelists were clear with their message and passionate in their beliefs about the importance of community lawyering.  Liz liked Nuts and Bolts of Disability Rights Litigation because it provided a practical and informative explanation of employment discrimination claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act. That evening we attended the banquet and met more NLG members, including a Northeastern Law graduate who is practicing in Alaska.

Sunday: On the whole, we are very glad we attended this year’s convention and we’re even more excited for next year’s in New Orleans!

Liz Dedrick and Cecilia Candia are second year students at Northeastern University School of Law. Next year’s national convention will be held September 22 – 26  in New Orleans.  Mark your calendars!