Fast Five with L4GG: Mika Fernandez

Mika Fernandez is nothing if not passionate. The way she speaks about her work as Lawyers for Good Government’s Vice President of Policy and Strategic Engagement is not just from a place of experience and skill but from one of deep intensity and conviction, with a little metaphor sprinkled in.

For Mika, this work is about building a better world for all marginalized people.

“This work is personal for me,” says Mika. “This is my life.”

L4GG asked Mika to share some of her thoughts on her role in the organization, what she thinks are the key issues of 2022, and more. 

Check it out below. 

Mika, can you tell me about your role in L4GG? What drew you to this work?

I’ve worked in the DC area as a legislative/policy attorney for a decade, more if you count my early volunteer work. There are so many amazing people I've worked with, who work so hard for so many different issues I care about — racial justice, LGBTQ issues, reproductive rights and more. In my time working on these issues, I’ve become convinced that we as the progressive community are not focusing on the right thing. 

A fatal flaw in the progressive community is that the progressive community believes in the federal government, and the conservative community doesn’t.

Let me explain. 

As a transgender person, it was devastating to me to see the onslaught of anti-trans bills across the country this year, just as last year it was horrible to see the anti-voting bills as a person of color. Both of these waves came at the state level, not the federal level. 

The traditional response is to fight for the federal bills that would combat these statewide bills but the truth is, many of them won’t pass, at least not yet. Meanwhile the conservatives continue their attack on civil rights at the state level, and frankly they’re winning. 

Are we going to keep doing something that we believe will fail, or are we going to try something new that has a chance to succeed?  For many of us, these aren’t abstract concepts, these are our lives.  And we can’t afford to fail.

When I had this conversation with L4GG’s executive director, Traci Feit Love, we agreed that lawyers have the unique skill of analyzing the law. Conservative groups have the resources to support a bill 52 times at the state level. We asked ourselves, what if there was a network of 125,000 legal professionals that could fill in that gap and do that work? This is a particular need that isn’t being addressed that can be filled by our network of pro bono lawyers, but there are a lot of national organizations that would love to support that work, because it aligns with their own work. 

Let’s take L4GG’s child farmworker report for example. There’s a problem, federal law allows children to work full-time in the fields at 12, where it requires that kids be 16 to work full-time in other industries. Roughly 90% of them are children of color.  So, we partnered with the Child Labor Coalition who organized almost 200 groups that support a federal bill to increase the working age of child farmworkers equal to other industries, it’s policy that’s widely agreed upon. However, these groups didn’t have the resources to push policy at the state level. With and thanks to our amazing volunteers, we were able to do the research in 52 states, and offer suggestions to what could become policy based on the popular federal bill. 

My role in L4GG is to see this process recreated multiple times for issues with large support that impact marginalized communities. Through our partners and other coalition work, we’re finding new ways for our network to plug into this work and make a real difference. 

In your role as VP of Policy and Strategic Engagement, what are you most proud of?

Actually, there are two things I’m equally proud of working on in my time with L4GG. 

The first is the mobilization around our January 6th letter. We penned a letter in response to the horrific events that happened at our nation’s capital, and called for the impeachment of then-president Trump. Within 24 hours, almost 7,000 attorneys, and over 12,000 total signers within all 50 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico added their names. It’s so powerful that so many people stood up in unison and demanded something. I can't wait to see us all mobilize in a way that will have even greater impact, especially as we continue creating reports about issues that impact us all at the state level. I love knowing that if we have a call to action in Massachusetts for example, there are at least 350 attorneys who stepped up within 24 hours, and we have similar and often even greater potential in every state.

The second thing I’m proud of is our child farmworker report that we discussed earlier  It’s exciting to me not just as a report, but as a model for what we can do going forward.  We continue to work with our partners to find new ways to support the state level effort to protect kids from dangerous child labor, to scale that pilot to even more important issues, and to get L4GG members involved in the enactment of state-level bills.  But honestly, our ability to get our members involved supporting these bills depends on our L4GG Action Fund being better funded.  

There are significant limits on what a 501(c)(3) nonprofit like Lawyers for Good Government can do as advocacy. Our affiliated 501(c)(4) L4GG Action Fund can do so much more on the advocacy-front, but we haven’t used it historically as much as we could because most of our donations go to the (c)(3). I believe as we scale our policy work into more and more important issues, our members and donors will step up. And one of the easiest ways is to support the L4GG Action Fund is by becoming an L4GG Sustaining Member, or a monthly donor supporting our 501(c)(4). While donations to the L4GG Action Fund are not tax deductible, they are incredibly impactful in terms of how we can effectuate systemic change. 

 What do you see in 2022 as the key issues to watch?

This year, I really think we need to watch out for voting rights, LGBTQ rights, reproductive rights, and laws threatening banning the education of children about racial injustice. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my decade working in policy, it is that we’ll need to keep a close eye on how things develop on the state level, and as they progress, we’ll need to act quickly. If you’re an attorney, work with us on LRJ projects! We’ll need your support.

