Correspondence from Guinier to Bartholet
Correspondence
October 25, 1985

Cite this item
-
Case Files, Bozeman & Wilder Working Files. Correspondence from Guinier to Bartholet, 1985. 9b5e3f8a-ed92-ee11-be37-6045bdeb8873. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/54c779f4-5748-46c3-8440-9f321d788b44/correspondence-from-guinier-to-bartholet. Accessed May 21, 2025.
Copied!
\\ L.*U&fenseH. October 25, 1985 Prof . Elizabeth Bartholet Barvard Law School Cambridge, llass. 02138 Dear Betsy At your suggestion, I am writing to outline the basis for regulsting ; student for the January-Term Internship, or it" Spiing feim clinical courge: I would like a student to prepare a research nemoranda and to draft a complaint if lap;;ariate on behalf of Dtaggie_Bo-zeman, a black civil rights ilii"i"t and school teacher in Pickens County who was dis- missed from her job as the result of a state felony conviction Uy "n all white joty for 'illegal voting." t.PF-represented Uis. Bozeman in i successful federal habeas challenge to her conviction. About two years ago a PILRAP student, LarrY Lustberg, PrePared an excellent memorandum on selective proseculioir, Lt issue in the caser Prior to our filing the habeas petilion. I attach a coPy of.the habeas.petition, the disirict judgers memorandum opinion, our brief as appellee in the court of ippeals, and the ltth Circuit's opinion affirming the disliict judgers decision vacating her convic- tion for insufficient evidence- The student should be prepared to research both Alabama Iaw and federal law to deteimine the proper forum and possible causes of action for challenging !{rs. Bozemanrs discharge from, and seeking reinstatement to, her tenured teaching position. An action for damages should also be considered. I short memo on Alabama law governing the right to reinstate- ment of a public employee is attached. The memo does not discuss any rights Irlrs. Bozeman may have as a black woman dismissed 6y an all white school board in a county that is over 40$ bllck. I have included in the materials appended to this letter a newsPaper clipping reporting the school board's decision not to reinstate lrlrs- Bozeman. Contributions are deductible lor U.S. itttome ta:r purpoaes The NAACp LEGAL DEFET{SE & EDUCATIOi{AL FUND is not parr ol thc National Associalion lor the Advancement of colore.d People although it iaiiiiinoro uiiiino snaresits commitmenl to equal righti. LDF has had tor over 25 years a separate Board, program, stalt,otlice and budget' NAACP LEGAL OEFENSE AND EOUCATIONAL FUND' INC. g9 Hudcon Street, New York, N.Y. 10013o(212) 21$'1900 Prof . Ellzabeth Bartholet october 25, 1985 Page 2 I am happy to answer any guestions that you or lnterested students may irlve. I look forward to hearing from you aoon on thie and-the other employment matter (l) we digcussed. Thanks ao much for all Your heIP. SincereIY, Lani Guinier LG/gr Enc1s. HARVARD CAMBRIDGE Ms. Lani Guinier, Esq. NAACP Legal Defense Fund 99 Hudson Street 6th Floor New York, New York 10013 LAW SCHOOL MASSACHUSETTS . 02I38 October 7, 1985 Dear Ms. Gui-nif I am writing to let you know of the clinical courses that I will be teaching this year, and to see whether you would be interested in having one or more of my students work with you in connection with these courses. Please let ne know by November 4 at the latest if you would like students for the January Term Internship whichr BS explained below, ls cornbined with Spring Term clinical work. If you are not interested in the January Internship, and would like a student only for the spring (February-May) semest,er clinical work, you should let me know by January 6 at the latest. The courses will be Emplolrment Discrimination Law and Public Interest Litiqation -- Race and Poverty (PILRAp). As in previous years, students in these courses will work on major research and writing projects for lawyers throughout the country who are engaged in civil rights and and public interest work. A11 the students will do this clinical work here at Harvard during