Creating Law Enforcement Accountability & Responsibility
CUNY CLEAR is a project rooted in CUNY School of Law's relationship with community-based organizations whose members wish to shape and respond to national security and counterterrorism policies and practices affecting them. It is a cross-clinical project between the Immigrant & Refugee Rights Clinic, directed by Professor Ramzi Kassem, and the Defenders Clinic, directed by Professor Steve Zeidman. CLEAR is predominantly staffed by law students from both clinics in their final year of study, working under the supervision of law faculty.
The CLEAR project primarily aims to address the unmet legal needs of Muslim, Arab, South Asian, and other communities in the New York City area that are particularly affected by national security and counterterrorism policies and practices. Since the project's inception in 2009, our work has developed along three axes:
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Legal representation & consultation
CLEAR teams represent and advise community members as they respond to requests for voluntary FBI interviews, during searches by law enforcement, as they consider charitable giving options, and in the course of overseas and domestic travel. CLEAR representatives also offer advice and information around the potential criminal and immigration consequences that may result from national security and counterterrorism policies and practices.
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Know-Your-Rights presentations
CLEAR teams have given know-your-rights (KYR) presentations at mosques and other community centers on how to interact with law enforcement, on informants and infiltration, on charitable giving, and on travel.
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Documentation campaigns
CLEAR teams assist local organizations with documentation campaigns that aim to canvass affected populations in order to record encounters with law enforcement and the impact of national security and counterterrorism policies and practices.
CLEAR services are provided free of charge.
Professors/Supervising Attorneys
Contact
E-mail: cunyclear@mail.law.cuny.edu
Phone: (718) 340-4558
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Faculty in the Program
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