2001.05.22: EQUAL JUSTICE NEWS

*Please forward this information to others* =================================================================
EQUAL JUSTICE NEWS: May 22, 2001
(Direct Circulation: 6499)

A free e-bulletin published by:
A L A A
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW 2325
568 Broadway, Rm. 702A, New York, NY 10012-3225
T: 212.343.0708 Fx: 212.343.0966

President:  Michael Letwin
Secretary-Treasurer:  George Albro
Recording Secretary:  Charlotte Hitchcock =================================================================
Defend “Democracy Now!”
PACIFICA CAMPAIGN ACTION AGENDA:  MAY 21-25, 2001

Since last Wednesday, Amy Goodman’s award-winning program “Democracy Now!” is no longer being broadcast on WBAI (NYC).  The program has faced similar recent censorship at KPFK (Los Angeles).  Details available at: <http://www.pacificacampaign.org&gt;, pacificacampaign@yahoo.com.

This week, defenders of free speech will conduct the following action to demand resumption of full, daily broadcast of “Democracy Now!”  Supporters are invited to participate.

1.  Station Call-In.  Call the tally rooms at WBAI (212.209.2950) and KPFK (818.985.5735).

2.  Daily Pickets.  Daily, 7:30-9:00 a.m. and 4:30-6:00 p.m. at WBAI (120 Wall St., east of Water Street; 2/3/4/5 to Wall St.); 4:00-6:00 p.m. at KPFK (3729 Cahuenga Blvd., North Hollywood).

3.  Demonstration.  Thursday, 4:00-6:00 p.m. at WBAI; 3:30-6:30 p.m. at KPFK (addresses shown above).

4.  Board Member Resignation.  Tell Pacifica Vice Chair Ken Ford (info below), and his employer, National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) President Bruce Smith (800.368.5242, x303/x408)(info@nahb.com) that Ford should resign from the Pacifica Board.

5.  E-Mail the Board.  Bmwpacifica@aol.com, cpadga@aol.com, kford@nahb.com, acdarius@aol.com, jmurdock@ebglaw.com, rfarrell@kamber.com, KvPPhD@aol.com, wendell_i_johns@fanniemae.com, prbram@aol.com, HARAV1@aol.com, tomasmoran@aol.com, robrobin@erols.com, LeslieCagan@igc.org, Valrie.Chambers@mail.tamucc.edu, uleid@escape.com, mschubb@kpfk.org, pacificacampaign@yahoo.com.

2001.05.18: Letter to the NYT About Indigent Defense

Letter to the NYT About Indigent Defense
May 18, 2001

To the editor:

Joyce Purnick is right to point out that pay for private assigned defense counsel must be increased (May 17). But, as recent Times reports have shown (April 8-10), the problem with indigent criminal defense in New York City has less to do with neglect in Albany than with Giuliani administration policies that have intentionally fragmented and weakened an already-troubled indigent defense system.

That policy has its origins in the administration’s response to an October 1994 strike in which attorneys and support staff at The Legal Aid Society–the city’s primary defender agency–sought to defend the quality of representation for indigent New Yorkers.

Though this federally-protected strike caused no disruption in the courts, the Mayor abruptly cancelled the Society’s city contract and threatened strikers with a PATCO-style blacklist. Immediately afterwards, the administration began to inflict huge punitive cuts in the Society’s city funding.

Since 1994, the resulting cumulative $160 million reduction in the Society’s city funds has whittled the number of Legal Aid’s public defenders from 520 down to 370. Those who remain to represent an undiminished 200,000 clients each year—without surrendering their commitment to quality–are near, at, or well beyond the breaking point.

The administration has used these funds to pay for an explosion of unmonitored, poorly-paid, overwhelmed private counsel. In addition, it has subsidized seven small-volume, runaway (nonunion) contractors–bearing such deceptively legitimate-sounding names as “Brooklyn Defender Services,” “Bronx Defenders,” and “Appellate Advocates”–paid more to do less, and beholden to Giuliani for their very existence.

