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Projects
New InitiativesEAST New York - The second grant project is successfully operating (January 2007) in East New York out of MEC ENY campus at George Gershwin Middle School. This project focuses on legal work and has a goal of 150 legal cases by program end on June 30th. We have already surpassed that goal. We are still awaiting news regarding refunding of this extension project by Council member Charles Barron.MEC Immigration Center - This project, which is in the fourth and final quarter of its third year, provides free legalization and naturalization legal work for immigrants residing in Brooklyn. The majority of the immigrants seen were seeking a change in status from non-immigrant to permanent legal resident or naturalization. We have already surpassed all goals for this project. Legal ProjectsCase: People United for Children v. City of New YorkIn January 1999, CLSJ filed a class action lawsuit against the City of New York, the Mayor and the Commissioner of the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) challenging ACS's policies and procedures with respect to its removal of children from the custody of their parents. In 2000-2001, CLSJ filed its motion for class certification. In April 2003 the Court granted the plaintiffs' motion for class certification. In September 2005 the parties submitted a proposed stipulation of settlement to the Court. In 2007 CLSJ General Counsel, Joan Gibbs, Esq. submitted CLSJ's motion for attorney fees as ordered by the Court when it approved the proposed settlement of this case. Two appeals have been filed. CLSJ will be responding to the appeals. Case: Sheppard v. Consolidated Edison Originally filed in 1994, this case challenged Con Ed's promotion policies as discriminatory against African Americans in violation of Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and state and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. In the summer of 2002 the case was settled by the parties. Since that time, CLSJ has continued its administration of the settlement, which culminated in a $200k in scholarships awarded to the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and Medgar Evers College by the plaintiffs for a designated scholarship fund for MEC students who are single parents. Criminal Justice ProjectsPolice Brutality and Racial Violence - This project provides legal counseling and referrals to victims of police violence and racial violence; conducts educational and training workshops; and assists individuals in filing complaints with the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board. In 2000-2001, the project staff provided legal assistance and referrals to approximately 35 persons. Many of the complaints were from parents of young people who had been harassed by the police pursuant to the Police Department’s increased enforcement of the state’s truancy laws. Project staff also made presentations at various Colleges and High Schools around the city.Ex-Felon Re-Enfranchisement Project – The Ex-Felon Re-Enfranchisement Project works to educate ex-felons on how they can be returned to the voting polls. In addition, it seeks to inform the community in general about the impact of felon disenfranchisement laws. According to a 1998 report by the Washington, D.C. based Sentencing Project, an estimated 3.9 otherwise eligible voters in the U.S., or one in fifty adults, were unable to vote because of a felony conviction. This past year Project staff produced a pamphlet "Reclaim Your Right To Vote." To date over 1,000 copies of this pamphlet have been distributed throughout the city, including to pre-trial detainees in the city’s jails. Education ProjectsEsmeralda Simmons continues to serve on TASK FORCE 2009, a blue ribbon panel of progressive educators and advocates working toward real educational solutions and the end of mayoral control of the NYC school system.Voting Rights CLSJ continued its strong advocacy in regard to new redistricting methods and
processes being considered for use in New York State. CLSJ attorneys continue
to meet with other advocates, such as NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund,
CSS, AALDEF, LPI, PRLDEF, Demos and the Brennan Center, regarding the protection
of the voting rights of NYC’s Black voters.
Download Voting Rights Brochure. Cultural Rights ProjectsEsmeralda Simmons, Esq. attended a Human Rights training on CERD and CEDAW and a UN session of the CEDAW on report reviews. It was sponsored by the Urban Justice Center. CLSJ will be working in coalition on a shadow report on the US CERD report African Grove Institute for the ARTS (AGIA) - Esmeralda Simmons, representing CLSJ of Medgar Evers College is continuing to provide legal work and the human rights perspective to this national Black theater support organization. |
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