Arthur Schwartz

46 year Union/employee side labor & civil rights lawyer, election lawyer. Continues to represent NYC labor unions, principally public sector, including Transport Workers Union, Local 100 and Local 237, Int'l Brhd of Teamsters. From 3/09- 11/10 was General Counsel to ACORN & affiliated 501(c)(3)s, the ACORN Institute & American Institute for Social Justice. Now counsel to Center for the Independence of the Disabled,NYBlack Lives Matter of Greater NY and The Black Institute & other non-profits. In 2010 founded Advocates for Justice, a non-profit legal foundation to do impact litigation. In 2008 launched political strategy consulting group, Progressive Strategies Group, now called Advocates NY. Helped launch NY Renewable Energy LLC, an effort to bring waste to energy technology to NYC, with focus on creating energy out of materials not in the food stream. Active in NYC Democratic Party politics: Greenwich Village Male District Leader 1995-2005 & 2013 - present; Law Chair Putnam County Democratic Party: Democratic State Committeeman for Lower W/S Manhattan 2006 - 2013; Counsel to Bernie Sanders Campaign in NY 2015-2016,and numerous progressive candidates since then like Jumanne Williams and Mondaire Jones; 2016 and 2020-At-Large Delegate to the Democratic Nat'l Conv. pledged to Bernie Sanders; 2008-Elected delegate Democratic Nat'l Convention, pledged to Barack Obama; community activist-28 years, focus:parks and playgrounds, environmental impact of government projects; former Chair Comm. Bd 2 Manhattan Waterfront/Parks Committees; Chair or Vice Chair of Hudson River Park Trust Advisory Cncl 1999 - 2014; Treasurer, Teachout for Governor -2014. Fall 2016 helped found and was elected Treasurer/Political Director of NY Progressive Action Network. Since 8/17 host of a weekly radio show on WBAI, 99.5FM in NYC /www.wbai.org, called Advocating for Justice, featuring leading progressive political activists and elected officials. Specialties: Civil rights, civil liberties, labor, employment litigation; non-profit groups; contract negotiations ; union and political campaign organizing; police misconduct; government relations, education law, election law