This increasingly dysfunctional defense system competes with fully-funded prosecutors, and with an NYPD responsible not only for the infamous Diallo/Dorismond murders, but for feeding thousands of Black and Latino teenagers into the criminal justice assembly line. It is a picture that, each day, makes New York City look more like Texas.

The key to reforming this indigent defense tragedy lies in ending these destructive policies and in fully restoring Legal Aid Society funding.

Michael Letwin, President
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW 2325

2001.05.16: Reply to Justice on the Cheap (The Nation, May 21, 2001)

Reply to Justice on the Cheap (The Nation, May 21, 2001) <http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20010521&s=bach&gt;

By Michael Letwin
President
Association of Legal Aid Attorneys/UAW 2325

In Amy Bach’s article on the indigent defense crisis (May 21), consultant Robert Spangenberg makes the puzzling claim that New York City’s use of contracts for such representation is “one of the best.” In fact, as extensively reported last month by the New York Times, New York’s indigent defense contracts promote the very same “drive-by” representation that Ms. Bach rightly criticizes in other jurisdictions.

The NYC contracts alluded to by Mr. Spangenberg are by-products of the Giuliani administration’s response to a legally-protected October 1994 strike in which Legal Aid Society attorneys and support staff sought, as they have since the late 1960s, to defend the quality of representation for indigent New Yorkers.

Intent on breaking the strike and making an example of the attorneys, Giuliani abruptly cancelled the Society’s city contract and threatened strikers with a PATCO-style blacklist. Immediately afterwards, the administration began to inflict huge cuts in the Society’s city funding.

Since 1994, the resulting cumulative $160 million cut in the Society’s city funds has whittled the number of Legal Aid’s public defenders from 520 down to 370. Those who remain to represent an undiminished 200,000 clients each year–without surrendering their commitment to quality–are near, at, or well beyond the breaking point.

The administration used these funds to pay for an explosion of unmonitored, poorly-paid, overwhelmed private counsel. In addition, it has subsidized seven small-volume, runaway (nonunion) contractors–bearing such innocuous names as “Brooklyn Defender Services” and “Bronx Defenders”–paid more to do less, and beholden to Giuliani for their very existence.

This increasingly dysfunctional defense system competes with fully-funded prosecutors, and with an NYPD responsible not only for the infamous Diallo/Dorismond murders, but for feeding thousands of Black and Latino teenagers into the criminal justice assembly line. It is a picture that, each day, makes New York City look more like Texas.

Fixing it means ending, rather than praising, Giuliani’s indigent defense contracts.

2001.05.15: ALAA Delegate Council Bulletin #77

Microsoft Word – DCB77

ALAA Delegate Council Bulletin #77

Agenda: Tuesday, May 15, 2001, 6:30 p.m. Sharp

•Estimated length: 1 hour.

•All ALAA members welcome (only elected representatives may vote).

•Free pizza/soda.

1. Adoption of DC Minutes for March 20, 2001 and April 30, 2001 (attached).

2. Political Action (15 minutes).

2.1. City elections.

2.2. Charleston 5 case (see http://www.ilwu.org/index_coalition.htm).

3. Criminal Funding (15 minutes).

3.1. FY02 budget.

3.2. Staffing.

3.3. Litigation.

4. Collective Bargaining (5 minutes)(see attached materials).

5. Internal Business (20 minutes).

5.1. Election of Part-Timer representative to Executive Board. Nominee (closed as of May 8, 2001): Laura Porter (CDD-Manhattan).

5.2. Bylaw Revision Committee. Following UAW response to ALAA bylaws, EB proposes formation of new committee to consider further amendment of bylaws, made up of the Secretary-Treasurer and one representative from each Vice-Presidential constituency.

