FIRST DEFENSE LEGAL AID
Cordially invites you to join us
in honoring our
2008 First Defender
LOCKE BOWMAN
Clinical Associate Professor of Law
Northwestern University School of Law
Director, MacArthur Justice Center
Thursday, May 29, 2008
generously hosted by
Jenner & Block LLC
330 North Wabash Avenue
40 South Lounge
Chicago, Illinois
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served
Sponsorship Levels
$5,000 • Platinum
$3,000 • Gold
$1,000 • Silver
$ 500 • Bronze
$ 250 • Supporter
Individual Donation
$50
Student / Public Interest Donation
$25
Do not hesitate to pass along this invitation to other supporters!
Please make checks payable to “First Defense Legal Aid” and send to:
First Defense Legal Aid | 6400 South Kedzie Ave.| Chicago, IL 60629 (773) 434-4162 | Email: fdlegalaid@gmail.com
Or go to our website and donate using your credit/debit card:
http://www.first-defense.org/AboutUs.htm
About First Defense Legal Aid
First Defense Legal Aid (”FDLA”) is an innovative program that protects civil rights by offering free 24-hour legal representation and advice to any individual taken into Chicago Police Department custody. The Program’s services cover the initial and most critical stage of police detention: immediately after arrest until the time when a public defender has been assigned by the court system. Volunteers are trained to handle emergency calls by determining the nature of the call and whether a station visit is necessary to represent the individual in police custody. If a station visit is necessary, FDLA volunteers will interview the arrestee, inform the arrestee of his/her constitutional rights, provide the arrestee with bond information, and serve as a link between the arrestee and his/her family.
Our History
First Defense Legal Aid began in 1995, as a program of the Chicago Commons Association. It was originally named the “Police Custody Hotline Program”, but the name was quickly changed to First Defense Legal Aid at the request of community residents. FDLA became an independent corporation in 2002, and a 501(c)(3) organization in 2003.
Board of Directors Advisory Board Honorary Board
Sulaiman M. Qazi Jeff Brown Locke Bowman
Chairman Patricia Smith Carol A. Brook
Michael Wilson Richard Dvorak Edwin A. Brunette
Treasurer Craig Futterman Kenneth L. Cunniff
Carolyn Gold Aberman Scott Levy John Fitzgerald
Secretary John Lyke Richard S. Kling
Dev Parikh Andrea D. Lyon
Harriet McCullough Zenaida Alonzo Terence F. MacCarthy
Sean P. MacCarthy Shaena Fazal R. Eugene Pincham
Scott T. Kamin Theodore Woerthwein Randolph N. Stone
Jonathan Peck Wayne Novak Scott Turow
Kristine Neal Michael Finn
Jessica Hunter Tony Hill
Nikol M. Miller Elfreda Dockery
Staff
John Hayes
Executive Director
Julia Sportolari
Development Director
May 1st, 2008
In 2005, Locke Bowman authored an article published in the CBA Record which harshly and unfairly criticized the performance of the Assistant Public Defenders in the Appeals Division. Locke Bowman’s article asserted that the Appeals Division was disbanded due to deficient representation of our appellate clients. The truth as set forth in the County’s own documents is that the Appellate Division was disbanded due to a cost-cutting move by the County.
I contacted Mr. Bowman personally about the misstatements in his article and he refused to retract them.
Why are we being asked to attend a function which honors a man who has recklessly disparaged members of our union? The First Defense may be a good cause but honoring Locke Bowman is not.
May 1st, 2008
Let’s be pragmatic about this. First Defense is a good cause, whether you like who they are honoring or not. The invitation has been posted as a courtesy to their organization, which is a not-for-profit. Nobody is asking you to go, but the information is there if you want to. Thanks for your efforts in trying to get Mr. Bowman to retract what you believe was false information in the article. I will admit, I never read or even knew about the article until you mentioned it.
May 6th, 2008
People should give their money directly to First Defense, yes.
The article is at the link below. As discussed in the article, Locke Bowman filed a class action lawsuit in Chancery which alleged that our Appellate Division had provided ineffective representation. In what was probably not a coincidence, the lawsuit was filed at the same time that OSAD was lobbying the State to appropriate enough money to take over our Appellate jobs. Bowman’s lawsuit was promptly dismissed for lack of any merit.
http://www.law.northwestern.edu/macarthur/indigent/george-davis.html
May 8th, 2008
Thanks for the link, Eileen. Having read the article, I must ask what is the point of your complaint about Mr. Bowman? Are we so holy that we can’t make mistakes & musn’t be criticized? Is the whole of a man’s legal career to date to be disregarded by our entire membership & the Excutive Board because he had the temerity to criticize the practices of that Division as it was then? Was it your Anders brief?
May 9th, 2008
After reading the article, I realized that it was a case that I second chaired brother John Coniff on. He raised some important issues for George Davis in the motion for a new trial and it’s a shame the appeal was
“Andersed”. Locke failed to mention that our office represented Davis not just on the Andersed brief, but the underlying second jury trial as well.
May 9th, 2008
Let me guess. The Anders brief was written by a prolific supervisor now retired?
Bruce