State Legislatures Across the Country Are Attacking Civil and Human Rights. Here’s What Lawyers and Law Students Are Doing About It.
join the State Legislative Advocacy Academy and help lawyers for good government fight for change.
My name is Traci Feit Love. I’m the founder and executive director of Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) and the L4GG Action Fund.
One of the most important aspects of our mission is to mobilize lawyers in support of systemic change, and that means helping to change laws that are infringing on civil and human rights.
Since our founding in 2016, we have mobilized tens of thousands of lawyers across the country on issues such as immigrants’ rights, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, environmental justice, clean energy, reproductive healthcare, and more.
However, many of the most important fights of our time are taking place at the state level.
Abortion bans.
Book bans.
Restricting or eliminating access to healthcare for transgender people.
Gerrymandering.
Police in schools.
As lawyers, we have skills and expertise that can make a difference in these state-level policy fights - but only if we are willing to do the work.
For over two years, Lawyers for Good Government staff worked hard to lay the groundwork to help lawyers make a bigger impact at the state level. We mobilize hundreds of pro bono attorneys to conduct state-level legal research, have drafted model legislation on important issues, and built relationships with dozens of organizations across the country that want to partner with volunteer lawyers on the ground.
How state lawmakers are responding to the Dobbs decision (overturning Roe v. Wade and giving states the right to ban abortion across the board) underscores the urgency of this work.
Basic civil and human rights are at stake in state legislatures across the country.
That’s why L4GG launched the State Legislative Advocacy Academy, a first-of-its-kind training program designed to teach lawyers and law students to learn how to use their unique skills and privilege to influence public policy in their home states.
LaTonya Joyner-Gregory, L4GG’s Director of Attorney Impact & Engagement
Who leads the State Legislative Advocacy Academy?
To lead this program, we hired LaTonya Joyner-Gregory as L4GG’s first Director of Attorney Impact & Engagement. LaTonya is uniquely qualified for this position and has years of experience engaging in state-level advocacy.
In Virginia, she worked in partnership with other advocates to successfully:
Protect access to abortion;
Secure funding for contraception for women with low incomes;
Prohibit health insurance discrimination against transgender people; and
Restore voting rights to citizens with past criminal convictions
The hard-won progress made in LaTonya’s home state of virginia now rests on shaky ground. And the same is true where many of you live.
Since Dobbs, we’ve seen a flurry of anti-abortion policies at the state level across the country. The same consistent, relentless effort that’s been driving anti-abortion policies is also fueling threats to voting rights, environmental justice, public education, and a number of other issues.
That’s why we created the State Legislative Advocacy Academy - to build our collective capacity to fight for the causes we care so much about.
Brendan Fischer, a noted expert on ALEC and the decades-long campaign to capture state legislatures.
Why is it so important for us to engage in state-level policy fights?
One of the speakers who participated in the Academy, Brendan Fischer (Deputy Executive Director of Documented), shared with us the extent to which state policy is currently rigged in favor of corporate interests due to a multi-decades campaign by groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC.
What is ALEC?
ALEC is a network of state legislators, corporations, wealthy donors, and advocacy groups. Essentially, ALEC is a “corporate bill mill” that acts as a clearinghouse for special interest model legislation.
“I used to love coming to these ALEC meetings because I would come back with these ideas, dust them off a little bit, and pass them off as my own.”
ALEC has been behind state bills to undermine unions, privatize schools and other public services, thwart environmental protections, and more.
Proposed bills are often developed by corporations or think tanks, and then brought to ALEC for adoption as a “model” that is then promoted to its members.
“ALEC is unique in the sense that it puts legislators and companies together and they create policy collectively.”
What Happens When ALEC Is In Power?
Thousands protesting against an anti-union bill at the Wisconsin State Capitol in 2011.
For one example of the impact of ALEC, look at Wisconsin in 2011.
Scott Walker, a former member of ALEC, became governor of Wisconsin. He led a state House and Senate that had majority ALEC members.
In his first legislative session, 32 ALEC-inspired bills or budget provisions were introduced, 21 of which passed.
One consequential bill stripped the state's government workers of nearly all of their collective-bargaining rights. Thousands protested against the legislation at the state capitol over a series of months, but ALEC’s reach was too strong, and the devastating bill prevailed.
You may be asking yourself, is there a progressive counterpart to ALEC?
This is a question that we at Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) have been thinking about for years now.
And it’s actually why we built the L4GG State Legislative Advocacy Academy.
As lawyers, we have unique skills that make us well-suited to engage in legislative advocacy.
The caliber of research, writing, analysis, and oral communication that we perform as part of our everyday work can be deployed relatively easily within the legislative arena - with the right training and the right partners.
These skills are in high demand right now, particularly at the state level, which has become the epicenter of policy change for a growing number of key issues.
Across the nation, activists and advocates are deeply entrenched in critical public policy battles. And the need for thoughtful, highly-skilled, compassionate partners could not be more vital.
L4GG’s State Legislative Advocacy Academy is designed to help you fill this need, and more broadly, meet the demands of this unique moment that we’re facing. Through our training modules, you will gain the essential knowledge and skills needed to begin your state legislative advocacy journey and advance public policies that matter to you.
SLAA Graduation Requirements
If you complete the SLAA training series, you will receive a Certificate of Achievement from L4GG and become eligible to apply for the 2024 SLAA Leadership Program. Completion is defined as having viewed:
Module 1 of the SLAA; and
Each of the 2023 Advocacy in Action Modules (i.e. Modules 9, 10, and 11)
(While not required, we strongly encourage you to view Modules 1-5 to enrich your learning experience)
SLAA Graduates and SLAA Leaders
So far, 56 lawyers and law students from across the nation have successfully graduated from the Academy and received Certificates of Achievement. Of those changemakers, 20 enrolled in our 2023 SLAA Leadership Program last year, and 11 are in this year’s 2024 SLAA Leadership Program. where they are using the valuable knowledge they gained from the Academy to engage in legislative advocacy in their home state or prepare for upcoming advocacy opportunities. SLAA Leaders receive high-quality training and education, coaching from L4GG staff and partner organizations across the country, early access to L4GG’s latest policy reports, and additional resources to help them engage in policy change efforts and mobilize other lawyers to do the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I register for the academy?
Go to: L4GG.org/SLAA and fill out the online registration form (it should take less than 2 minutes).
What does this program include?
The Academy is an 11-part series of modules. The trainings are led by expert speakers who provide valuable insight to help SLAA participants become changemakers in their home states.
What are the topics for the trainings?
Intro Session: Roadmap for Progressive Change
Module 1: Rules of Engagement (state legislative process)
Module 2: Follow the Money (how the budget process works)
Module 3: The Main Stage (state legislative committees)
Module 4: Let’s Talk (communicating with legislators)
Module 5: Dream Teams (forming winning partnerships)
Module 6 - 8: Issue Areas
Module 9: Advocacy in Action 2023: Climate Change and Environmental Justice (new release coming soon)
Module 10: Advocacy in Action 2023: Education Civil Rights (new release coming soon)
Module 11: Advocacy in Action 2023: Reproductive Rights and Bodily Autonomy (new release coming soon)
HOW DO I GRADUATE FROM THE ACADEMY?
To graduate from the academy and receive a Certificate of Achievement, you must view the following trainings:
Modules 1 of the SLAA; and
Each of the 2023 Advocacy in Action Modules (i.e. Modules 9, 10, and 11)
You must register for the academy to access SLAA trainings.
Who are the Academy trainers?
Here are the expert speakers who have led our SLAA trainings:
Jennifer Allen, CEO of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates
Marisa Bono, CEO of Every Texan
Michael Cassidy, Director of Policy Reform and Advocacy, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Mika Fernandez, L4GG Vice President of Policy & Engagement
Brendan Fischer, Deputy Director of Documented
Amber Harding, Director of Policy & Advocacy, Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
Chris Hoene, Executive Director, California Budget and Policy Center
Guillermo Mena, Director of Legislation, Policy and Advocacy, National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators
Shanetta Paskel, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs
Fraidy Reiss, Founder/Executive Director of Unchained At Last
Ellen Reddy, Executive Director of the Nollie Jenkins Family Center
Khadijah Silver, L4GG Senior Staff Attorney of Civil Rights
Erica Williams, Executive Director, DC Fiscal Policy Institute
Jessie Ulibarri, Co-Executive Director of the State Innovation Exchange (SIX)
Do I need a law license to participate?
No, you do not need a law license to partake in this program! Law students, those with a JD, and public service-oriented individuals are welcome to watch the trainings and learn what they can do to influence positive change in their home states.
How much does this program cost?
We want this program to be accessible to everyone. For that reason, we have chosen not to charge a fee to access our trainings. At the same time, this is a comprehensive training program that requires resources to implement.
Based on those considerations, we are testing a “Donate What You Can” model to help offset the costs of this program.
When you fill out the online registration form, you will be asked whether you can afford to donate at least $1 to the L4GG Action Fund. If you cannot afford to donate at this time, simply choose “no” and you will be able to complete your registration at no cost.
If you can afford to donate, please do. You will be able to choose your own donation amount - and by donating what you can, you are making it possible for others to participate at no cost.
If I’d prefer to support the program with a recurring donation, can I do so?
Absolutely! Click here for our sustaining members page.
Other Questions?
Please email us at support@L4GG.org