March 24, 20011, New York – Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, made the following statement on behalf of the Center:
Len Weinglass was one of the great progressive trial lawyers of the last 50 years. He was an inspiration to young lawyers and made them feel their contributions were significant. A Center for Constitutional Rights attorney who worked with him at the beginning of her career said that when she had discovered a legal precedent useful for their case he made her feel as if she had discovered habeas corpus. Len was co-counsel with CCR founder Bill Kunstler in the renowned Chicago 8 case, and CCR attorneys had the privilege to work with him on attempts to move the Cuban 5 case out of Miami in order for them to receive a fair trial. We will all miss Lenny terribly and our love and respect go out to his family and the entire progressive community mourning his passing today.
The Center for Constitutional Rights works with communities under threat to fight for justice and liberation through litigation, advocacy, and strategic communications. Since 1966, the Center for Constitutional Rights has taken on oppressive systems of power, including structural racism, gender oppression, economic inequity, and governmental overreach. Learn more at ccrjustice.org.