Lewis & Clark Law School Podcasts

National Lawyer’s Guild Speaker Series
The Case of Lynne Stewart: A Justice Department Attack on the Bill of Rights
Lynne Stewart, March 6, 2007
Lynne Stewart | NLG

In this podcast, “radical” human rights attorney Lynne Stewart discusses her 2005 conviction on charges of abetting terrorism. Ms. Stewart is acclaimed for defending the poor, radicals of color, and “controversial” figures. She was sentenced to over two years in prison and is free on bail while appealing her conviction.

Ms. Stewart was arrested on April 9, 2002 and agents searched her Manhattan office. The government alleged that Ms. Stewart conspired to provide, and provided, “material support” – largely in the form of her “personnel” – to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic Group of Egypt, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B. Specifically, the government contended that Ms. Stewart made a statement at a June 2000 press conference in the course of her representation of imprisoned Islamic Group leader Sheikh Abdel Rahman that provided the Islamic Group with “material support.”

“This is an obvious attempt by the U.S. government to silence dissent, curtail vigorous defense lawyers, and install fear in those who would fight against the U.S. government’s racism, seek to help Arabs and Muslims being prosecuted for free speech and defend the rights of all oppressed people.” (Lynne Stewart web page)

See also this article, Julia Preston, student chapter of the National Lawyer’s Guild. This podcast was recorded on March 6, 2007 at Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon.