Six Law Students Blast CCR

A new association of moderate Law School students alleged this week that the Coalition for Civil Rights (CCR) manipulated this year's law School Council elections to bring more of their "cronies" into the student government.

But council members vigorously denied that the CCR played any part in the election process and accused the new six-member group--which calls itself the Non-Left Coalition--of racist generalizations.

The Law School Council's executive committee postponed the deadline Monday for prospective Council officers to declare their candidacy.

Members of the Law School Council said the deadline was extended because no one had declared candidacy for four council seats and some prospective candidates' applications had been lost.

But Gregory Taxin, a co-founder of the Non-Left Coalition, said yesterday the council leaders wanted more time to convince CCR members to run for office.

According to Toxin, CCR members control the executive committee.

"Almost the entire ruling body of the CCR are members of the [Law School Council's] executive committee," Taxin said.

However, Law School Council President Marie-Louise Ramsdale denied that coalition members control the executive board.

"These allegations are completely unsubstantiated. It's ridiculous," Ramsdale said.

Raul Perez, a third-year student who is administrative vice president of the council, characterized the Non-Left's allegations as "unfounded paranoia" with "thoroughly racist implications."

"This is their reaction to the fact that the entire executive committee is Black, Hispanic or women," Perez said. "They are labeling them members of the CCR because they are women and minorities."

Of 10 council officers, only one is a CCR officer, Ramsdale said.

Furthermore, although Taxin said that Ramsdale is president of the CCR, Ramsdale said she is not even an official member. And although Taxin said that Perez serves as vice president of the CCR, Perez said that he is not a CCR officer.

Taxin also charged that members of the CCR gained control of the Law School Council last spring because of low voter turnout, that last year's candidates were members of far right and left parties, and that the "majority of students were thoroughly disgusted and turned against the process."

Perez, said, however, that voter turn-out last spring was "a record," The average annual rate of student participation in council elections is 10 to 15 percent, according to American Bar Association figures, but last year 33.6 percent of the student body voted, Perez said.

Perez said the council's primary objectives are non-political, geared toward improving the quality of everyday student life.

Its goals include installing an automatic teller machine at the Law School, increasing campus security, and arranging to have more cashiers hired at the Coop.