5.3. UAW audit (materials will be distributed at meeting).

Minutes of ALAA Delegate Council: March 20, 2001

Legend: Black=Present; Gray=Absent; Lowercase=Alternate; Parens=Other ALAA Members

Executive Board

President: LETWIN

Secretary-Treasurer: ALBRO

Recording Secretary: HITCHCOCK

VP–CAB/CAP/Fed: BLUM, P. (Acting), A1: Vacant

VP–CDD/Bx: GELTMAN, A1: Vacant

VP–CDD/Bk: ZUSS, A1: *Torres, A2: *Korotzer

VP–CDD/M: GEIDA, A1: Mulligan

VP–CDD/Qns: POPPER, *A1: Byrne

VP–Civil: HOLDER; A1: Vacant

VP–JRD: HOCHBERG, A1: Vacant

VP–Vol. (CLO): BING-HAMPSON, A1: Rosa-Rios, A2: Vega, A3: Edwards

ACLA: *CODLING

Aff. Action: VACANT

Health & Safety: *KOROTZER

Health: *SMITH

Junior: *HUGHES

Lesbian & Gay: *BAHR

Senior: *TORRES

*Nonvoting in this capacity

Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB)

COHEN, FABIANO, GRAVES, HARPAZ, HOPKIRK, LANDAU, LITTLE, PETERS, A1: Taglieri, A2: Blum, P, A3: Sender

Capital Defender Division

VACANT

Criminal Defense Division (CDD)-Bronx

BxA: ROGERS, SIM, A1: Rush-Fox, A2: Montoya, A3: Roman

BxB: GARCIA, GURWITCH, A1: Meyerson, A2: Peppito, A3: Warshowksy

BxC: ABBANDANDO, BOMBA, A1: Rudin, A2: Beltre, A3: Kelly

BxD: FOLLETT, IPPOLITO, A1: Sturman, A2: Albo, A3: Follett

Criminal Defense Division (CDD)-Brooklyn

BK1: BAKER, BELL, A1: Costigan, A2: Newton, A3: Dinjian

BK2: ANGRISANI, ASHWORTH, A1: Korotzer, A2: Pitts, A3: Wright

BK3: RITTER, SHEEHAN, A1: Alzugaray, A2: Flanders, A3: Morris

BK4: PELLEGRINO, CASHMAN, A1: Kurtz, A2: Rudnick, A3: Rahall

BK5: DAVILA, PRATT, A1: Newman, A2: Wasserman, R.

Criminal Defense Division (CDD)-Manhattan

M1: DALEY, NEVINS

M2: GROSS, NARRA

M3: BAHR, SCHWARZ, A1: Michaeu

M4: MARON, MULLIGAN, A1: Shapiro

M5: ROBERTS, SOTO

M6: AFFLER, WRIGHT, A1: Zablocki

Spec Lit: WASSERMAN

Criminal Defense Division (CDD)-Queens

Q1: GRUNDSTEIN, MORRISON, A1: Linneman, A2: Vacant

Q3: FREDERICK, KNIGHTLY, A1: Haase, A2: Savage, A3: LoPiccolo

Q4: AUSTIN, DIFLUMERI, A1: Byrne, A1: Auguste, A3: Horowitz

Civil Division

Aging: BOEHM, A1: Hosannah, A2: Bart, A3: Durham

Appeals/HRP: GOLDFEIN, KELLEHER, A1: Goldiner, A2: Bock

Bronx: FRIEDER, STOLLER, A1: Goetz

Brooklyn Neighborhood Office (BNO): PIZZIMENTI, ROSENBERG

Far Rockaway: SHORTELL, A1: Dierking, A2: Fielding

Harlem: SACKEY, A1: Shaeffer, A2: Barbosa

Immigration: FLOYD-MAYER, A1: Navarro

Lower Manhattan Neiborhood Office (LMNO): RHULEN, A1: Bodden

Queens: FLORES, A1: Mombrun, A2: Kim, A3: Friedheim

Staten Island: MARCUS, A1: Sanchez, A2: McCann

(Davol)

Federal Defender Division

Appeals & SDNY: STATSINGER

EDNY: PADDEN, Solotaroff

Juvenile Rights Division (JRD)

Appeals/Spec Lit: EGGER, A1: Rosenbloom

Bronx: ROMAN, A1: Abbey, A2: Nevergold

Brooklyn: KARASYK, A1: Koslow, A2: Baum, A3: Nolan

Manhattan: LAMB, MARTIN, A1: Pappadopoulos

Queens: BOWLER, SCREEN, A1: Mittler, A2: Chiu

Staten Island: LEE

Parole Revocation (PRDU)

