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Save Jenkins: 630 Of Your Colleagues Are Supporting Us. Join Them.

April 16, 2018
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Last week I wrote to you about a bill in Harrisburg to defund Jenkins Law Library, and a resolution by the Philadelphia Bar Association to support the bill.

Nine Past Chancellors and numerous prominent members of the legal community, including hundreds of your friends and colleagues, have joined me in signing a letter urging the Bar Association not to support the bill.

Please review the letter and the co-endorsers.

Show your support. Add your name.

The letter explains the issues. Among other things, the proposed Bar Association resolution and legislation is about whether the City can shirk and avoid its governmental responsibility and obligation to fund indigent defense by requiring private citizens to pay the City’s bills. The resolution tries to force the Bar to make an unfair and unnecessary choice to fund indigent defense - a governmental constitutional obligation - at the expense of Jenkins Law Library. Jenkins, as you know, is an important and historic institution providing the very tools necessary for the practice of law for all practitioners (and self-represented litigants and the public), encompassing hundreds of legal practice areas and sub-specialty areas.

It’s about whether the City should be allowed to raid a local nonprofit - a nonprofit that takes no tax money from the City - but rather provides enormous economic savings and legal benefits to the City and its agencies. This bureaucratic raid is beneath our City and our Bar.

It is ironic that Philadelphia, the birthplace of our Democracy, cannot find the funds to pay for Sixth Amendment protections without making a secret pledge to defund an institution that supports all attorneys, self- represented litigants and the public.

If you believe this is wrong then stand with us and add your name.

 

 

Sincerely,

Theodore “Ted” Simon
President, Jenkins Law Library

More from the blog

Support Jenkins
May 3, 2018

Jenkins, the City and HB 1937

The President of our Board, Theodore "Ted" Simon, wants to both thank everyone that has responded to Jenkins’ requests to support the library and let you know that your voices have been heard by the Mayor’s Office. The house bill is now on pause and we are communicating with the Mayor’s office consistent with the demands of our membership, supporters, self represented litigants and the legal community. While we continue to oppose HB1937 which would cripple Jenkins, we also continue to support the proper governmental and constitutional funding of indigent defense. For the moment while I would ask you to continue to sign our letter of support, at this time, there is no need to further write or call the Mayor’s Office. Once again, we thank the large numbers of supporters that wrote the Mayor. We know we have a passionate group of supporters and we will keep you informed and advised when and where we need your further directed help and assistance. You have been indispensable to this collective effort to save Jenkins. (To see our prior messages, click the Blog link above.)
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April 30, 2018

Did You Contact the Mayor Regarding Jenkins Funding?

The President of our Board, Theodore "Ted" Simon, has written a letter to Mayor Kenney. Mr. Simon thanks everyone who has signed our letter of support, those who have already contacted the Mayor, and those that are doing so. Please encourage everyone to reach out to friends and colleagues and ask them to email and call the Mayor at james.kenney@phila.gov or (215) 686-2181 to voice their concerns.
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April 25, 2018

Save Jenkins: Contact The Mayor

Please take a few moments to let him know how important it is for Jenkins to continue to level the playing field for those seeking justice in Philadelphia. Be sure to tell him that HB 1937 threatens Jenkins’ ability to make a difference in your practice and every day for ordinary Philadelphians who are facing legal challenges.