Stanley Fleishman Collection
Scope and Contents
The Stanley Fleishman Collection documents a small segment of Fleishman’s personal and professional life as a trial lawyer in Southern California. He is known primarily for arguing First Amendment cases and for his work advocating for the legal rights of the disabled community. Several of his later cases are represented, most notable that of Rubin Gottesman in United States v. X-Citement Video. The collection is arranged in two series: Professional Files (1943-1999) and Personal Files (1961-1995).
Series I, Professional Files, makes up the bulk of the collection and has been further divided into three subseries. General Professional Files (1960-1999), consists primarily of newspaper and magazine clippings and interview transcripts that discuss Fleishman’s life and/or work. Also included is his work on the Disabled Californians for Tom Bradley Committee and several articles authored by Fleishman. The subseries also includes awards and video recordings and is arranged alphabetically. Court Documents (1971-1999), consist of motions, transcripts, and other legal case materials regarding several of Fleishman’s cases including the Rubin Gottsman X-Citement Video case. Materials are arranged alphabetically by applicant. Research and Exhibits (1943-1998), consists of court decisions, articles, and audio and video recordings related to his case work, and is arranged alphabetically.
Series II, Personal Files, is a small series consisting of Fleishman's home movies. These are arranged alphabetically by the title supplied on the original video cassette.
Dates
- Creation: 1943-1999
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1982-1999
Conditions Governing Access:
This collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use:
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Biographical Information:
Stanley Fleishman (1920-1999), of the Los Angeles area law firm Fleishman & Fisher, was noted for trying First Amendment cases and advocating for the legal rights of the disabled community.
Born in New York, Fleishman grew up in Queens. Stricken with polio at the age of 1, he lost significant use of one arm and both legs. He attended the University of Georgia, Brooklyn College, and the Columbia School of Law, graduating in 1944. He moved to Los Angeles in 1946.
Known for his advocacy of the First Amendment, Fleishman’s high-profile cases included the adult film Deep Throat, Henry Miller's once-banned book Tropic of Cancer, and the chain of Pussycat Theaters. He also defended the owner of an adult video store accused of trafficking in child pornography when he sold tapes in which Traci Lords was featured.
Fleishman was also a fierce advocate for those with physical disabilities. Through the judicial process, he was able to have wheelchair-bound, blind, and deaf citizens admitted to juries. Fleishman advocated on their behalf for job opportunities, access to public transit, and against other class-based discriminatory practices. He was active with the Western Law Center for the Handicapped and the Institute for the Disabled and the Elderly at Southwestern Law School.
Partial Extent
8.89 Linear Feet (15 boxes)
Partial Extent
36.3 Gigabytes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Stanley Fleishman (1920-1999) is a lawyer known primarily for trying First Amendment obscenity cases. He was also very active advocating on behalf of the legal rights of the disabled community. Prior to his work, the wheelchair-bound were not permitted to serve on juries in California. The Stanley Fleishman Collection documents a small segment of Fleishman’s personal and professional life as a trial lawyer in Southern California.
Arrangement of Materials:
Series I. Professional Files, 1943-1999
Subseries A: General Professional Files, 1960-1999
Subseries B: Court Documents, 1971-1999
Subseries C: Research and Exhibits, 1943-1998
Series II. Personal Files, 1961-1995
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Susan Fleishman. 06/15/2001.
Processing Information:
April Feldman, 2014
Genre / Form
- Title
- Guide to the Stanley Fleishman Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- 2015-02-20
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections & Archives Repository
University Library
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge CA 91330-8326 USA
818-677-4594
asksca@csun.edu