When lawyer Norman Siegel appeared at Columbia Law School last Wednesday to discuss the history of eminent domain, he couldn’t help but invite the students in attendance to become part of its future.
Siegel is the attorney for Tuck-It-Away Self-Storage owner Nick Sprayregen, one of the two remaining holdouts in the University’s pursuit of the land comprising its 17-acre Manhattanville campus expansion site. In December, New York State announced it would invoke eminent domain on the storage facility—seizing the property in exchange for market rate reimbursement, and transferring the land over for Columbia’s use. Sprayregen and Siegel filed a lawsuit appealing the state’s decision as soon as it was announced, and have long been gearing up for a legal fight.
Invited last week by the Columbia Law School Federalist Society—a group of conservative, libertarian, and moderate students interested in the current state of the legal order—Siegel was sure to spend time recruiting for his legal team. He invited Law School students, particularly first-years, to come work for him. “Join us in New York,” the former New York Civil Liberties Union director invited.
According to Siegel, students responded positively, and four expressed interest in joining him in his fight against the Alma Mater.
“Four law students gave me their cards and said they were interested in working with us or at least interested in talking to us to see what they could do,” Siegel said.
“I was pleased that there was interest. If there are people at Columbia Law School who are interested in working with us, we’d love to have them,” he added.
Jeff Benedict, an investigative journalist who spoke at the event, reflected upon a 2005 eminent domain case in New Haven that he described as similar in its seizure of land for transferal to a private entity. “It’s cases like these that have the potential to change the law and affect a great number of people,” he said.
Perhaps it was this sentiment—or a chance to build their resumes—that roused student emotions and inspired them to consider taking on the case. Yet according to Siegel, “None of them have called me since we were there last week. But I do have their cards and will probably wait another week or so and if I don’t hear from them I’ll give them a call.”
Columbia Law School had no comment.
Sprayregen’s lawsuit is currently waiting to be heard by the appellate division of the New York State Supreme Court. Sprayregen has said he and Siegel are willing to take the issue all the way to the Supreme Court.