Sayde Ladov, Chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association, pays tribute to Larry Frankel, legislative director of the ACLU and long-time advocate for civil rights:
“Larry Frankel was a smart, insightful and caring person who was passionately dedicated to his cause. A spiritual person, Larry had a great sense of humor and was always a pleasure to be around. No one can take away his many accomplishments and successes in life.
"And through it all, he was always wonderful, charming and genuine. Whenever Larry walked in, he just lit up a room and exuded so much energy. He has left his mark on so many people, and he will always be remembered as a terrific guy.
"His death is a devastating loss to the civil rights community. We will keep Larry and his family, including his former long-timer partner Andy Chirls, in our thoughts and prayers.”
And this from the Philadelphia Daily News:
Lobbyists usually side with narrow special interests, but Larry Frankel, who died Friday at age 54, was the opposite. While working for the American Civil Liberties Union, Frankel championed civil liberties for all, even those who disagreed with him.
From 1992 to 2008, Frankel was the ACLU's voice on state policy in Harrisburg. Unlike most lobbyists, Frankel didn't have a political- action committee. Instead, he made progress on a host of issues through the power of ideas and persuasion.
In Harrisburg, he was liberal in a notoriously conservative environment, but Frankel built unlikely coalitions to advance civil liberties. He was one of the first people to sound the alarm about the high cost of incarceration and worked to reform sentencing laws.
Frankel was known for his ability to stop bad things from happening. A master at reading and understanding legislation, he often sounded the alarm on negative implications of bills under consideration. For example, he was instrumental in defeating a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.
Frankel's sudden passing is a tragedy not only for his friends and family, but everyone who cares about equality and justice.
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Showing posts with label Larry Frankel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Larry Frankel. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Frankel: Too Young To Die
At age 54, Larry Frankel was much too young to pass on.
Here's a follow up on the death of Larry Frankel from Matthew Spolar at the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Larry Frankel, who worked the halls of Harrisburg for 16 years as a civil liberties lobbyist, died Friday in Rock Creek Park in Washington. He was 54.
Relatives said he died of natural causes.
Mr. Frankel was legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 2008. He was also the organization's executive director from 1996 to 2001.
In March 2008, he took a job in Washington as state legislative counsel for the ACLU, but he kept his apartment in Philadelphia.
Mr. Frankel was well known at the state Capitol, where he worked to reform the state's Right to Know Law, defeat proposed state constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, defend voting rights, and stop plans for school vouchers.
A native of Burbank, Calif., Mr. Frankel studied comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley. He also attended the university's law school, where he met Andy Chirls, his longtime partner before their separation five months ago.
The two met in September 1978 at a seminar for law students organizing against a proposition to allow school boards to fire gay teachers. They moved to Philadelphia upon graduating in 1981; Frankel first worked in the law office of Harold Diamond before starting a solo practice.
In Harrisburg, Mr. Frankel's conviction and talent for persuasion thrived.
"He viewed his client as the Constitution of the United States," Chirls said.
In a statement, Gov. Rendell said Mr. Frankel served the people of Pennsylvania "as much as any elected official in the Commonwealth."
"I could count on Larry for his strategic insight and clever approach to advocacy, making him a pleasure to work with and a gentleman that I always wanted on my side," Rendell said.
Here's a follow up on the death of Larry Frankel from Matthew Spolar at the Philadelphia Inquirer:
Larry Frankel, who worked the halls of Harrisburg for 16 years as a civil liberties lobbyist, died Friday in Rock Creek Park in Washington. He was 54.
Relatives said he died of natural causes.
Mr. Frankel was legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania from 1992 to 2008. He was also the organization's executive director from 1996 to 2001.
In March 2008, he took a job in Washington as state legislative counsel for the ACLU, but he kept his apartment in Philadelphia.
Mr. Frankel was well known at the state Capitol, where he worked to reform the state's Right to Know Law, defeat proposed state constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, defend voting rights, and stop plans for school vouchers.
A native of Burbank, Calif., Mr. Frankel studied comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley. He also attended the university's law school, where he met Andy Chirls, his longtime partner before their separation five months ago.
The two met in September 1978 at a seminar for law students organizing against a proposition to allow school boards to fire gay teachers. They moved to Philadelphia upon graduating in 1981; Frankel first worked in the law office of Harold Diamond before starting a solo practice.
In Harrisburg, Mr. Frankel's conviction and talent for persuasion thrived.
"He viewed his client as the Constitution of the United States," Chirls said.
In a statement, Gov. Rendell said Mr. Frankel served the people of Pennsylvania "as much as any elected official in the Commonwealth."
"I could count on Larry for his strategic insight and clever approach to advocacy, making him a pleasure to work with and a gentleman that I always wanted on my side," Rendell said.
