New York Bureau of Legal Advice Records

Call Number

TAM.044

Date

1917-1919, inclusive

Creator

New York Bureau of Legal Advice

Extent

6.5 Linear Feet in 13 manuscript boxes.

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Abstract

The New York Bureau of Legal First Aid was organized in 1917 with a grant from the Women's Peace Party. Lead by attorney Charles Recht and feminist Frances M. Witherspoon, it was the first organization to furnish free legal advice and counsel to anyone who came into conflict with the new laws related to America's entry into World War I, including draft resisters, conscientious objectors, and deserters. By 1918 it was aiding at least 5,000 clients and changed its name to the New York Bureau of Legal Advice (NYBLA). Though raided by the Bureau of Investigation in 1918, the NYBLA continued with its anti-war campaigns until shortly after the Armistice was signed. The records contain correspondence, office files, case histories, photographs, clippings, and press releases relating to selective service exemption, draft evasion, conscientious objector status, military discharge, desertion, amnesty, civil liberties and deportation.

Historical Note

The New York Bureau of Legal First Aid was organized on May 11, 1917 with a one hundred dollar grant from the Women's Peace Party. Individuals contributed to the treasury and in August the People's Council, the Socialist Party, the Civil Liberties Bureau and the Workmen's Council all became sponsoring affiliates. A few months later the People's Council and the Civil Liberties Bureau withdrew their support, but a strong Executive Committee continued the organizing work. In May 1918, the organization changed its name to the New York Bureau of Legal Advice (NYBLA). During that year, the Bureau estimated that it aided at least 5,000 clients. In September 1918, a raid by the Federal Bureau of Investigation disrupted organizational functioning temporarily. NYBLA continued with its anti-war campaigns and only ended its work in the autumn of 1919, shortly before the Armistice.

NYBLA was the first organization to furnish free legal advice and counsel to anyone who came into conflict with the new laws related to America's entry into World War I, including draft resisters, conscientious objectors, and deserters. The Bureau sought to gather information and investigate and publicize war-related instances of infringements of First Amendment rights. The Bureau campaigned for amnesty for conscientious objectors and also monitored their treatment in military prisons. Lobbying by NYBLA was instrumental in forcing Secretary of War Newton B. Baker to order an end to the practice of holding conscientious objectors in manacles. The Bureau cooperated actively with the Industrial Workers of the World and other radical groups in defense of free speech and in opposition to the deportation of immigrant radicals.

Charles Recht, a Czech-born attorney, was the General Counsel of the Bureau. As Secretary of the Bureau, Frances M. Witherspoon, an ardent feminist and socialist peace activist, carried on the daily work of the Bureau, including fundraising, working with attorneys and volunteers, organizing lobbying campaigns, maintaining correspondence, and interviewing clients. She worked with the leading socialists, anti-war activists and civil libertarians of the time, including Roger N. Baldwin, Ella Reeve ("Mother") Bloor, M. Eleanor Fitzgerald, Albert De Silver, Jacob Hillquit, and Scott Nearing.

Arrangement

The collection was arranged by Professor Martin David Dubin of Roosevelt University in the 1960s, and the Tamiment Library maintained his arrangement. The collection is ordered in six series:

I. Office Files
II. Correspondence
III. Case Files: Immigrants, Deportations, Special Individuals
IV. Case Files: Conscientious Objectors
V. Case Files: Draft Boards, Immigrants, Dependents
VI. Press Releases and Newspaper Clippings

Folders are generally arranged alphabetically by subject/author heading then chronologically within each subject/author heading.

Scope and Content Note

Approximately half of the records of the New York Bureau of Legal Advice consist of case histories pertaining to selective service exemption, draft evasion, conscientious objector status, military imprisonment, military discharge, desertion, amnesty, civil liberties and deportations. Approximately one third of the collection consists of office files, administrative reports and correspondence, including extensive fundraising correspondence. The remainder of the collection is made up of press releases and newspaper clippings.

The case histories, chiefly relating to draft exemption, provide significant and frequently poignant information on the daily lives and problems of the working class immigrants who were the principal clients of the Bureau's pioneering efforts to deliver free legal services and to protect poor people's civil rights. The correspondence and office files reflect civil liberties activity and the Bureau's role as a connecting link between "those on the firing line in anti-war agitation" and America's large and politically diverse peace and socialist movements.

The correspondents to the NYBLA are numerous and varied; many well known progressives of the period made a contribution to the Bureau's work. Among them are Mary Beard, Sarah N. Cleghorn, Elizabeth Gurley and Bina Flynn, Agnes Smedley, Louis Untermeyer, Thorsten Veblen, H. L. Mencken, Sinclair Lewis, Judah L. Magnes, and Stephen Wise.

Subjects

Topics

Places

New York (N.Y.).

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open without restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Tamiment Library has no information about copyright ownership for this collection and is not authorized to grant permission to publish or reproduce materials from it. Materials in this collection, which were created in 1917-1919, are expected to enter the public domain in 2040.

