FOUR DAY SALE
Jewish Bar Presents
A United Front
JULIE EDGAR STAFF WRITER
mong its other activi-
ties worldwide, the
International Asso-
ciation of Jewish
Lawyers and Jurists (IAJLJ)
fought hard against a defunct
United Nations resolution
that branded Zionism a form
of racism.
The 27-year-old Jeru-
salem-based organization
also routinely files amicus, or
friend of the court, briefs in
legal cases that are relevant
to the Jewish community,
like the case of alleged Nazi
war criminal John Deman-
juk.
At the moment, the IAJLJ
is awaiting word on the ex-
tradition of Alexandras
Lileikis, also an alleged Nazi
collaborator, who is accused
of killing tens of thousands of
Jews in Vilnius, Lithuania.
The Boston chapter of the or- U.S. District Court Judge Avern Cohn
ganization has lobbied the
"One of the ideas here is po-
congressional delegation of Mass-
achusetts to seek Lileikis' extra- tentially to take an activist role
in representing and publicizing
dition.
Most of the work of the Amer- Jewish interests," said Mr. Weiss.
ican section of the IAJLJ has em- "There are high-profile cases
anated from law firms on the most of us are aware of and less-
East Coast, a situation a hand- er- profile cases that are still im-
ful of local attorneys and judges portant. Many have
humanitarian implications for
want to remedy.
"The kind of work (the IAJLJ) Jews around the world."
Other founding members of
performs shouldn't be left to
lawyers in New York and Wash- the new chapter are Oak Park
ington and Chicago. Organ- District Judge Benjamin. J. Fried-
izations like this require man and attorneys Joel S. Adel-
participation and member-
ship," said United States Dis-
trict Court Judge Avern
Cohn, an honorary board
member of the IAJLJ. He was
the impetus behind the recent
formation of a Detroit chap-
ter of the IAJLJ.
Attorneys Robert B. Weiss
of the law firm of Honigman,
Miller, Schwartz and Cohn
and Michael Traison of Miller,
Canfield, Paddock and Stone
are two of the chapter's found-
ing members.
"Bob and I listened to
Judge Cohn and got working.
We formed an organizing
board and that board has now
met and we're solicting new
memberships. We've had a lot
of interest," Mr. Traison said.
A few years ago, members
of the American section of the
organization visited the Is-
raeli prison where Yigal Amir, Att orney Michael Traison
the accused assassin of Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin, is now man, Eric Bronstein, Sheldon
being held. They also organized Lutz and Steven J. Rhodes.
"The need existed to provide
a reception in Washington to hon-
Jewish
lawyers and jurists an op-
or Supreme Court Justice Ruth
portunity to join the organiza-
Bader Ginsburg.
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Farmington Hills, Michigan
tion," said Mr. Traison, a long-
time member of the IAJLJ's
American section. "By having a
chapter here in Michigan, hope-
fully access to the organization
will be easier. We also want pro-
gramming here so we can attend
lectures and seminars."
For example, the organization
might bring in someone to ad-
dress the subtleties of Israeli com-
mercial law.
The American section of the
organization is not all business.
Recognizing that many of the na-
tion's attorneys are Jewish, it or-
ganizes Shabbat services during
national American Bar Associa-
tion conventions. At a meeting in
New Orleans, it sponsored a vis-
it to one of the city's oldest syn-
agogues and in Atlanta, members
visited a Holocaust memorial.
Mr. Traison said the IAJLJ
and the new chapter did not grow
from a need to protect Jewish in-
terests, but rather to express
them.
"I don't think there's anything
that puts Jews at risk or differ-
entiates them from members of
the bar and bench. Jews have
heightened sensitivities and con-
cerns, both those affecting the
general population because of our
inheritance of social responsibil-
ity and concerns that affect Jew-
ish people," he said. ❑
/1 Membership dues, which
include a quarterly publication
that addresses Jewish issues in
the law, are $100 annually. Th.e
next IAJLJ annual meeting is
set, for Feb. 16-19 in Washing-
ton, D.C. Call Robert Weiss at
(313) 256-7746 or Michael Trai-
son at (313) 963-6420 for infor-
mation.
Foon's Show
Airs Jan. 20, 21
Playwright and former Detroiter
Dennis Foon is the writer of a
made-for-TV movie that will air
at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, on
CBC, Channel 9.
Little Criminals, based on a
true story, describes the life of an
11-year-old juvenile delinquent
and his path to destruction. A
one-hour documentary, featuring
an interview with Foon on 'The
Making of Little Criminals," will
air at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan.
20, on CBC, Channel 9.
Mr. Foon lives in Vancouver
and is the founder of the Green
Thumb Theatre there. ❑