Judith Chomsky
Encyclopedia
Judith Brown Chomsky is an American human rights lawyer. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
in 1942, and is the sister-in-law of MIT professor Noam Chomsky
.
She became involved with politics when she participated in demonstrations in the 1950s for the right of African-Americans
to use non-segregated lunch counters.
. She left graduate school and spent the next several years as an organizer with the Philadelphia Resistance, primarily with anti war
GIs (active duty
in the military) and with Vietnam veterans
. As the US participation in the war wound down, Chomsky decided that her family circumstances as a mother of two did not permit her to work as an organizer . She decided to go to law school
so that she could participate in the same struggles with new skills better suited to her personal life.
and was licensed to practice law. With friends from law school, Chomsky was a co-founder of the Juvenile Law Center of Philadelphia. After a few years, she had the opportunity to represent migrant farm laborers and to begin the Workers Rights
Law Project to serve workers who were trying to organize within their labor organization
to create more democratic and active unions. She was contacted by the Center for Constitutional Rights
(CCR), which was looking for a lawyer who could go to Gaza and the Occupied West Bank
to help prepare a case involving civilian deaths from the Israeli occupation. This began her current work life as a cooperating attorney with the CCR, where she works on cases in their international human rights
docket.
On July 19, 2008, Chomsky filed a status report on Civil Action
No. 05-CV-1645 on behalf of Hussein Salem Mohammed
. According to Chomsky a petition for habeas corpus
was filed on August 16, 2005. In response the United States Department of Justice
filed a redacted and incomplete factual return on June 5, 2006. Additionally, on 26 April 2007, a DTA appeal under the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005—Almerfedi v. Gates (Civil Action No. 07-cv-1132).
Chomsky served as an election observer
in the 1994 election in South Africa
and in the 1984 election in El Salvador
.
On June 13, 2007, she represented Colombian families in a federal class action
lawsuit against Chiquita Brands International
, a producer and distributor of bananas based in Cincinnati, Ohio
for funding and arming known terrorist organizations (designated by the United States Secretary of State
) in Colombia to maintain its profits.
On November 26, 2008, Chomsky filed a "Petitioner's opposition to the government's motion for clarification and reconsideration of this court's November 6, 2008 case management order and supplemental amended order with regard to Waleed Said Bn Said Zaid (ISN 550) in Civil Action No. 05-CV-1646 (JDB)."
On July 19, 2008, Chomsky filed a status report on behalf of Waleed Said Bin Said Zaid. In her report Chomsky stated his petition was first filed on August 16, 2005. She reported that the United States Department of Justice filed an incomplete and redacted factual return February 22, 2006. She reported that a DTA appeal under the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 had been filed, Zaid v. Gates (Civil Action No. 07-1131) on 26 April 2007.
She represented the Saro-Wiwa family
in their lawsuit against Royal Dutch Shell
. On June 9, 2009, Shell settled out-of-court with the Saro-Wiwa family for $15.5 million, though claiming it was only a gesture of sympathy and still denying culpability in his death and the deaths of the other so-called Ogoni Nine
.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1942, and is the sister-in-law of MIT professor Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
.
She became involved with politics when she participated in demonstrations in the 1950s for the right of African-Americans
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to use non-segregated lunch counters.
Early Life
Chomsky was a graduate student in anthropology when she joined a project to organize grassroots opposition to the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. She left graduate school and spent the next several years as an organizer with the Philadelphia Resistance, primarily with anti war
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
GIs (active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
in the military) and with Vietnam veterans
Vietnam Veterans
The Vietnam Veterans is an French psychedelic band, hailing originally from Chalon-sur-Saône, a commune in eastern France. They released six full-length albums during the 1980s, starting in 1983. The band was praised by many alternative music publications, including Bucketful Of Brains during the...
. As the US participation in the war wound down, Chomsky decided that her family circumstances as a mother of two did not permit her to work as an organizer . She decided to go to law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
so that she could participate in the same struggles with new skills better suited to her personal life.
