Representing radicals : a guide for lawyers and movements

Representing Radicals helps lawyers understand ways to work with radical defendants, with an explicit focus on how to help them achieve ends that go beyond traditional legal goals. For example, many radical defendants want to use their trials to discuss political issues even if doing so could lead to a conviction when a standard criminal defense might lead to an acquittal. Understanding radical defendants’ goals and political priorities is a crucial part of providing them with the most robust criminal defense while helping them strengthen and defend their social movements. This book and its precursor, A Tilted Guide to Being a Defendant, are based on the Tilted Scales Collective’s belief that lawyers and radical defendants can work together in shared struggle in ways that strengthen movements when fighting criminal charges. "The goal of this book is to help you understand and work well with your radical clients, particularly when they are facing criminal charges due to political repression and are approaching their case from a movement perspective. To achieve this goal, we are guided by our belief that attorneys and their radical clents can work together collaboratively in shared struggle when dealing with criminal charges. We believe that our struggles for liberation require creativity, dedication, and the willingness to rebel from lawyers, radical defendants, legal workers and supporters, and everyone else involved in social movements. This book is one way we have tried to put this belief and our anarchist principles into practice and to contribute to the many struggles for liberation that inspire us."--Page [7]. Foreword / Lauren Regan Introduction 1. Representing radical clients 2. Common situations in cases against radicals 3. Working with radical clients 4. Working with political support 5. Engaging with the media Conclusion The courtroom is always political. How lawyers can best represent radical defendants and their movements