LOPEZ

Prisoners Rights Project

ZELERMYER, A1: Beritan

Volunteer Division/(Community Law Office)

MARIS, CODLING, A1: Epstein, *A2: Edwards

NB: Italics=Adopted motion

1. Prior Minutes. MOTION (Torres/Narra): Adopt Delegate Council minutes of January 30, 2001 (passed unanimously).

3. Political Action.

2.1. Drop the Rock. Albro urged members to participate in March 27 ALAA/1199/LAS lobby and protest in Albany to repeal Rockefeller Drug Laws.

2.2. Mayor’s Race. Albro reported on process by which UAW may endorse mayoral candidates. Several members called for early endorsement of candidate Mark Green.

4. Criminal Funding.

3.1. Staffing. Letwin reported ongoing discussion of need to reduce CDD/CAB workload in light of budget cuts. MOTION (Torres/Popper): Hold special DC within next month to discuss CDD/CAB workload/staffing problems, preceded by boro/office level meetings to consider alternative steps (passed: unanimously).

3.2. Litigation. Letwin reported on efforts to schedule Giuliani deposition.

5. Collective Bargaining.

4.1. Bargaining Proposals. Letwin reported on inclusion of additional items in draft contract proposals. MOTION (Albro/Blum): Adopt draft contract proposals submitted by the Executive Board (attached)(passed: unanimously).

6. Internal Business.

5.1. Election to Vacant Executive Board Positions (by secret written ballot) .

5.1.1. Health Benefits: Kathryn Smith (24), Barbara Byrne (18).

5.1.2. Health & Safety: Daniella Korotzer (30), Tom Bomba (12).

5.2. Bylaw Amendment for Part-timer Representation. Final consideration of proposed bylaw amendment to add part-timer representative to the Executive Board. MOTION (Goldiner): Add part-timer representative to the Executive Board (passed: 27-0-4).

ALAA Bargaining Proposals

Adopted March 20, 2001

1. Salaries.

1.1. Increase salaries to achieve ADA comparability; across-the-board increases and additional senior steps.

1.2. Increase comp/vacation buy-back.

2. TransitCheks.

2.1. Permanent contractual benefit.

2.2. Individual option to purchase additional TransitCheks on pretax basis.

3. Pension.

3.1. Increase contributions.

3.2. Fixed contribution schedule.

3.3. More individual investment options.

4. Health Insurance.

4.1. Unified management/staff attorney plans.

4.2. Retiree coverage.

4.3. Opposite-sex domestic partner coverage.

4.4. Increase dental/vision benefits.

4.5. Lower doctor visit and R/X co-pays.

4.6 Contagious disease inoculation.

4.7. Cover birth control pills.

4.8. Cover removable prosthetic devices.

4.9. Permit faxed claim forms.

5. Life Insurance.

5.1. Increase benefit.

5.2. Implement individual option to supplementary group coverage by a date certain.

6. Long-Term Disability.

6.1. Increase benefit.

6.2. Investigate individual option to buy additional coverage on tax-free basis.

7. Loan Forgiveness Fund.

8. Time-Off.

8.1. Paternity benefits for both parents in two-staff attorney households.

8.2. Sick leave to care for ill family members/domestic partners.

8.3. Comp/vacation donations to other staff.

8.4. Personal/religious floating holidays.

8.5. Increase non-CDD personal days.

8.6. Comp. days for non-CDD staff attorneys.

8.7. Comp. time in all divisions for mandatory after-hours work.

8.8. Reasonable exceptions to private practice ban during leaves of absence.

9. Part-Time Work.

9.1. Annual step increases.

9.2. Fully-paid health benefits.

9.3. Consistent policy across divisions.

9.4. Increase number of slots.

10. Expense Allowances.

10.1. Increase arraignment cab fare, and extend to other assignments.

10.2. Meal allowance for other off-hour assignments.

10.3. Paid local bar association dues.

10.4. Foreign language training and/or class reimbursement.

11. Quality of Representation.

11.1. Standardize CDD felony certification.

11.2. Attorney:support staff ratios.

11.3. Stronger workload protection.

11.4. Union input on responses to oversight committee reports.

M E M O

To: Executive Board

Fr: Michael Letwin

Re: Activation of Bargaining Subcommittees

Da: May 9, 2001

Listed below are the bargaining subcommittees established by last night’s EB. Each convener (**) should hold meetings between her subcommittee and Theresa, et al (preceded by ALAA caucuses) to explore areas of agreement; the subcommittees will be asked to report the results of these meetings at the June 12 EB.

Compensation/Expenses (Prop. #1-2, 10)

Albro**

Bing-Hampson

Byrne/Popper

Hughes

Mulligan

Zuss

Benefits/Insurance (Prop. #3-7)

Albro

Blum

Holder

Smith**

Torres

Work Schedules (Prop. #8-9)

Bahr

Codling**

Part-Timers

Popper

Quality of Representation (Prop. #11)

Geida

Hochberg

Korotzer

Letwin**

Mulligan

Narra

Zuss

Minutes of Special ALAA Delegate Council: April 30, 2001

Legend: Black=Present; Gray=Absent; Lowercase=Alternate; Parens=Other ALAA Members

Executive Board

President: LETWIN

Secretary-Treasurer: ALBRO

Recording Secretary: HITCHCOCK

VP–CAB/CAP/Fed: BLUM, P. (Acting), A1: Vacant

VP–CDD/Bx: GELTMAN, A1: Vacant

VP–CDD/Bk: ZUSS, A1: *Torres, A2: *Korotzer

VP–CDD/M: GEIDA, A1: Mulligan

VP–CDD/Qns: POPPER, *A1: Byrne

VP–Civil: HOLDER; A1: Vacant

VP–JRD: HOCHBERG, A1: Vacant

VP–Vol. (CLO): BING-HAMPSON, A1: Rosa-Rios, A2: Vega, A3: Edwards

ACLA: *CODLING

Aff. Action: VACANT

Health & Safety: *KOROTZER

Health: *SMITH

Junior: *HUGHES

Lesbian & Gay: *BAHR

Senior: *TORRES

*Nonvoting in this capacity

Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB)

COHEN, FABIANO, GRAVES, HARPAZ, HOPKIRK, LANDAU, LITTLE, PETERS, A1: Taglieri, A2: Blum, P, A3: Sender

Capital Defender Division

VACANT

Criminal Defense Division (CDD)-Bronx

BxA: ROGERS, SIM, A1: Rush-Fox, A2: Montoya, A3: Roman

BxB: GARCIA, GURWITCH, A1: Meyerson, A2: Peppito, A3: Warshowksy

BxC: ABBANDANDO, BOMBA, A1: Rudin, A2: Beltre, A3: Kelly

BxD: FOLLETT, IPPOLITO, A1: Sturman, A2: Albo, A3: Follett

Criminal Defense Division (CDD)-Brooklyn

BK1: BAKER, BELL, A1: Costigan, A2: Newton, A3: Dinjian

BK2: ANGRISANI, ASHWORTH, A1: Korotzer, A2: Pitts, A3: Wright

BK3: RITTER, SHEEHAN, A1: Alzugaray, A2: Flanders, A3: Morris

BK4: PELLEGRINO, CASHMAN, A1: Kurtz, A2: Rudnick, A3: Rahall

BK5: DAVILA, PRATT, A1: Newman, A2: Wasserman, R.

Criminal Defense Division (CDD)-Manhattan

M1: DALEY, NEVINS, (Anderson, Wool)