Career
In 1975 she graduated from Temple Law SchoolTemple University Beasley School of Law
The Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law is the law school and a constituent academic unit of Temple University. Informally referred to as Temple Law School, the school is located at the Main Campus of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Temple University James E...
and was licensed to practice law. With friends from law school, Chomsky was a co-founder of the Juvenile Law Center of Philadelphia. After a few years, she had the opportunity to represent migrant farm laborers and to begin the Workers Rights
Labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of legal rights and claimed human rights having to do with labor relations between workers and their employers, usually obtained under labor and employment law. In general, these rights' debates have to do with negotiating workers' pay, benefits, and safe...
Law Project to serve workers who were trying to organize within their labor organization
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
to create more democratic and active unions. She was contacted by the Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Constitutional Rights
Al Odah v. United States:Al Odah is the latest in a series of habeas corpus petitions on behalf of people imprisoned at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The case challenges the Military Commissions system’s suitability as a habeas corpus substitute and the legality, in general, of detention at...
(CCR), which was looking for a lawyer who could go to Gaza and the Occupied West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
to help prepare a case involving civilian deaths from the Israeli occupation. This began her current work life as a cooperating attorney with the CCR, where she works on cases in their international human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
docket.
On July 19, 2008, Chomsky filed a status report on Civil Action
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
No. 05-CV-1645 on behalf of Hussein Salem Mohammed
Hussein Salem Mohammed
Hussein Salem Mohammed is a citizen of Yemen, detained in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba.American intelligence analysts estimate that Mohammed was born in 1977, in Aden, Yemen....
. According to Chomsky a petition for habeas corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
was filed on August 16, 2005. In response the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
filed a redacted and incomplete factual return on June 5, 2006. Additionally, on 26 April 2007, a DTA appeal under the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005—Almerfedi v. Gates (Civil Action No. 07-cv-1132).
Chomsky served as an election observer
Election monitoring
Election monitoring is the observation of an election by one or more independent parties, typically from another country or a non-governmental organization , primarily to assess the conduct of an election process on the basis of national legislation and international standards. There are national...
in the 1994 election in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and in the 1984 election in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
.
On June 13, 2007, she represented Colombian families in a federal class action
Class action
In law, a class action, a class suit, or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued...
lawsuit against Chiquita Brands International
Chiquita Brands International
Chiquita Brands International Inc. is an American producer and distributor of bananas and other produce, under a variety of subsidiary brand names, collectively known as Chiquita. Other brands include Fresh Express salads, which it purchased from Performance Food Group in 2005...
, a producer and distributor of bananas based in Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
for funding and arming known terrorist organizations (designated by the United States Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
) in Colombia to maintain its profits.
On November 26, 2008, Chomsky filed a "Petitioner's opposition to the government's motion for clarification and reconsideration of this court's November 6, 2008 case management order and supplemental amended order with regard to Waleed Said Bn Said Zaid (ISN 550) in Civil Action No. 05-CV-1646 (JDB)."
On July 19, 2008, Chomsky filed a status report on behalf of Waleed Said Bin Said Zaid. In her report Chomsky stated his petition was first filed on August 16, 2005. She reported that the United States Department of Justice filed an incomplete and redacted factual return February 22, 2006. She reported that a DTA appeal under the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 had been filed, Zaid v. Gates (Civil Action No. 07-1131) on 26 April 2007.
She represented the Saro-Wiwa family
Wiwa family lawsuits against Royal Dutch Shell
The Wiwa family lawsuits against Royal Dutch Shell are three separate lawsuits brought by the family of Ken Saro-Wiwa against Royal Dutch Shell, its subsidiary Shell Nigeria and the subsidiary's CEO Brian Anderson, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York under the...
in their lawsuit against Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
. On June 9, 2009, Shell settled out-of-court with the Saro-Wiwa family for $15.5 million, though claiming it was only a gesture of sympathy and still denying culpability in his death and the deaths of the other so-called Ogoni Nine
Ogoni Nine
The Ogoni Nine were a group of nine activists from the Ogoni region of Nigeria, including outspoken author and playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine , who were executed by hanging in 1995 by the...
.