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Arthur Kinoy, People's Lawyer

By Barry Romo

Arthur died on September 19 in Montclair, New Jersey at the age of 82.

In the 1950s he worked on the defense of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were charged with atomic espionage. In the 1960s he worked for civil rights in Mississippi and defended the Chicago Seven and Adam Clayton Powell. In the 1970s he took on the Nixon administration over the practice of wiretapping political enemies, and won.

He helped found the Center for Constitutional Rights. He also taught law, organized, and wrote a book called "Rights on Trial: The Odyssey of a People's Lawyer."

I first met him when I was elected to the National Office of VVAW in 1972 and had moved to New York City. He was open and listened and didn't talk about his time in the army in World War II, which I didn't find out about until his death. He was different from a lot of political "heavies" in that he acted like a human being. He offered me a job two years later when I was leaving the NO but I declined. (I should have taken it and listened to his gentle advice; I would not have strayed for a while.) He was also a joy to meet at a conference or wherever.

He is survived by his second wife and longtime VVAW friend, Barbara Webster, and two children of his first marriage, Joanne and Peter.

He will be missed.

Barry Romo