Dispatches from the Border
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Center for Constitutional Rights Bertha Justice Fellow Lupe Aguirre and Staff Attorney Angelo Guisado have been at the southern border, and Lupe has been sending updates. On her first day, Lupe reported meeting with unaccompanied children, including getting some of them back from Mexican immigration authorities. She also shared a post from a NYC attorney she is volunteering with, which counters the mainstream media’s narrative that characterizes people fleeing for their lives as violent and unlawful. On day two, Lupe worked with more children, did Know Your Rights trainings and legal orientations, and even witnessed two impromptu weddings of people seeking asylum, officiated by volunteer clergy and complete with cake! The Center for Constitutional Rights is proud to have staff members on the ground for this important human rights effort. Read the rest on our blog!
Trial wraps in Bayou Bridge Pipeline case
We went to trial last week in our case to hold the Bayou Bridge Pipeline company accountable for taking private land and illegally laying an oil pipeline across the sensitive Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. Center for Constitutional Rights Senior Staff Attorney Pam Spees was in Louisiana representing the landowners at trial, along with Misha Mitchell of Atchafalaya Basinkeeper and Bill Quigley of Loyola Law School. The court heard testimony from the landowners themselves, as well as from experts about whether the pipeline is for a "public purpose" that would allow for the expropriation of private land. Trial began on Tuesday and lasted three days, after which the judge announced we would issue his ruling today. CCR's has provided ongoing legal support to activists and affected communities opposed to the pipeline. Check out our video about the case, and check ccrjustice.org today for the judge's ruling in the trial!
Apply for the 2019 Ella Baker Summer Internship Program
The application cycle for 1L students is open for the Center for Constitutional Rights' 2019 Ella Baker Summer Internship Program! (Please note: the application period for 2L students has already closed.) The program was created in 1987 to honor the legacy of Ella Baker, a hero of the civil rights movement, and to train the next generation of social justice lawyers. Interns work on cases and advocacy campaigns in our three docket areas: Government Misconduct/Racial Justice, Guantánamo Global Justice Initiative, and International Human rights. Through the program, interns gain practical litigation experience and sharpen their theoretical understanding of the relationship between social change, organizing, and lawyering. Application deadline is December 17, 2018. Apply today!
Happy retirement Alberto! We will miss you!
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Our much loved Office Manager, Alberto White, recently retired after being a staff member of the Center for Constitutional Rights family for more than four decades! He was an employee with the National Emergency Civil Liberties Committee for years before NECLC merged with the Center for Constitutional Rights in 1996. Since that time, Alberto was a steadfast, valuable and deeply loyal staff member. Alberto was born in Panama and was an accomplished musician who traveled internationally with various jazz and popular big bands. Alberto, a trumpet player, serenaded us at staff events throughout the years. He warmly greeted all visitors to our office and ensured that our staff members were supported and taken care of.
The Center for Constitutional Rights expresses its deepest appreciation for the longtime work and service of Alberto White, and our best wishes for a long, restful retirement.