M2: GROSS, NARRA

M3: BAHR, SCHWARZ, A1: Michaeu

M4: MARON, MULLIGAN, A1: Shapiro

M5: ROBERTS, SOTO

M6: AFFLER, WRIGHT, A1: Zablocki

Spec Lit: WASSERMAN

Criminal Defense Division (CDD)-Queens

Q1: GRUNDSTEIN, MORRISON, A1: Linneman, A2: Vacant

Q3: FREDERICK, KNIGHTLY, A1: Haase, A2: Savage, A3: LoPiccolo

Q4: AUSTIN, DIFLUMERI, A1: Byrne, A1: Auguste, A3: Horowitz

Civil Division

Aging: BOEHM, A1: Hosannah, A2: Bart, A3: Durham

Appeals/HRP: GOLDFEIN, KELLEHER, A1: Goldiner, A2: Bock

Bronx: FRIEDER, STOLLER, A1: Goetz

Brooklyn Neighborhood Office (BNO): PIZZIMENTI, ROSENBERG

Far Rockaway: SHORTELL, A1: Dierking, A2: Fielding

Harlem: SACKEY, A1: Shaeffer, A2: Barbosa

Immigration: FLOYD-MAYER, A1: Navarro

Lower Manhattan Neiborhood Office (LMNO): RHULEN, A1: Bodden

Queens: FLORES, A1: Mombrun, A2: Kim, A3: Friedheim

Staten Island: MARCUS, A1: Sanchez, A2: McCann

(Davol)

Federal Defender Division

Appeals & SDNY: STATSINGER

EDNY: PADDEN, Solotaroff

Juvenile Rights Division (JRD)

Appeals/Spec Lit: EGGER, A1: Rosenbloom

Bronx: ROMAN, A1: Abbey, A2: Nevergold

Brooklyn: KARASYK, A1: Koslow, A2: Baum, A3: Nolan

Manhattan: LAMB, MARTIN, A1: Pappadopoulos

Queens: BOWLER, SCREEN, A1: Mittler, A2: Chiu

Staten Island: LEE

Parole Revocation (PRDU)

LOPEZ

Prisoners Rights Project

ZELERMYER, A1: Beritan

Volunteer Division/(Community Law Office)

MARIS, CODLING, A1: Epstein, *A2: Edwards

NB: Italics=Adopted motion

1. Introduction. Letwin explained the purpose of this special meeting to address CDD/CAB staffing/workload in light of ongoing budget crisis.

2. Background & Context. Letwin and Albro reviewed the following.

2.1. City budget & LAS Council testimony.

2.2. Litigation.

2.3. Mayoral elections.

3. Response.

3.1. Central Report. Letwin reported that ALAA representatives from CDD and CAB met with divisional and central management on April 3 to express need for plan to reduce CDD intake, and on Executive Board discussion about how to survive coming year through (1) Boro-specific plans to reduce intake to acceptable work levels; (2) Management shoulder fair burden (e.g., vacation schedules, DATs, etc.); (3) End petty harassment by management.

3.2. Local Reports. In discussion of each CDD boro, representatives reported that Manhattan and Brooklyn are in particularly acute workload crisis. Blum reported that CAB faces challenge of reversing dramatic reduction of case assignment by the appellate divisions.

3.3. MOTION: Affirm ALAA’s support for immediate implementation of the following steps necessary to weather the current budget/staffing crisis in CDD and CAB: (1) Boro-specific measures that reduce CDD workload to levels at which attorneys can provide ethical, high-quality legal representation in each case; (2) Assumption of fair workload burden by CDD supervisors (e.g., priority for staff attorney vacation requests, handling of additional work assignments, etc.); (3) Supportive and respectful treatment of staff attorneys by managers in the course of daily interaction; (4) Prompt, aggressive, proactive responses by CDD management to abuse of staff attorneys by judges, DAs, and/or other court personnel (e.g., violation of 1 a.m. end to night arraignments, contempt/disciplinary threats, etc.); (5) Fostering of mutual support amongst, rather than competitive comparison between, staff attorneys in various criminal offices and/or divisions. The above position will be pursued at both office and citywide levels. (Passed: Unanimously.)

2001.05.15: Open Letter to NYSACDL

May 15, 2001
Russell Gioiella, Esq.
President
New York State Association of
Criminal Defense Lawyers
45 Broadway Atrium
New York, NY 10006
Via USPS & E-Mail

Dear Mr. Gioiella:

We were troubled to find that Lisa Schreibersdorf of “Brooklyn Defender Services” represented NYSACDL before the April 12, 2001 hearings on the Rockefeller Drug Laws held by the Statewide Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Substance Abuse Task Force.

