A short life of the author
William Moses Kunstler (1919–1995) was an American civil rights attorney who became the most prominent radical defence lawyer in the United States. His clients included the Chicago Seven (the activists charged with conspiracy after the 1968 Democratic Convention riots), the inmates of the Attica prison uprising (1971), members of the American Indian Movement during the occupation of Wounded Knee (1973), and many others.
Kunstler was a polarising figure: celebrated by the left as a champion of free speech and political dissent, and denounced by others as a showman who exploited the legal system for political theatre. He was held in contempt of court during the Chicago Seven trial and sentenced to four years in prison (later reversed on appeal).
Major Works
The Minister and the Choir Singer: The Hall-Mills Murder Case (1964, William Morrow) is his account of the famous 1922 New Jersey murder case.
My Life as a Radical Lawyer (1994, Birch Lane Press) is his autobiography, written near the end of his life.
Collecting Kunstler
Kunstler’s books are collected as documents of American legal and political history. First editions of My Life as a Radical Lawyer (1994) bring $20–$50. Signed copies from his speaking appearances are available. His legal papers are held by the Center for Constitutional Rights.