How will L4GG tackle these issues?

The first step is to do the critical research on these issues. Once we do that work, we’ll have a better idea of how to address the issues that impact our communities. 

How can L4GG supporters get involved? 

If you work at a law firm or corporate legal department that is seeking pro bono opportunities, reach out to us at probono@L4GG.org and we can get you more information. If you’d like to give back in your individual capacity, we hope to have new opportunities soon. Sign up for L4GG’s email list to make sure you’re first to get updates and news about future opportunities. 

You can follow Mika on Twitter at @MikaEsq. Follow L4GG at @Lawyers4GoodGov and check out our Take Action page for more ways to support L4GG. 

Blacksburg, Virginia's Journey to Renewable Energy

L4GG’s work helping municipal governments meet their renewable energy goals doesn’t stop with education. For Blacksburg, Virginia, it involves supporting their work to gain critical policy changes. 

What Carol Davis, Blacksburg’s sustainability manager, says is most remarkable about L4GG’s Climate Change program director, Jillian Blanchard, is her willingness to stick by them.

“What I love about L4GG is that they just keep hanging in there with us. They seem really committed to helping us shift the landscape,” said Carol. 

L4GG’s journey with Virginia municipalities began at one of our energy workshops. Several VA municipalities attended, hoping to create a network and work more closely with one another. 

Seeing the potential for collaboration, the municipalities created the Virginia Energy and Sustainability Peer Network (VESPN). Through that network they began to work with L4GG, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and World Resource Institute (WRI) to learn more about the complicated world of energy policy. 

VESPN wanted to pursue virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), but were unsure if Virgina policy around energy would allow it. They contracted L4GG, who drafted a 4-page memo on what was permissible, stating that VPPAs were, in fact, permissible. 

Unfortunately, the memo did not persuade localities, who felt that the authority to accept VPPAs was still unclear.

Rather than give up, L4GG stuck with VESPN, and decided to pursue a different track. The next plan was to appeal to the Virginia Attorney General, which L4GG helped VESPN prepare for. 

Ultimately, they were unable to move forward with this plan, but L4GG continued supporting the Virginia municipalities who were hoping for a way to purchase renewable energy and become more sustainable.

The current strategy involves creating the authority through legislation. L4GG worked with VESPN to develop draft bill language to give municipalities maximum flexibility on the ways they can access clean energy. L4GG’s role involves developing talking points and a communication and advocacy strategy. 

It’s because of L4GG’s dedication to ensuring all cities have access to renewable energy that our Climate Change program continues to come up with creative solutions to the obstacles municipalities face in securing renewable energy.

Statement On Justice Breyer's Retirement

Mika Fernandez, Lawyers for Good Government’s (L4GG) Vice President of Policy and Strategic Engagement releases the following statement on the retirement of Justice Steven Breyer from the Supreme Court. 

“L4GG celebrates Justice Steven Breyer for his 27 years on the Supreme Court, where he fought for equality and justice for all Americans and was a critical voice for health care, women’s reproductive freedom, voting rights, and the environment. We thank him for his service.

President Biden now has the opportunity to nominate a jurist who will zealously defend civil rights and constitutional protections for all people in the country, solidify our government’s commitment to human rights and equal justice under the law, and bring much-needed racial and professional diversity to the nation’s highest court. L4GG is prepared to fight for such a nominee and to fight for her swift confirmation by the Senate. 

We ask lawyers to join us in the coming days as we organize the legal profession’s response to this Supreme Court vacancy.”

To sign up for action alerts via SMS, please text “SCOTUS” to 404-382-9644. 

To donate to the L4GG Action Fund, our 501(c)4, click here. 

Reflections From the L4GG Travel Fund: Crystal

From mid-2018 during the Family Separation Crisis to early 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, The Lawyers For Good Government Travel Program enabled more than 230 attorneys and other advocates from across the country to travel to the southern border region and support people seeking safety through asylum.

The following is a reflection from Crystal, a Spanish-speaking law student, who was able to travel to TIjuana, Mexico to work with Al Otro Lado through the travel program. 

L4GG Travel Fund Grant Recipient, Crystal.

​​I had an amazing experience working with Al Otro Lado. With dozens of families coming into the clinic every weekday, there are so many voids one can fill to assist. One aspect I particularly enjoyed was the organization’s commitment to providing a safe space for the children while their guardians participated in the clinical services. Al Otro Lado is a unique and special place because it offers a comprehensive range of services to families who need a welcoming space. Some days I interacted with dozens of children, from infants to teenagers.

I enjoyed playing a small part in ensuring that the children were enjoying themselves, which allowed their families to feel at ease knowing they were being cared for. I had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Mexico, but when I imagined volunteering with any legal clinic, I never thought I could feel as though I was surrounded by family.

