It is more important now than ever to know how to protect yourself and your community. What can you do before the next action to be sure you and your community have the legal support you need? The National Lawyers Guild has worked as the legal arm of peoples’ movements in the United States since 1937.
Legal defense funds can serve as crucial tools for sustaining grassroots led movements and defending the people who put their lives on the line for them. The National Lawyers Guild and National Bail Fund Network have teamed up to create the Best Practices Guide for Setting Up a Legal Defense Fund in order to address some challenges organizers may face in creating and implementing such funds, with considerations related to fundraising, eligibility, legal logistics, accountability, and more.
The Legal Observer program of the National Lawyers’ Guild trains and coordinates Legal Observers in anticipation of litigation, for the purpose of documenting demonstrator and law enforcement conduct that may be relevant to criminal defense or civil litigation.
You do not need to be an attorney.
The Mass Defense Committee (MDC) is a network of lawyers, legal workers and law students providing legal support for political activists, protesters and movements for social change.
MDC members in National Lawyers’ Guild chapters across the country provide trainings, assistance in setting up temporary legal offices and legal support structures, and materials for supporting activists engaged in mass protests.
The National Lawyers Guild can provide the following legal help to progressive organizations:
