Posted on 11/21/2007 11:25:53 AM PST by Borges
NEW YORK - Victor Rabinowitz, a lawyer who represented leftist causes and clients such as Alger Hiss, the Black Panthers, Fidel Castro and Weather Underground member Kathy Boudin, has died at 96.
Rabinowitz died Friday at his Manhattan home, his longtime law partner, Michael Krinsky, said Tuesday.
In a 1996 memoir, "Unrepentant Leftist," Rabinowitz said that he had been a member of the American Communist Party from 1942 — when the United States and the Soviet Union were wartime allies — until the early 1960s because it seemed the best way to fight for social justice.
Rabinowitz was the last attorney for Hiss, the American diplomat accused of spying for the Soviet Union and ultimately convicted of perjury in 1950 in one of the postwar era's most famous espionage cases.
"My father always felt that he was very ably represented by Victor Rabinowitz," said his son, Tony Hiss.
Rabinowitz began his career at the firm of Louis Boudin, a labor lawyer involved in radical politics. Rabinowitz opened his own practice in 1944 and Boudin's nephew, Leonard Boudin, joined him three years later. They worked together until Leonard Boudin's death in 1989.
Rabinowitz eventually represented Leonard Boudin's daughter Kathy, a member of the student radical group Weather Underground who pleaded guilty to murder for her involvement in a 1981 armored truck heist. She served more than 20 years in prison.
The firm's other clients included such liberal activists as singer Paul Robeson, Dr. Benjamin Spock, the Rev. Philip Berrigan, Pentagon Papers figure Daniel Ellsberg and civil rights leader Julian Bond.
In 1960, Rabinowitz's firm was hired by Castro to defend the Cuban government's nationalization of U.S.-owned property. Rabinowitz won by arguing that U.S. courts should not question the internal affairs of other countries.
In a case that went to the Supreme Court, Rabinowitz unsuccessfully challenged the constitutionality of a legal provision that forced labor leaders to swear that they were not Communists.
But Hiss' children still maintain that he was not a Communist.
OK.
Nice Marx-beard he spotted.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I cheered when Kuntzler died, so why not this guy?
A leftist lawyer who defended any and everyone opposed to America. Can’t say he’ll be missed.
Oh dear. Rabinowitz: always wrong but never in doubt. May he rest in peace.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
Why should he rest in peace? He only raised hell while he was alive and bit the hand of the country that gave him sanctuary and allowed him to prosper. I hope he gets no peace, only hard, constant labor of the type he helped doom hundreds of millions to in the gulags of Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and China.
Joining the endless hoards of crooked lawyers in hell.
Well, it's a start...
Bingo...
I’ve never figured out why these commies live so long.
Because life after death for them is the end. Little do they know...
>> Joining the endless hoards of crooked lawyers in hell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A fence bordering both Heaven and Hell was in need of repair. Hell sent Heaven a memo, stating: “Based on our extensive legal counsel, we conclude that repair of the fence is entirely Heaven’s responsibility.
Heaven sent a memo back, “Having no access to legal counsel, we accept responsibility.”
A bishop died and went to Heaven. After he checked in, St. Peter showed him to his new accomodations, a 10x10 concrete cell with a single bare lightbulb hanging over a cot. Then a cardinal appeared at the Pearly Gates and was brought to his new quarters, an identical 10x10 concrete cell. Not long after, a lawyer arrived in Heaven and was shown his new accomodations, a 6,000 square foot estate on 2 acres of clouds, with a pool, jacuzzi, and sauna.
The bishop and cardinal were furious and complained to St. Peter, “We’ve devoted our lives to God, and we are given tiny barren rooms! But the lawyer got a luxurious place!”
St. Peter explained, “We get bishops and cardinals up here all the time. But this is special. We’ve never had a lawyer before.”
a good muslim no doubt
:-)
As the lawyer woke up after surgery, he asked, “Why are all the blinds drawn?
The nurse answered, “There’s a big fire across the street, and we didn’t want you to think the operation was a failure.”
Communism sure pays for those pigs that are more equal than others...
No relation to Dorothy Rabinowitz, I presume.
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