Found 3 collections related to American Bar Association

Louis Waldman (1892-1982), a prominent labor lawyer of New York City, was born in the Ukraine. Following his emigration to America in 1909 he became a garment cutter, attended evening school and earned a civil engineering degree from Cooper Union and a law degree from New York Law School. Elected as a Socialist to the New York State Assembly, he was illegally expelled (1920) by a Republican majority. While in the Assembly he sponsored a social insurance bill which foreshadowed the social welfare legislation of the 1930s. He served as state chairman (1930-1936) of the Socialist Party and was three times (1928, 1930, 1932) its candidate for governor. In 1936 he broke with the Party over the issue of communist infiltration and became state chairman of its right-wing offshoot, the Social Democratic Federation, and founder of the American Labor Party. During this period Waldman became known as an indomitable fighter for social welfare legislation and civic reform. As a lawyer in private practice he acquired great distinction as counsel for many powerful trade unions including the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, the United Hatters, Cap and Millinery International, and the International Longshoremen's Association. He was also known as an able defense attorney in criminal cases. In what was characterized as the "American Dreyfus case" he secured the acquittal of Cpl. Robert Osman. Waldman's autobiography, Labor Lawyer, was published in 1944. Papers reflect Waldman's career as labor lawyer, politician, civic reformer, lecturer and author. Approximately one-third of the collection consists of correspondence and collateral papers relating to Waldman's civic, political, and professional interests including municipal reform, city charter revision, labor relations, and city and state politics. Included is his correspondnce as state chairman of the Socialist Party and as chairman of the Social Democratic Federation, and papers reflecting the gubernatorial campaigns of 1928, 1930, and 1932. Included are addresses and speeches made before bar associations, union conventions, and legislative committees, and papers reflecting his membership in bar associations including his chairmanship of the committee on American citizenship of the American Bar Association. Records of legal cases include correspondence and court papers, papers relating to U.S. v. Osman and other cases involving civil liberties and immigration matters including the case of Walter G. Krivitsky, a former official of Soviet military intelligence who was allegedly assassinated by Stalin's secret police. Also, scrapbooks of press clippings providing extensive documentation of his career. less

Everett Pepperell Wheeler (1840-1925) was an American lawyer and civil service reformer. He was a founder of the New York Bar Association and served for seventeen years as chairman of the executive committee of the New York Civil Service Reform Association. Other organizations he supported were the Citizens Union, the Committee of Seventy, the Reform Club, and the Man Suffrage Association. Collection consists of correspondence, legal and real estate papers, articles, speeches, maps, photograph, and printed matter. General correspondence, 1882-1925, mainly concerns Wheeler's opinions on World War I, Armenian immigration, and womens suffrage. Other correspondence relates to the Citizens Union and the drive for efficient government for New York City, the American Bar Association, the League of Nations, tariff reform, and other topics of interest to Wheeler. Also, his speeches and articles, 1888-1924; maps of the New York area; photograph of Venice in 1882; and printed materials regarding the Citizens Union and political campaigns of 1880. less

Whitney North Seymour (1901-1983) was a New York City trial lawyer who was active in numerous legal, civic, political, and social organizations. After receiving his law degree from Columbia University in 1923, Seymour joined the law firm of Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett. He became a partner in 1929 and was associated with the firm for the rest of his life. Seymour was active in legal groups and frequently served in official capacities. Among these were the American Bar Association (president 1960-1961), the American Bar Foundation (president 1960-1964), and the Legal Aid Society (president 1945-1950). Seymour was particularly noted for his activities on behalf of civil liberties and civil rights, and this is reflected in his participation in the American Civil Liberties Union (board member 1938-1953), the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and the Special Committee on Individual Rights as Affected by National Security. Among the civic groups in which Seymour was active were the New York Community Trust, the Council on Library Resources, and Freedom House. Collection consists of Seymour's personal correspondence, 1930-1983; his desk diaries, 1951, 1959-1971; and subject files, 1932-1983, on organizations and individuals with which he was associated. Personal correspondence contains family letters, letters of recommendation, and correspondence with friends and associates concerning personal and professional matters. Subject files make up over 90% of the collection. Greatest bulk of the subject files relates to legal associations but there are civic, political, religious and neighborhood groups represented as well. Files for the American Bar Association, 1944-1980, which comprise nearly one-quarter of the collection, consist of Seymour's presidential papers, files on the Board of Governors and House of Delegates, and many ABA committees. Other major legal organizational records concern the American Bar Foundation, 1953-1980, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 1947-1983, the Legal Aid Society, 1949-1982, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, 1966-1983, and the New York State Temporary Commission on the Courts, 1953-1959. Prominent civic associations include the Council on Library Resources, 1958-1983, Freedom House, 1951-1983, the New World Foundation, 1957-1974, and the New York Community Trust, 1946-1981. In all, there are over 225 individuals and organizations represented in the subject files. less