Attorney "For the People"
Mr. William Moses Kunstler, a native of New York, a Civil Rights Attorney, a Civil Rights Activist, a member of the National Lawyers Guild, board member of the ACLU, and a Co founder of the Law Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR). Mr. Kunstler also produced a popular broadcast show, The Law on Trail, there he discussed controversial issues. These are just a few of Mr. Kunstler's accomplishments
The New York Time labeled Mr. Kunstler "the Country most controversial laywer.
Mr. Kunstler choice of clients was very controversal to say the least, some of his notable clients were
1. H. Rap Brown
2. Stokely Carmichael
3. SalvoDore Agronomy
4. Black Panthers, Bobby
Seal
5. Angela Davis, Larry Davis
6. Martin Luther King
7. Malcolm X
8. Wounded Knee
9. Freedom Fighters
Mr. Kunstler represented these clients during an era of political unrest.
Mr. Kunstler was referred to as" The brothers Lawyer". He comments to this statement by saying , he just wants to be known as the" Lawyer who represented the oppressed".
Mr. Kunstler's belief and I quote, "Lawyers should feel the same oppression as their clients in order to fully represent them, with that being said, his representation of the oppressed changed lives forever. He was an Idealist, and his fellow colleagues thought that his idealism was not realistic. Eventually Kunstler proved all of them wrong.
Because of his clients, and his success of representing them, Kunstler experienced "White Middle Class Prejudice"!!! This type of prejudice is also practiced today . During several of his controversial trials, crowds stood outside the court room shouting "White Power". Kunstler stated to his clients this reaction is the reaction of "A White Totalitarianism Society". Leaving the court room, Mr. Kunstler observed the disaproval demonstrations of his involvement with several controversial trials. Kunstlers said he served in Viet Nam, however now he thought he was going to be killed by people of own people, country, and culture. He never expected the confusion, and controversy to rise to this magnitude. Never the less Mr. Kunstler represented his clients with all the vigor he had to give.
During the trials, he yelled and screamed to get his point across to the jurors. In the 70's, I think it took an act of courage, to deal with the issues of his clients. His most recognizable clients, Bobby Seal , Black Panthers, American Indians, Wounded Knee in South Dakota. The most controversial of all trial's in the 70's was when Mr. Kunstler decided to represent a "Muslim"..
For the American Indians and Mr. Bobby Seal, Mr. Kunstler argued that their civil rights, freedom of speech had been violated. Mr. Kunstler argued these issues all the way to the Supreme Court. He remarked, when a lawyer appears before the supreme court to represent or argue any issue, it is as if the lawyer is competing in the World Series, and of course Mr. Kunstler hit nothing short of home runs. HE won his Supreme Court Cases. As a matter of fact , Mr. Kunstler nerver lost a case,
WIth all of this sucess his colleagues said that he envoked a feeling, that you either hated him or liked him. They also thought his motivation was "Fame". "I beg to differ', he said , I am only an attorney who the represents the "unpopular".
Mr. Kunstler''s choice of representing a Muslim turned Americans against him. However he fought to win this trial just as he had done for all of his clients. He won the Muslim case as well. Now he could truly say that his idealism had become reality, but not without a cost. His family became a target of ridicule, and hate. His clients and their families became his friends, the American Indians embraced him socially, and culturely. He was described by the American Indians as being "Real".
One of his colleagues asked why did he think their friends and colleagues express prejudice against him, his answer, all white people are prejudice, his friend quickly replied thats not true , Mr. Kunstler said if you beleive this you are in denial of your own pretense or emotions.
Mr. William Moses Kunstler
Born: July 7, 1919
Died: Sept.4, 1995
His children later produced a documentary about their father entitled William Kunster, " Disturbing The Universe", and that's exactly what he did. This documentary had a showing as a part of the documentary competition in the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Who Knew, that Mr. Kunstler was a warrior for Justice in the legal ranks with Charles Huston, Thurgood Marshall, Julian Bond, Curtiss Geer, Johnny Cohcran etc. After viewing his documentary I felt he was an Attorney, worth mentioning! This is an Affirmative Action Blog!
Mr. William Moss Kunstler
Blog Artiste, Simply Aries of Choco'lat