One issue that took me by surprise was just how prominent an issue race plays at the border. I was on the ground when the Trump administration announced its restrictive policy that would render asylum seekers crossing the border into Mexico ineligible to legally cross the border through the asylum process in the U.S.

The result of such a policy would massively cut racial minorities’ access to the United States. I saw the real-world impact this had on people who have already gone through traumatic circumstances to arrive in Mexico.

To shed some light on the process, asylum seekers receive a number at the entry point that allows them to cross over and eventually enter the detention centers in the U.S. At the current rate, anyone who receives a number will likely wait several months for that number to be called, with no explanation as to why the processing is moving at a sloth’s pace and great concern over how the Trump administration might restrict most asylum seekers’ access entirely. Many days I was there, no number was called at all, but those whose numbers are next on the list must persistently arrive at the entry point every day and wait in hope that that day will be their lucky break.

When I arrived in Tijuana, the African asylum-seekers had recently staged a protest, arguing that they were not receiving fair treatment in the number-calling process. After the protests, the Black protesters were granted African representatives to participate in the number-calling process in an attempt to reduce the visible discrimination that was preventing black asylum seekers from having their number called. Even so, black asylum seekers appeared especially discouraged and agitated as they waited, with little hopes that their number would soon be called. Racial issues in the immigration process are extremely prevalent, and it’s important that Americans understand the painful journeys people are undergoing. People need to learn about the life-threatening process many asylum seekers endure to arrive in Tijuana, passing through the Panama jungle. People need to hear eyewitness accounts of the numbing atrocities happening in Cameroon that have led to so many fleeing the country, or the gang violence in Mexico and Central America that has left so many children parentless.
I highly recommend that any law student volunteer with a front line organization if they get the chance, even if it’s just for a Spring Break or a week before school starts back up. Law students are future legislators, judges, and advocates, so it’s critical to recruit and engage the attorneys of tomorrow on immigration issues to ensure progress is both gained and maintained over time. Immigration work is an experience that breeds breadth and depth to any person, and I encourage anyone to try it at least once. You’ll likely want to continue in some capacity.

L4GG Celebrates Five Years With Event Series

In November of 2016, Traci Feit Love made a post on Facebook, as a lawyer, a parent, and a person uncertain about the future, and wanting to make change. When she made that post, she had no idea what that spark would ignite, and how many lawyers would respond. 

Now, five years later, Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) has grown into an organization with thousands of supporters like you, all across the country, who are working towards real change. We are lawyers, law students, and activists who believe in using our skills and expertise to build a better world, from the halls of legislation to making an impact on-the-ground.

L4GG would like to invite you to join us for a series of events to celebrate L4GG’s impact over the last five years, and share with you our vision for the future of L4GG. 

Check out the schedule of events here and click Follow Calender to register. You can attend as many events as you’d like — whatever works for your schedule. 

Can’t make an event? Register and we’ll send you the recording, that way you don’t miss out. 

From the bottom of my heart, L4GG thanks you for your continued support throughout the years. We hope you’ll join us to celebrate the future, and for whatever the next 5 years will bring. 

New Report: Voters of Color Suffer Without Paid Leave

Today, Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) released its new report indicating that there are still many legal barriers that prevent people from exercising their civic duty, and that those barriers primarily affect Black and Brown voters.  

The report, titled “No Time To Vote: Achieving Racial Equity in Paid Time Off on Election Day”, says that during the 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections, Black and Brown voters waited longer to vote than white voters. In 2016, voters in predominantly Black communities waited 29% longer than voters in predominantly white communities. 

To combat the discriminatory impacts on voters of color, the report offers the recommendation that states require that employees have time to vote without penalty or loss of wages. The report found that while thirty states require employers to allow their employees time off to vote on Election Day, the vast majority of the states that require leave for voting cap the time requirement at one, two, or three hours. These caps are problematic because voters must often stand in line for far longer, forcing them to choose between their income and exercising their right to vote. Additionally, six states require employers to allow leave, but require that the leave is unpaid.

“Making voting accessible and equitable is a racial justice issue. Significant numbers of people continue to vote in person on Election Day, and while our nation has progressed beyond the overt racism of poll taxes and literacy tests, a persistent barrier has been long lines to vote and the so-called ‘time tax,’ which continues to disenfranchise people of color. Our report hopes to shed light on this disparity and suggest viable solutions to make voting fairer for all Americans.”

— Adam Fernandez, L4GG’s Vice President of Policy and Strategic Engagement

“In order to uphold the tenets of our democracy, it needs to work for everyone. To do that, we recommend policy changes that guarantee that all workers will have the necessary amount of time to leave work to vote without penalty or loss of pay. Our suggestions also provide an explicit private right of action to hold employers accountable if they violate the policy. In this way, we hope to see a new day for racial equity in voting, and the strengthening of our democracy.”

— Joe Spielberger, L4GG's Legislative Counsel on Policy and Strategic Engagement