Preferred Citation

Published citations should take the following form:

Identification of item, date; New York Bureau of Legal Advice (New York Bureau of Legal First Aid) Records; TAM 044; Box number; Folder number; Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transferred from the Tamiment Institute Library. There is no earlier provenance information. The accession numbers associated with this collection are 1961.001 and 1961.002.

Custodial History

The 1917-1919 records of the New York Bureau of Legal Advice had been stored at the Tamiment Institute Library among old file boxes and cartons relating to World War I. In 1961 Professor Martin David Dubin of Roosevelt University borrowed the collection to began researching, and ulitmately processing, the records of the Bureau. He returned the collection to Tamiment Library in 13 document boxes (5.5 linear feet) in 1970. The accession numbers 1961.001 and 1961.002 are associated with this collection.

A large fragment of the Bureau's office files were donated to the Swathmore College Peace Collection at an unknown date. The files at Swathmore are primarily comprised of case files of individual clients. The records at the Tamiment Library include all the central office files, as well as many individual case files.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Due to the fragile nature of the original materials, researchers must use the microfilmed version; microfilm call number is Film R-7006, Reels 1-10.

Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

The Charles Recht Papers (TAM 176)

American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born Records (TAM 086)

New York Bureau of Legal Advice Collected Records at the Swathmore College Peace Collection (CDG-A)

Collection processed by

Tamiment staff, 2009; Edited by Rachel Schimke for compliance with DACS and Tamiment Required Elements for Archival Description and to reflect the incorporation of nonprint materials, 2013

About this Guide

This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-20 16:47:41 -0400.

Using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Language: Description is in English

Processing Information

19 photographs were separated from this collection during initial processing and were established as a separate collection, the New York Bureau of Legal Advice Photographs (PHOTOS 036). In 2013, these photographs were reincorporated into the New York Bureau of Legal Advice Records.

In 2021, the Series IV scope note was revised to more accurately describe the camps in which conscientious objectors were incarcerated. Titles for Series III and Series V were edited to revise harmful language regarding immigration status. Select creator-supplied titles containing harmful language regarding immigration status were identified in Series III and V, but have been retained to convey important contextual information regarding time and place in which the documents and titles were created.

Researchers can access previous versions of the finding aid in our GitHub repository at https://github.com/NYULibraries/findingaids_eads/commits/master/tamwag/tam_044.xml.

Revisions to this Guide

April 2021: Edited by Amy C. Vo to revise legacy description about camps in which conscientious objectors were incarcerated, and to revise language regarding immigration status

Edition of this Guide

This version was derived from NYBLA Guide.wpd

Repository

Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

General note

Reel 7006/10

New York Bureau of Legal Advice Records

Call Number

Date

Creator

Extent

Language of Materials

Abstract

Historical Note

Arrangement

Scope and Content Note

Subjects

Organizations

Genres

People

Topics

Places

Conditions Governing Access

Conditions Governing Use

Preferred Citation

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Custodial History

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives

Collection processed by

About this Guide

Processing Information

Revisions to this Guide

Edition of this Guide

Repository

Series I: Office Files

Scope and Content Note

Appeal for Funds, November 1918, 1918, inclusive

General note

By-Laws, 1918, inclusive

General note

Circular Letters, 1917-1918, inclusive

General note

Conference on Legal Aid, July 18, 1918, 1918, inclusive

General note

Copies of Bills, Laws and Regulations, 1917-1918, inclusive

General note

Executive Committee, Statements by the Committee, 1917-1919, inclusive

General note

Forms, 1918, inclusive

General note

History and Purposes, ca.1917, inclusive

General note

Illegal Conduct of Draft Board Registrars, 1917, inclusive

General note

Incitement to Violence, April-May 1919 (cf. Box 1, Folder 22, Statement of Ministers), 1919, inclusive

General note

Instructions for the Second Draft, undated, inclusive

General note

Lists -- lawyers, donors, members, contacts, politicians, 1918, inclusive

General note

Minutes, 1919, inclusive

General note

Miscellaneous Manuscripts, 1918, inclusive

General note

Printed Matter -- circulars, petitions, by-laws, brochures, 1918-1919, inclusive

General note

Reports and Correspondence of the Treasurer, 1917-1919, inclusive

General note

Reports of Counsel, Charles Recht, 1917-1919, inclusive

General note

Resume of Cases Involving Free Speech and Pacifism, 1917-1919, inclusive

General note

Secretary's Correspondence, 1919, inclusive

General note

Secretary's Reports and Statements, 1917-1918, inclusive

General note

Statement in Reply to Report of Francis G. Caffey U.S. District Attorney, 1917-1918, inclusive

General note

Statement of Ministers, June 1919 (cf. also Box 1, Folder 10, Incitement to Violence), 1919, inclusive

General note

Miscellaneous Papers, 1919, inclusive

General note

Series II: Correspondence Files

Scope and Content Note

American Freedom Convention, 1919, inclusive