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awardsHonors:

  • Grace B. White Peace and Justice Award, Palestinian Rights Committee of Upper Hudson Peace Action, 2016
  • Carol S. Knox Award for defending free speech rights in NY State, New York Civil Liberties Union (Capital District Chapter), 2010
  • Selena Sloan Butler Award for Outstanding Service to the Parent-Teacher Associations in Albany, presented by the Albany City Council of PTAs, 2010
  • Human Rights Award, presented by the NYS Human Rights Advisory Council Region IV, 2001
  • Jim Perry Progressive Leadership Award, presented by Capital District Citizen Action, 1998
  • Frederick Douglass Struggle for Justice Award, presented by the Center for Law & Justice, 1992
  • Distinguished Services in Legal Redress Award, presented by the Albany Branch, NAACP, 1986

Involvement:

Pro Bono Work:

  • Lead Counsel, NYS Poor People’s Campaign, Spring 2018. Coordinated training and representation of activists during six week campaign of direct action and non-violent civil disobedience in Albany as part of national campaign and advised NYS Coordinating Committee on legal matters.
  • Volunteer attorney, Capital Area Against Mass Incarceration (CAAMI), 2016. Drafted a brief as amicus curiae on behalf of CAAMI and other community organizations, scholars, and elected officials, to Appellate Division, 3rd Dept, seeking reversal of 9 year adult prison sentence imposed on a 16 year old youth for stealing a pair of sneakers. The Court reversed the youth’s conviction, granted him “youthful offender” status, and reduced his sentence to 3 years. People v. Marquis A., 145 AD 3d 61 (2016).
  • Volunteer attorney, Occupy Albany, 2011 - 2015. Coordinated representation of Occupy activists during and after the two-month encampment as well as negotiations with City administration and litigation against City’s injunction. Also litigated, with co-counsel, Soares v Carter, et al., 25 NY 3d 1011 (2015), in which the NY Court of Appeals held that a judge cannot hold a prosecutor in contempt for declining to prosecute a case.
  • Volunteer attorney, New York Civil Liberties Union. Litigated Downs v. Town of Guilderland, 70 AD 3d 1228 (2010), challenging the denial of free speech rights to a peace activist arrested in a mall for wearing a peace T-shirt.
  • Counsel, legal observer, and/or police liaison for rallies, vigils, sit-ins, labor picket-lines, occupations from the early 1980's to the present, including in and for the anti-apartheid, labor, anti-mass incarceration, student, anti-police brutality, AIDS funding, peace, LGBTQ, disability rights, public education, anti-IDC, immigrant rights, and environmental movements. (Most of this work was pro bono.)

Education organizations:

  • Albany City Council of PTAs, Co-President, 2005-07 and 2008-09 (City-wide umbrella organization of Parent Teacher Associations).
  • As his children progressed from elementary school through high school, Mark was an active member and officer of the PTAs at the Albany School of Humanities, Hackett Middle School and Albany High School.
  • Parents Across America, Founding Member of national public school parent advocacy organization, 2011
  • People Advocating Small Schools (PASS), Member, 2001-04

Other organizations:

  • NYS Bar Association, Task Force on Racism, Social Equity, and the Law, Criminal Justice Committee, Member, 2021 - 2022
  • NYS Bar Association, Committee on Civil Rights, Member, 2019 - 2022
  • NYS Labor Religion Coalition, Board member, 2019 - 2020
  • Albany Branch NAACP, Executive Board, 1985-2005
  • Albany Police Department Task Force on bias-related policing, Member, Spring 2002
  • Capital District Citizen Action, Executive Board, 1992-96
  • Whitney M. Young Community Health Center, Board of Directors, 1985-89
  • Capital District Coalition Against Apartheid and Racism, Steering Committee, 1986-1994
  • City of Albany Community/Police Relations Board, Member and Secretary, 1986-88