Remembering Larry Frankel
Back on March 21, 2008 I wrote this about Larry Frankel:
We had a wonderful time at the Duane Morris law firm in Philadelphia last night at a reception for Philadelphia lawyer Larry Frankel who has joined the National ACLU staff in Washington DC as State Legislative Liaison. Larry Frankel represented the ACLU of Pennsylvania for 16 years, as Legislative Director and Executive Director. During that time he earned the respect of legislators from both sides of the aisle as he played a pivotal role in legislation concerning many important issues. There is no doubt that Larry's work has made a profound difference in the lives of ordinary citizens. We saw many dear friends at the reception including former Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellors Abe Reich, Alan Feldman, Andy Chirls and Jane Leslie Dalton. Also on hand were Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Chair Stephen Alan Glassman, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts Executive Director Lynn Marks, Philadelphia Bar Association Communications Director Mark Tarasiewicz, University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Lou Rulli, Blank Rome Human Resources Specialist Cory Watson, Support Center for Child Advocates Director Frank Cervone and David M. Rosenblum who now works as an attorney for the State of New Jersey.
We had a wonderful time at the Duane Morris law firm in Philadelphia last night at a reception for Philadelphia lawyer Larry Frankel who has joined the National ACLU staff in Washington DC as State Legislative Liaison. Larry Frankel represented the ACLU of Pennsylvania for 16 years, as Legislative Director and Executive Director. During that time he earned the respect of legislators from both sides of the aisle as he played a pivotal role in legislation concerning many important issues. There is no doubt that Larry's work has made a profound difference in the lives of ordinary citizens. We saw many dear friends at the reception including former Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellors Abe Reich, Alan Feldman, Andy Chirls and Jane Leslie Dalton. Also on hand were Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Chair Stephen Alan Glassman, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts Executive Director Lynn Marks, Philadelphia Bar Association Communications Director Mark Tarasiewicz, University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Lou Rulli, Blank Rome Human Resources Specialist Cory Watson, Support Center for Child Advocates Director Frank Cervone and David M. Rosenblum who now works as an attorney for the State of New Jersey.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
ACLU Confirms Frankel Death
From the ACLU of Pennsylvania:
It is with great sadness that the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania marks the passing of Larry Frankel, who served as Legislative Director to the organization from 1992 through 2008 and Executive Director from 1996 to 2001. At the time of his death, Larry was the State Legislative Counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union in its Washington Legislative Office.
"There is a tear in the fabric of the ACLU of PA family. We have lost a dear friend, a skilled strategist, and a passionate fighter for civil liberties. And on top of those superlatives, Larry possessed a wit sharper than any saber and could make us all laugh," said Nancy Hopkins, Executive Director of the ACLU of PA.
An incredibly savvy tactician, Larry wore the title of lobbyist proudly. He worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to further the cause of civil rights and civil liberties for all Pennsylvanians. He was a passionate champion of a woman's right to choose, LGBT rights, privacy, and the rights of those largely ignored by society, including prisoners and immigrants.
In a field better known for bitter divisiveness, Larry brought together legislators and organizations from across the political spectrum. During his career, he worked in coalition with allies as diverse as prosecutors, defense attorneys, the faith community, business leaders, unions, gun-rights advocates, and immigration activists, among many others. He commanded the respect of all who knew him, even those who vehemently disagreed with the ACLU.
"He was so effective without money, without a PAC, and with only moral persuasion. He had so much integrity and honesty. You could rely on him to tell you the truth, even if it hurt his cause," said State Representative Babette Josephs, a longtime friend and colleague.
In addition to his successes in the legislature, Larry devoted considerable time to mentoring the next generation of civil libertarians and always had time to provide advice and moral support to his colleagues. Despite leaving the ACLU of Pennsylvania in 2008, he continued to stay in close contact with staff, providing invaluable insight.
"I've lost my mentor, but more importantly, justice has lost a friend. Thousands of Pennsylvanians were positively impacted by the work Larry did, and most of them never knew him or even knew his name," said Andy Hoover, current Legislative Director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, who worked closely with Larry over the past four and a half years.
Larry's many achievements during his years in Harrisburg included advocating for reform to the state's Right to Know Law; defeating efforts to amend the state constitution to ban same sex marriage and other benefits for same sex couples; advocating for changes to the commonwealth's jury selection law to allow a greater pool of people to serve; defeating efforts to disenfranchise thousands of Pennsylvania voters through photo ID requirements and through bans on voting rights for former offenders; and stopping an effort to introduce school vouchers in Pennsylvania in the 1990s. Larry also served on the legislature's advisory committee on geriatric and seriously ill prisoners.
Larry was a native Californian and attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he studied comparative literature. He received his law degree from Boalt Hall at the University of California at Berkeley in 1981. He is survived by his father, two brothers, a sister, his former longtime partner Andy Chirls, and many, many friends.