Since 1995, the Giuliani administration has transferred some $25-30 million a year to BDS and six other nonunion defense contractors established by the city for the express purpose of undermining high-quality unionized representation at The Legal Aid Society.

As discussed in recent New York Times articles (April 8-10) these retaliatory Giuliani administration policies have, predictably, fragmented and weakened an already-troubled indigent defense system.

Indeed, as discussed in the attached materials, the Society’s cumulative loss of $160 million in city funds since 1994 has whittled the number of Legal Aid’s public defenders from 520 down to 370. Those who remain to represent an undiminished 200,000 clients each year–without surrendering their commitment to quality–are near, at, or well beyond the breaking point.

Thus, in its 1998 report, the Indigent Oversight Panel of the Appellate Division, First Department concluded found the Society “[t]hese conditions have, in large measure, been created by the City’s decision to contract with [the Giuliani defender] organizations.”

Given these facts, we believe it sends the wrong message for NYSACDL to be publicly represented by those who have actively collaborated in, and have sought to lend legitimacy to, the Giuliani administration’s campaign to fragment and weaken indigent criminal defense.

Sincerely,

Michael Letwin

President

cc: NYSACDL Board Members

Statewide Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Substance Abuse Task Force

enc.

2001.05.10: ALAA Baseball Caps

From: MLetwin@HQWEST.WEST
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2001 3:36 PM
To: ALAA MEMBERS@HQWEST.WEST
Subject: ALAA Baseball Caps
Importance: High

Just In:  Very high-quality major league baseball-style wool caps, navy background, bearing ALAA insignia in red stitched embroidery, adjustable velcro strap.

While supplies last.

Please send $15 check payable to ALAA, 568 Broadway, 702A, NY, NY 10012-3225.

2001.05.10: Materials for Tuesday’s Delegate Council

From: MLetwin@HQWEST.WEST [mailto:MLetwin@HQWEST.WEST]
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2001 3:27 PM
To: ALAA MEMBERS@HQWEST.WEST
Subject: Materials for Tuesday’s Delegate Council
Importance: High

Attached are the agenda and related materials for Tuesday night’s ALAA Delegate Council meeting.

All members are most welcome (only elected representatives may vote).

Please RSVP your attendance and/or additional agenda items.

2001.05.09: Activation of Bargaining Subcommittees

[Original format: Subcommittees]

M E M O

To: Executive Board

Fr:  Michael Letwin

Re: Activation of Bargaining Subcommittees

Da: May 9, 2001

Listed below are the bargaining subcommittees established by last night’s EB.  Each convener (**) should hold meetings between her subcommittee and Theresa, et al (preceded by ALAA caucuses) to explore areas of agreement; the subcommittees will be asked to report the results of these meetings at the June 12 EB.

Compensation/Expenses (Prop. #1-2, 10)

Albro**

Bing-Hampson

Byrne/Popper

Hughes

Mulligan

Zuss

Benefits/Insurance (Prop. #3-7)

Albro

Blum

Holder

Smith**

Torres

Work Schedules (Prop. #8-9)

Bahr

Codling**

Part-Timers

Popper

Quality of Representation (Prop. #11)

Geida

Hochberg

Korotzer

Letwin**

Mulligan

Narra

Zuss

2001.05.07: Reminder: Meeting for Part-Timers Tonight

From: MLetwin@HQWEST.WEST
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2001 7:53 AM
To: ALAA MEMBERS@HQWEST.WEST
Subject: Reminder: Meeting for Part-Timers Tonight
Importance: High

Part-timers from all divisions are invited to meet with representatives of the Executive Board tonight to discuss upcoming contract negotiations, and to meet among themselves to discuss potential candidates for the newly-established position of part-timer representative to the Executive Board.

The meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m., at ALAA HQ, 568 Broadway, Rm. 702A (N/R to Prince, B/D/F/Q to Broadway-Lafayette).  Pizza will be served; please RSVP your attendance.

Election of the part-timer representative will take place at the May 15 Delegate Council. Nominations must be received at ALAA HQ by the end of Tuesday, May 8.