As law librarians and information professionals committed to access to justice and respect for every human being, we voice our outrage, anguish, and sorrow at the senseless killing of Mr. George Floyd and others before him. We join with our colleagues and civic and religious leaders in decrying these sinful and immoral actions and offer our prayers and sympathy to the Floyd family. But that is not enough.
We support the rule of law and believe that all human beings deserve equal and fair treatment and representation. We also stand with people who are crying out for justice through peaceful demands for accountability, and we commit to do our part to support their right to peacefully protest. No one community by itself can alter a systemic evil such as racism. Rather, each of us must commit to doing our part.
The New York Law Institute, to help protect the right to access to justice, the right to assemble, and to advance civil rights, will support with research and copying services any NYLI member law firm doing pro bono work to assist in righting these wrongs and representing its victims. Details will be worked out on a case-by-case basis.