The family requests that donations be made to: American Civil Liberties Foundation P.O. Box 40008, Philadelphia, PA 19106 or the Fairmount Park Conservancy, 1617 JFK Blvd., Suite 1670, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The Philadelphia Horticultural Society will work with Fairmount Park to create and maintain a garden or grove.
Plans for a memorial service in Philadelphia will be announced shortly.
It is with great sadness that the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania marks the passing of Larry Frankel, who served as Legislative Director to the organization from 1992 through 2008 and Executive Director from 1996 to 2001. At the time of his death, Larry was the State Legislative Counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union in its Washington Legislative Office.
"There is a tear in the fabric of the ACLU of PA family. We have lost a dear friend, a skilled strategist, and a passionate fighter for civil liberties. And on top of those superlatives, Larry possessed a wit sharper than any saber and could make us all laugh," said Nancy Hopkins, Executive Director of the ACLU of PA.
An incredibly savvy tactician, Larry wore the title of lobbyist proudly. He worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to further the cause of civil rights and civil liberties for all Pennsylvanians. He was a passionate champion of a woman's right to choose, LGBT rights, privacy, and the rights of those largely ignored by society, including prisoners and immigrants.
In a field better known for bitter divisiveness, Larry brought together legislators and organizations from across the political spectrum. During his career, he worked in coalition with allies as diverse as prosecutors, defense attorneys, the faith community, business leaders, unions, gun-rights advocates, and immigration activists, among many others. He commanded the respect of all who knew him, even those who vehemently disagreed with the ACLU.
"He was so effective without money, without a PAC, and with only moral persuasion. He had so much integrity and honesty. You could rely on him to tell you the truth, even if it hurt his cause," said State Representative Babette Josephs, a longtime friend and colleague.
In addition to his successes in the legislature, Larry devoted considerable time to mentoring the next generation of civil libertarians and always had time to provide advice and moral support to his colleagues. Despite leaving the ACLU of Pennsylvania in 2008, he continued to stay in close contact with staff, providing invaluable insight.
"I've lost my mentor, but more importantly, justice has lost a friend. Thousands of Pennsylvanians were positively impacted by the work Larry did, and most of them never knew him or even knew his name," said Andy Hoover, current Legislative Director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, who worked closely with Larry over the past four and a half years.
Larry's many achievements during his years in Harrisburg included advocating for reform to the state's Right to Know Law; defeating efforts to amend the state constitution to ban same sex marriage and other benefits for same sex couples; advocating for changes to the commonwealth's jury selection law to allow a greater pool of people to serve; defeating efforts to disenfranchise thousands of Pennsylvania voters through photo ID requirements and through bans on voting rights for former offenders; and stopping an effort to introduce school vouchers in Pennsylvania in the 1990s. Larry also served on the legislature's advisory committee on geriatric and seriously ill prisoners.
Larry was a native Californian and attended the University of California at Berkeley, where he studied comparative literature. He received his law degree from Boalt Hall at the University of California at Berkeley in 1981. He is survived by his father, two brothers, a sister, his former longtime partner Andy Chirls, and many, many friends.
The family requests that donations be made to: American Civil Liberties Foundation P.O. Box 40008, Philadelphia, PA 19106 or the Fairmount Park Conservancy, 1617 JFK Blvd., Suite 1670, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The Philadelphia Horticultural Society will work with Fairmount Park to create and maintain a garden or grove.
Plans for a memorial service in Philadelphia will be announced shortly.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Honoring Larry Frankel
We had a wonderful time at the Duane Morris law firm in Philadelphia last night at a reception for Philadelphia lawyer Larry Frankel who has joined the National ACLU staff in Washington DC as State Legislative Liaison. Larry Frankel represented the ACLU of Pennsylvania for 16 years, as Legislative Director and Executive Director. During that time he earned the respect of legislators from both sides of the aisle as he played a pivotal role in legislation concerning many important issues. There is no doubt that Larry's work has made a profound difference in the lives of ordinary citizens.
We saw many dear friends at the reception including former Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellors Abe Reich, Alan Feldman, Andy Chirls and Jane Leslie Dalton. Also on hand were Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Chair Stephen Alan Glassman, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts Executive Director Lynn Marks, Philadelphia Bar Association Communications Director Mark Tarasiewicz, University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Lou Rulli, Blank Rome Human Resources Specialist Cory Watson, Support Center for Child Advocates Director Frank Cervone and David M. Rosenblum who now works as an attorney for the State of New Jersey.
We saw many dear friends at the reception including former Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellors Abe Reich, Alan Feldman, Andy Chirls and Jane Leslie Dalton. Also on hand were Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Chair Stephen Alan Glassman, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts Executive Director Lynn Marks, Philadelphia Bar Association Communications Director Mark Tarasiewicz, University of Pennsylvania Law School Professor Lou Rulli, Blank Rome Human Resources Specialist Cory Watson, Support Center for Child Advocates Director Frank Cervone and David M. Rosenblum who now works as an attorney for the State of New Jersey.
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