the Spring semester. In addition some of the students will be physically placed in the office of the outside lawyer during our January Internship. Some specifics of the different courses, on the kinds of clinical projects that make sense for this prolJram, and on the January Internship program folIow: The Courses In Employment Discrirnination Law, all the Spring and Winter-spring clinical students will have taken a fall classroom course designed to provide a basic background in federal anti-discrimination Iaw. Appropriate clinical projects for the students would involve issues of current Lrh.' doctrinar importance, as well as issues whlch wlrr help toeducate students about the problems ina potentiai-oi usinglaw to effect social cfrange. prmlr is designed more specifically to teachstudents about the relitlonsrrip ;;a;;;; raw and socialchange. Appropriate piojects iould iirr into--i ;i;; varietyof different substantive-categori;;. --inu", in tne-i"=t,PTLRA, students have worxea o; ;;;;; d;ii:";ini"En!'constitutlonality of aeatn. penalty iegisfation; section I983cases involving orriciat iuir"e ""a ,iE"onduct; prison andother insritutional ro.aiii";; ;;.;;-;; werr as on issues i:t:a.U to housing, rreaitn, welfare "r,a-tn. Votlns Righrs descript j.ons. clinica' pro,ects yirl.be designed and project workIil'rli.;:I:il'?:a.If"'l:^::!!'g: iifr+: involved. rr youffiffi Iff : "s.ll" :ri "-ta:;::l supenrision wiII be prov ded by ure anaAsslstants. fn :p:?.i.11-::ses, wg nignt- f,"-;;i;-iB t"r. 3T:i$ I: =r"::.i:i l*:i,,1::-;. ilii.;i; :!";=" 3't;" T.li fi, o,:-::l?:, *.1 :-:fe rnv6rving-i5=i3;";i;;Tniin"l..ilespecially familiar. projects shouid be designed wit! the understandingthat the students will tri". to 6o ",o"t if not all of theirwork ln cambrldoe wlth the rimii.a-"."J.ption-oi-inJ-Januaryrnternshlp progran describe;;;i;;. -^ii!."=sfur projectswill usuarly invorve resEarctr ana writf'g o, one rnajor issueor set of related lssues. Exampr"=-oi-[i"-r.-iii] oi'proiectsstudents have successfurry work-ed or-1r, the past inciude:(1) research memoranaa aisigr"a-tJ'rrlip rawyers decidewhether to pursue ritijaiion in u.partii:uIar case or areai(2) research memorandi on.major-iI=".;-i;-;.;iiig-'litisation; (3) ariii r.i"i!-;r-;G;i resar papersi and 3 (4) design and lurpleurentatlon of particular law reform'proj ects here in Massachusetts. January Internship Proqram January Internshir students will be physlcally placed during the Janua: y semester with the outside lawyer involved. They will then come back to Hanrard for the Spring semester and will continue working for that same J.awyer. Students rrill pay for their own transportation and other expenses, but the chances of ny being able to place a student with you will be slgnlficantly j.ncreased if you are able to suggest inexpensive housing in the arear oE if students could be put up in an extra room with a loca1 lawyer. The January Internship experience should be designed: (1) to relate ln some way to the Spring research and writing project; and (2) to educate the student about the nature of social change lltigation (through, e.9., elcpoEure to other cases you are worklng on and to kinds of work other than library researchi exposure to the nature of your practice through lnclusion in staff meetings, and the llke) . Course Sehedules and Time Expectations Winter-Sprlncr Students Winter: Spring: Students will work on a fuIl-tirne basis, January 2 - 25. Students wil,l be expected to spend t2o-2oo plus hours on their clinical project work during the spring semester (January 29 - May 6). Please call or write if you are interested. Please talk to my assistant, Pat Keane (517) 495-0938 or numbers llsted below) lf you have any questions and are not able to reach ne. Remernber that we need to agree on speclfic projects and placements by the following deadlines: Novenber 4 January 5 January Internshlp for Wlnter-Spring Etucients. Sprlng cllnlcal students. Slncerely, %Ellzabeth B Professor o (617) 4es-3128 and 495-4853 J EB: pk Attachnent holet Law