Crisis Involving Role of Law is seen by 'Rights Legal Chief

    PRESS RELEASE 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
10 COLUMBUS CIRCLE * NEW YORK, N. Y. 10019 © JUdson 6-8397 

DR. ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS JACK GREENBERG CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY 
President Director-Counsel Associate Counsel 

Ss 

FOR RELEASE: MONDAY, March 9, 1964 

CRISIS INVOLVING ROLE OF LAW 
Is SEEN BY'RIGHTS LEGAL CHIEF 

NAACP Legal Defense Fund Issues Report for 1963 

NEW YORK, N.Y.--The "crisis involving the rule of law," in America 
is analyzed by Jack Greenberg, director-counsel of the NAACP Legal 
Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. in the Fund's 1963 annual report 
released here today. 

Director-counsel Greenberg points out that those responsible 
for resisting the "constitution and court rulings by force, deceit, 
by tokenism, by stalling litigation," are often, "exemplars of our 

society." 

The Fund, whose attorneys serve as legal arm for the entire 
civil rights movement expanded its operation in 1963 and: 

*Defended 10,487 citizens arrested during peaceful demonstra- 
tions. Legal Defense Fund lawyers carried this load in addition 
to their regular responsibilities, discussed elsewhere in the report, 

*Represented Negro Americans in 30 cases presented to the U.S 
Supreme Court. This made the Legal Defense Fund second only to the 
U.S, Justice Department in cases placed before the Figh Court for 

review. 

*Maintained a staff of 12 lawyers, based in its New York City 
national headquarters, who were augmented by 102 cooperating attor- 

neys across the nation. 

*Fought 168 separate groups of legal actions in 15 states on 
behalf of thousands of Negroes seeking basic constitutional rights. 

Broad Legal Scope 

These areas of litigation are dealt with specifically within the 
16 page fluently written document. hey include education, health 
facilities, public accommodations, freedom of speech and assembly, 

and housing. 

Shortage of'Rights Lawyers 

The dire shortage of civil rights attorneys is also surveyed 
in the report, which notes that, "There seemed to be an ever present 
corollary: the greater an area's need for civil rights counsel, 
the fewer there were to be had." 

Mr. Greenberg pointed to the distressing situation, saying, 
"at present, I can count the number of Southern white lawyers 
handling civil rights cases on the fingers of one hand, and have a 
finger or two left over." 

; The Legal Defense Fund reports that there are only"two civil 
rights attorneys in all Southwestern Georgia; three in Mississippi; 
none in Tallahassee, Florida (the state capital)--so the sad story 
went." 

However, the Fund did take steps during 1963 to improve this 
picture. It established "the nation's first legal intern program 
with the aid of a grant from the Field Foundation." 

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Crisis Involving Role of Law -2- 
Is Seen by Rights Legal Chief 

It also assisted in establishing the Law Students Civil Rights 
Research Council. 

Hit Capital Punishment 

In the concluding section, "New Frontiers of the Law," the 
Fund stressed that it "must never turn its back on the precedent- 
setting role it served in years past." 

Consequently, its present activities include: 

*Cases that show that "infliction of capital punishment denies 
due process of law when a defendant is convicted for a crime in which 

he did not take a life." 

*Cases seeking to declare unconstitutional segregation in hos- 
pitals (the Supreme Court let stand a ruling striking down this 
practice on March lst of this year) 

*Cases "seeking to secure equal access of all persons without 
regard to race in urban renewal projects built with federal, state 

and local aid." 

*Cases “arising out of sit-in demonstrations which seek to 
guarantee the right of Negroes to be served peaceably in public 

places." 

*Litigation "aiming to secure enforcement of Section 2 of the 
14th Amendment. A favorable ruling would reduce the Congressional 
delegations of many Southern states which deny or abridge the right 

of their citizens to vote." 

Financially, 1963 was an encouraging year for the Legal Defense 
Fund which grossed $1,131,889.02 and spent almost as much in its 
fight against bigotry. The projected budget for 1964 is $1,400,000, 

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