Two Jewish public defenders in New York City have filed a lawsuit against their union, the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys, with claims that the association published statements pertinent to the Israeli-Hamas war which they deem to be antisemitic.
The plaintiffs, Arnold Levine and Allen Popper, are employing a unique take on the US Supreme Court’s 2018 verdict in Janus v. AFSCME. The judgement established that the First Amendment forbids the mandatory imposition of fees on public-sector employees by unions. Levine and Popper’s suit argues that, based on this precedent, they should not be obliged to finance their union due to its antisemitic remarks.
This legal maneuver sparks debate among legal professionals given its innovative utilization of the Janus v. AFSCME ruling. The case is pending and its judgement will certainly reverberate through the legal industry once declared.
Details concerning the lawsuit can be tracked via Docket No. 24-02733 in the Southern District of New York (S.D.N.Y.).