Leonard weinglass biography
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Leonard Weinglass, A Lawyer Who Made History
If you were a politically active lawyer in the 1960’s or 1970’s, or aspired to be one, you are likely familiar with the late Leonard Weinglass. Best known for his role with William Kunstler as defense counsel in the legendary Chicago 7 trial, Weinglass was a classic “movement” attorney of the time. This meant he worked long hours for low pay, often on behalf of clients on the margins of society.
A Yale Law grad, Weinglass was a brilliant attorney who never sought the limelight. That’s why it’s fortunate that AK Press has now published a graphic novel on Weinglass’s life, Len, A Lawyer in History. Written by Michael Steven Smith, edited by Paul Buhle, and illustrated by Seth Tobocman, the story of Leonard Weinglass takes us back to a time when many went to law school to make social change rather than for money. The authors point out in the preface that Weinglass was actually a child of the 1950’s not the 1960’s, which makes his ear
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Leonard Weinglass
American criminal defense attorney and constitutional law advocate
For the restaurant chain founder, see Leonard "Boogie" Weinglass.
Leonard Irving Weinglass (August 27, 1933 – March 23, 2011) was a U.S. criminal defense lawyer and constitutional law advocate, best known for his defense of participants in the 1960s counterculture. He was admitted to the bar in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and California. He taught criminal trial advocacy at the University of Southern California Law School from 1974 to 1976, and at the Peoples College of Law, in Los Angeles, California from 1974 to 1975.
Early life
[edit]Leonard Weinglass was born on August 27, 1933, to a Jewish family in Belleville, New Jersey.[1] He graduated from Yale Law School in 1958, then served as a captain judge advocate in the United States Air Force from 1959 to 1961.
Career
[edit]Weinglass championed a number of liberal and radical causes during the counterculture era
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Leonard Weinglass Papers
Leonard Irving Weinglass (August 27, 1933--March 23, 2011) graduated from Yale Law School in 1958 and was a U.S. criminal defense lawyer and constitutional law advocate who championed a number of liberal and radical causes. An expert in constitutional law, he served as co-chairman of the international committee of the National Lawyers Guild. Along with attorney William Kunstler, Weinglass represented the Chicago 7 in their 1968 trial. He also participated in the defense of Daniel Ellsberg and Anthony Russo, who were charged with leaking the Pentagon Papers and whose trial ended in a dismissal of all charges. In 1970, he represented and won the acquittal of Angela Davis who was charged with participation in the abduction and murder of a local judge. Weinglass was the lead defense attorney for Mumia Abu-Jamal for several years. In 1995, he authored a book about Abu-Jamal's case entitled Race for Justice: Mumia Abu Jamal's Fight Against the Death Penalty.
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