In 1979, Daniel Sheehan, Sara Nelson and many of the allies and architects of the Silkwood case gathered back in Washington, D.C. to found The Christic Institute. Based on the ecumenical teachings of Teilhard de Chardin, and on the lessons they learned from their experience in the…
Christic Institute Archives Posts
In 1986, the Christic Institute brought charges against 28 individuals involved in the Iran-Contra Affair (Avirgan v. Hull). Filed under the provisions of the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Criminal Organizations Act (RICO), the case gave Christic broad investigative powers. Using these powers they were able to compel testimony and…
The Famous Silkwood case centered on Karen Silkwood, an employee of the Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corporation who died in 1975. A chemical technician and union activist, Silkwood died when her car was run off the road while on her way to meet with a New York Times…
After a death squad organized by the American Nazi Party and the Ku Klux Klan murdered several demonstrators in 1979 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the Christic Institute won a verdict in federal civil court against five of the assailants and two police officers. The verdict…
In the late 1980s, death squads in Guatemala and El Salvador roamed the country crushing any resistance to the U.S. backed fascist dictatorships. People began to flee north, seeking asylum and refugee status in the United States. Immigration offices close to the border were instructed…
The first black mayor elected in the Mississippi delta, Eddie Carthan tried to make positive changes in his hometown of Tchula, Mississippi. He was then framed for the murder of a political rival. The Christic Institute team took the case, proved Mayor Carthan’s innocence, and…
Three Mile Island Lecture from the Trajectory of Justice 2012 UCSC Class: Directly following the Karen Silkwood case against the Kerr-Mcgee nuclear facility, the Christic Institute team was called in to help oversee proceedings at the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster. (REPOSTING MEDIA – CHECK…
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The People’s Advocate The life and legal history of America’s most fearless public interest lawyer The Peoples Advocate, the autobiography of American Constitutional Trial Attorney Daniel Sheehan, is now available through our online store! Sheehan traces his personal journey from his working-class roots through Harvard Law…