As we commemorate the two-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) today, August 16, there is much to celebrate about this historic legislation. The IRA represents the largest-ever climate investment in our country’s history, creating unprecedented opportunities for clean energy savings.
However, we at L4GG are acutely aware that historically marginalized communities often lack the resources to access the IRA’s historic funding opportunities. In response, we have intensified our efforts over the past two years to ensure that the benefits of the IRA reach those who need them most. See what we’ve been up to!
Not enough people are talking about the water crisis in Jackson, MS. On Tuesday, the Mississippi governor declared a state of emergency for Jackson’s water system, the city’s largest treatment plant. Most of the city’s 150,000 residents are without running water, having to rely on bottled water for drinking, showering, brushing their teeth, and cooking.
Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), the nation’s largest community of attorneys committed to human rights and equal justice for all, and New Georgia Project, a nonpartisan, nonprofit voting rights and civic engagement organization in Georgia, today released a report on ‘ballot selfies’, or the practice of taking photos of oneself at the ballot box and/or with their ballots.
A ballot selfie is when a person takes a photo of themselves holding their marked ballot and usually uploads the photo to a social media account to show friends that they voted, and for whom they voted. Ballot selfies are a great way to promote voting and engage with one’s community, yet many states have laws that prohibit them. Advocacy organizations are concerned that laws prohibiting ballot selfies are tools of voter suppression, and another way to criminalize ordinary behavior.
Click here to download “Selfie-Defense Training: Understanding and Reforming Laws that Ban Photographing and Sharing Your Ballot”
The report found that ballot selfies are completely legal in 28 states, and illegal in 13 states. Five states have laws prohibiting ballot selfies at polling locations, but not when casting a mail-in or absentee ballot. Six states have laws governing ballot selfies that are unclear. The report calls for states to update their laws to explicitly allow voters the right to take a ballot selfie, and prevent voter fraud and bribery without curtailing free speech.
L4GG has launched its Clean Energy Tax Navigator, a first-of-its-kind tool for under-resourced communities to access and leverage the Inflation Reduction Act's (IRA) $360-600 billion in tax credits for clean energy projects. The Navigator fills a massive gap in public knowledge around the funding available to tax-exempt organizations who do not have the capacity or resources to navigate complicated tax code on their own, ensuring the environmental and community benefits of the IRA are realized.
Anna began her journey with L4GG in late summer of 2022, during her first year at the University of Chicago Law School. Inspired by her interest in reproductive justice and the flexibility L4GG offered, she dedicated herself to volunteering with L4GG’s Reproductive Health Legal Assistance Project, even as a busy law student. Anna shared:
"I really appreciated L4GG's broad scope of work and their flexibility for volunteers, especially as a first-year law student.”
Her interest in reproductive justice and the opportunity to work asynchronously made volunteering with L4GG a perfect fit. Outside of her volunteer work and studies, Anna enjoys spending time with friends and family and values the balance that her volunteer work brings to life.
One of Anna’s most significant projects involved monitoring news stories about reproductive health laws in Nebraska. Despite not knowing much about the state initially, she quickly became an expert, tracking the progression of state law and high-profile cases. Her work focused on the intersection of reproductive justice, privacy, and the criminal justice system, contributing to a deeper understanding of post-Dobbs America.
“I also really loved that while the project was centered on reproductive justice, it incorporated a lot of different parts of the law. So a lot of my work was on the intersection between reproductive justice, privacy, and the criminal justice system.”
Anna’s efforts extended beyond individual tasks; she was part of a team that aimed to understand the broader implications of legal changes. Her work was not just an academic exercise, but a meaningful contribution to real-world issues. This research has been incorporated into the Policy Resource Hub for Reproductive Health and Reproductive Health Digest, two critical tools maintained by L4GG and powered by volunteers like Anna to provide front-line reproductive healthcare providers with clarity around the laws in 56 states and US territories.
Balancing the demands of law school with volunteering is no small feat, yet Anna managed to do so with grace. She found that volunteering provided a refreshing change from her academic workload as she noted:
"It was a nice way to break up the reading and writing in law school. The asynchronous nature of the work allowed me to contribute more during lighter weeks." - Anna Hori
We asked Anna what advice she would give to other volunteers, and she emphasized the importance of getting involved and finding work that aligns with both your interests and schedule. She also suggested building a community among volunteers to enhance the experience and support each other.
"Volunteering was a meaningful part of my law school experience. I learned a lot in a different way than in the classroom.” - Anna Hori
As Anna prepares to enter her final year of law school, she continues to reflect on her volunteer experience with gratitude.
"The training and support I received from L4GG were invaluable. I felt confident and knew who to contact if I needed help.”
Her dedication and hard work have not gone unnoticed, and we are excited to see where her legal career takes her.
Thank you, Anna, for your outstanding contributions to L4GG. Your passion, dedication, and hard work have made a lasting impact, and we are proud to have you as part of our team. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors and look forward to seeing the amazing things you will accomplish.
Written by Isabella Hussar, Project Corazon Volunteer
Yesterday, before heading to New York to observe an asylum education session at Betances Clinic, I spent the morning at home in New Jersey reading up on immigration news from the past couple of months. I learned about S.B.4, the proposed policy in Texas granting any police officer the power to arrest people suspected of being non-US citizens, and Biden's new plan to restrict immigrants seeking asylum only from the southern border. Both policies have been accused of being classist and racially motivated. I also read that a growing number of Americans fear immigration and perceive it to be a negative contributor to American society. It prompted my curiosity as to why America is so anti-immigration.
My morning of scrolling through news of doom and gloom was then followed by a train ride into New York City, where I met Estuardo, a former asylum seeker and now Client Services Manager for L4GG and Jessica, an attorney for L4GG, at a Greek restaurant in Chinatown called Kikis. We were a few blocks from Betances, a health clinic that predominantly serves the transgender community.
We arrived at the clinic greeted by Spanish speaking volunteers. The interior was clean and calm. People silently waited in the lobby. Art and plants hung on the walls. We stopped briefly so Jessica could change out of her practical walking shoes into a pair of emerald green high heels.
Down the hall, I entered a small beige room with fluorescent lighting. Half the room held a kitchen with a few people organizing trays of hot food, the other half an area full of people sitting in folding chairs that centered around a TV. Many of the women in the room wore full faces of makeup, had brightly dyed hair, or outfits you might see on Miami Beach.
I caught everyone’s attention when I entered the room. I stood in awe as I stared back at a room of humans who had faced such adversity and still made it here. This was a room full of transgender women, who’ve fled their homes in other countries out of fear for their safety, and made it to New York.
After I gave an introduction of myself in the best Spanish I could muster on the spot, I sunk into the background — my job was only to observe. Whenever a new person walked through the door, the others in the room embraced them with love. The women here had formed a tightly knit community, one that made up a group of people who were smiling, laughing, and chatting. Before the presentation began, Estuardo read out a list of rules posted on the wall. He told everyone to silence their phones, not talk over the presentation, wait to ask questions at the end. Watching them reminded me of sitting in a high school classroom.
When the presentation started, the hush of chatter came to a lull. The TV lit up with the words “Cinco Caminos Hacia El Asilo” which means “Five Steps To Take To Asylum.”
Estuardo and Jessica spoke about the process of getting asylum and went over things to keep in mind for their cases. They explained how America has a separation of church and state and how the church cannot control government decisions. Priscilla, another attorney for L4GG who is overseeing my internship, tells me that many immigrants assume the laws in the U.S. will be similar to the laws in South America.
When the presentation ended, the woman stood around chatting and eating chicken, rice, and beans. Someone appeared with a birthday cake and presented it to a volunteer. A woman wearing an orange sundress and dangling earrings approached me with a smile. She wants to go to law school one day, she told me, and wondered if I knew of any good law schools in the city.
During the presentation, Estuardo had explained how personal identity was important to winning a case. It felt as if these asylum seekers were all preparing to apply to colleges, and needed to create a resume that showcased them as a person. Later, Priscilla explained to me that individualism is important to winning a status of asylum because the laws in America are interpreted on a case-by-case basis.
When I asked Priscilla why she thought so many Americans feared immigration, she told me people form opinions either out of love or hate. When you are standing in that clinic, surrounded by the people there, it is impossible to feel the latter.
Following the Supreme Court's ruling today in Trump v. United States, Lawyers for Good Government’s Vice President of Engagement Sterling Howard released the following statement:
The Court's decision effectively shields Trump from accountability for his actions to subvert the democratic process, delaying justice and eroding public trust in our legal system. This ruling contradicts the values upon which our nation was founded and endangers the very fabric of our democracy.
As defenders of justice, we must respond to this alarming decision by reaffirming our commitment to the rule of law and ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their position, are held accountable for their actions. Our democracy depends on it.
Washington, D.C. - Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG), the nation’s largest community of attorneys committed to human rights and equal justice, finds the Supreme Court’s decision to reverse course on accepting Idaho’s petition for relief in Moyle v. United States absolutely necessary to restore Idahoans’ access to emergency healthcare in the short term, but woefully insufficient to protect the rights of millions of Americans under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). We call on the Court to use its authority to vindicate the supremacy of federal law over state abortion bans that restrict access to emergency care. The Court’s dismissal of the case as improvidently granted leaves pregnant people facing emergencies and the doctors who treat them in a precarious legal limbo and fails to contend with the very real harm created by the Court’s prior decision to allow Idaho to fully enforce its ban over EMTALA’s clear mandate.
The Court's ruling returns the issue to the lower courts, allowing emergency abortions to resume in the state, but failing to provide an answer to the critical questions raised in the litigation. Although the decision did not affirmatively greenlight Idaho’s backwards interpretation of EMTALA, it also did not confirm the reality that federally mandated emergency healthcare should not be held hostage by state-level restrictions.
““The Court majority’s decision to wish away the conflict between state and federal law presented by Idaho’s abortion ban is a deeply unethical avoidance of judicial responsibility. This procedural dodge leaves essential, long-established health protections in limbo, which is far from a victory for those advocating for reproductive rights and maternal health equity.””
““While the Court’s decision today does not take the extraordinary step of expressly allowing a draconian state abortion ban to override clear federal law, it is far from the vindication of the rights of pregnant people that is needed to safeguard access to critical life-saving emergency abortion care. The Court’s refusal to use its authority to reject states’ attempts to curtail basic liberties is not a victory but an abdication of judicial responsibility.””
Legal Basis and Broader Implications:
Today’s decision is neither for nor against Idaho. Instead, the Court removed the stay of the District Court’s opinion that it previously put into place and decided it should never have heard the case in the first place. The removal of this stay will allow emergency abortions to resume in the state, but it cannot remedy the very real harm created by its imposition in the first place. The Court’s decision to dismiss the case back to the lower courts also does not answer the critically important question of whether a state can turn well-established principles of preemption on their head and impose its own draconian abortion restrictions over the federally mandated provision of emergency healthcare. As long as this question remains unresolved, the rights of pregnant people continue to hang in the balance.
Response and Action Plan:
Shortly after the end of the court session, Lawyers for Good Government will host a “SCOTUS Wrapped” event to discuss the implications of the Court’s actions in Moyle and other crucial cases - we invite you to subscribe to get updates and stay informed.
We will also continue to work with healthcare providers and legal advocates to protect patients' rights nationwide. One way we support our partners is through our Policy Resource Hub for Reproductive Health, a vital, constantly updated tool for patients and providers to find legal guidance, up-to-date policy analysis, and advocacy tools aimed at navigating the evolving landscape of reproductive health laws. The Hub serves as a central platform for mobilizing grassroots support and equipping stakeholders with the information necessary to advocate for comprehensive reproductive healthcare access.
With a background in education, Becky spent many years teaching high school Spanish in Massachusetts, integrating lessons on human rights and migration into her curriculum. However, her drive to create a more direct impact inspired a profound shift in her career and life, leading her to the US-Mexico border in October 2021. Becky is currently the Borderlands Program Coordinator for the Mennonite Central Committee.
Becky’s transition from the classroom to the frontlines of humanitarian work was sparked by a deep-seated need to be physically present where the need was greatest.
“I was teaching about the border and our response to it, feeling increasingly disconnected from the very issues I was passionate about,” she explained.
Motivated by the zero-tolerance policy and the devastating impact of family separations, Becky decided it was time to move beyond the theoretical and engage directly with the humanitarian challenges at the border. Reflecting on her career shift, Becky shared:
“I just got tired of teaching about the border and about US foreign policy in Central America and…feeling like there was something we needed to do as a country…we moved to the US-Mexico border in October of 2021. I would say in response to child separation… zero-tolerance policy, I think that was really the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.”
In 2021, while researching ways to volunteer, Becky found L4GG and signed up to support Project Corazon, an L4GG program created to defend the rights of migrants in the face of inhumane immigration policies, despite her limited legal background. She soon found her passion, helping newly arrived immigrants on humanitarian parole with arrival logistics.
“Even small tasks like making phone calls or translating documents can make a big difference,” she said.
Becky’s ability to seamlessly integrate her skills into the volunteer efforts has made her an invaluable part of the L4GG family.
After a year of legal advocacy, Marc was finally reunited with his family on Christmas Eve.
One of Becky’s most significant experiences was her involvement in the defense of a Haitian man, referred to as “Marc” for confidentiality. Marc’s case, involving torture in Mexico, required extensive effort from the L4GG team. This client had been separated from his family and was stuck at a for-profit detention center. For nine months Becky was one of the only people able to visit him during this time. Becky witnessed the entire process, from meeting Marc in Reynosa to attending his trial.
“Seeing him shackled during his trial was a stark reminder of the injustices within the for-profit prison system,” she recalled.
“Becky is why we have been as successful as we have been. She is willing to enter dark, cold, and often threatening facilities in order to connect directly with a client. She tells their stories. She carries their wounds on her shoulders. She is willing to put herself out there simply because she thinks that there is a better way. She hasn’t given up hope that this country and our laws can be fair. Whenever I am convinced that my team is alone, there is Becky, reminding me that there is still a fight worth fighting.””
Volunteering with L4GG has profoundly impacted Becky. “It has illuminated injustices I’ve only read about before. Seeing them firsthand, despite being difficult, is incredibly important,” she explained. Becky believes that physical proximity to these issues helps volunteers truly understand and advocate for change.
Becky encourages anyone considering volunteering to remember that every contribution counts.
“There is no offering too small. Even if it’s an hour of your time, it can make a significant difference.”
She also highlights the importance of recognizing one’s privileges and capacities, urging others to contribute in ways that fit their circumstances. While Becky is deeply committed to her work, she acknowledges the support of her spouse and the logistical advantages that allow her to volunteer.
“I have a supportive husband and a part-time job which enables me to engage in this work. I am not some wonderful, amazing person; I am privileged to be able to do this,” she humbly shared.
In the coming days, the U.S. Supreme Court will issue a ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, a pivotal case that could redefine administrative law by potentially overturning Chevron deference. Chevron deference, established in 1984, requires courts to defer to a federal agency’s interpretation of ambiguous statutes, recognizing the agency's expertise. This principle has been instrumental in maintaining consistent regulatory practices across various sectors.
To help you grasp the complexities of this case and its potential consequences, L4GG has prepared an explainer document. This guide provides a clear understanding of the issues at stake, the arguments presented, and the broader significance of the Supreme Court's decision for regulatory practices in the United States.
The outcome of Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo could reshape the legal landscape in which we operate. Whether you specialize in administrative law, environmental law, healthcare, or any field subject to federal regulation, the ramifications of this decision could be profound. By participating in our survey, you will help L4GG prepare for the challenges ahead and ensure we can effectively mobilize our community in response to this landmark ruling.
We hope you will take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us. Together, we can stand ready to address the potential upheaval in administrative law and continue our fight for justice and regulatory stability.
L4GG denounces the executive order from the Biden administration that aims to effectively shut down the U.S. border to asylum seekers. This measure, which was just announced today on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, draws from the same legal framework as Trump’s notorious Muslim Ban and poses a severe threat to the rights and safety of countless vulnerable individuals.
L4GG is excited to share some important news from L4GG’s reproductive rights and health equity team. In our ongoing commitment to support providers, patients, and advocates navigating the ever-changing reproductive health law landscape, we are pleased to announce a significant expansion of our Policy Resource Hub for Reproductive Health.
Our 'Abortion Laws by State' tracking tool, which provides accurate, reliable, and up-to-date legal research on abortion laws in all 56 U.S. states and territories, now includes detailed information on abortion laws pertaining to minors. Previously, the tool answered critical questions about the legality, exceptions, and requirements for abortion services. Now, with the new section on minors' access, we address additional complexities that providers and advocates face in protecting young individuals' rights.
Here’s an example of what this tool looks like for registered users:
Navigating abortion laws can be challenging, especially with the frequent changes and regional variations. Our Hub, updated daily by over 500 dedicated pro bono attorneys and L4GG’s in-house experts, ensures that you have access to the most current legal information.
We believe that informed advocates are powerful advocates. By expanding our resources, we aim to equip you with the tools needed to continue the fight for reproductive rights.
We invite you to:
Check Out the Hub: Visit our updated Hub to explore the new section on minors’ access to abortion (accessible via free registration). Share the link with colleagues, friends, and anyone who could benefit from these valuable insights.
Subscribe for Updates: For those who prefer regular updates on reproductive health law changes, subscribe to our Reproductive Health Digest. This bi-weekly newsletter delivers the latest legal analyses on abortion access straight to your inbox.
