[Member Recap] Protest Season Is In Full Swing, and Our Communities Need Us More Than Ever!!

Catch Up With NLG News: Member Recap, May, 2024

Hello NLG members! Welcome to our fifth Member Recap of the year. As the Summer begins, so does protest season! We're excited to see our Chicago NLG chapter step up and take on both the Democratic National Convention, and the Republican National Convention, both happening in the midwest. Take a look below to see what else we all have been up to.

Upcoming Events And Webinars

Author Talk - Witness: An Insider's Narrative of the Carceral State

Please join the NLG D.C. chapter, the NLG Mass Incarceration Committee, Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, and the Muslim Counterpublics Lab for this inside look at the current state of the U.S. prison system.

Lyle May has spent over twenty years residing on death row in North Carolina. In the release of his book by Haymarket Books, he tells his story, offering a scathing critique of the carceral system through an abolitionist lens. Please join us to hear directly from Lyle, who will call in from death row for fifteen minute increments, recounting his journey and discussing his important book which Mariame Kaba calls “essential reading.”

Lyle has earned a certificate in paralegal studies and is currently finishing a degree in criminal justice at Ohio University. He is a journalist, activist, and speaker. Sundiata Jawanza of Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, will also be in attendance.

Register Here

Chapter And Committee Announcements

Support the Chicago NLG During the DNC/RNC!

This year, the 2024 Republican and Democratic National Conventions are both set to take place in the Midwest: the RNC in July in Milwaukee, WI, and the DNC in August in Chicago, IL.

We at the National Office are reaching out to our members and supporters to help our local Midwest Chapters prepare for a much needed, strong legal support for for demonstrators.

It is more vital than ever that we have your support! Donate to our Chicago NLG chapter, so that we have Legal Observers on the ground, provide Know Your Risk presentations to protesters, and provide jail support to anyone who may get arrested exercising their First Amendment rights.

To learn more about these efforts, visit our website today!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE TO DONATE AND HOW TO SUPPORT

Anti-Militarism Working Group & Online CLE's

The Anti-Militarism Working Group is a project of the International Committee and the Military Law Task Force. It was started to implement the 2023 convention Resolution against Perpetual War and to prepare for the likelihood of a larger future war. It supports the IC’s strong solidarity work and the MLTF’s long history of advising and representing GIs resisting US imperialism and oppressive military policies.

The purpose of the group is to bring together Guild members in educational and practice-focused ways to oppose US imperialism and neo-colonialism, challenge the huge network of US bases around the world, support resisters and conscientious objectors, expose the myths that prop up the war economy and oppose the grossly oversized role the US military has in destroying the earth’s climate and contributing to environmental harms.

These are no small tasks. To carry out its work, the Anti-Militarism Working Group needs volunteers to take on particular projects. If you want to participate, please contact Kathleen Gilberd at kathleengilberd@aol.com or 619-463-2369.

Also, one of the Military Law Task Force's priorities is work against racism and white extremism in the military. We're happy to share a recorded CLE seminar on challenging military racism and a legal memo on Military Equal Opportunity complaints:

Volunteer with the NLG Queer Caucus!

The NLG Queer Caucus is sponsoring the Erasure Resistance Project (ERP), an endeavor funded by an NLG Foundation Guild Grant! ERP is an exciting opportunity for NLG members to get involved and bring care to queer folks in states that have sought to attack them and erase them from public places like schools, sports teams and libraries.

ERP plans to create Know Your Rights and training materials in areas including employment law, gender discrimination law, religious law and disability law. We are looking to recruit legal workers and attorneys familiar with these areas of law to be trained to represent and assist people who face legal consequences for resisting and challenging these unjust and immoral laws. Whether you excel in communication, data management, finance, membership, education, partnerships, or possess any other expertise, we would love your help on this project!

Email Steckley@erasureresistance.org with any questions!

NLG Resources

NLG Member Orientation

Check out our NLG Member Orientation! This is for new, and newer members, so that y'all can learn about how the NLG is structured, how to reach out to other members, and ways that you can become involved with the NLG on a national level!

Click Here To Watch

FAQ: Student Disciplinary Proceedings

In the late spring of 2024, students across the U.S. launched encampments to protest the State of Israel’s genocide in Palestine and demand that their universities divest from companies profiting from the bloodshed. In response, universities have utilized extraordinary violence and repressive tactics to stop this powerful movement. Nationwide, students are now facing disciplinary proceedings designed to silence and sanction protests, most of which have been entirely limited to setting up tents and art on public university spaces.

The NLG Mass Defense Program developed these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) based on a member-only meeting on April 30, 2024, as well as discussions with members working on student disciplinary proceedings.

Click Here To Learn More

Want to Get In Touch With Fellow NLG Members?

The NLG National Office Director of Membership, Lisa Drapkin, created this useful guide on the different email listservs that we use as the Guild. Use this document to help guide you through the process of signing up and engaging with members who share your same interests or region.

Click Here To Access The Listserv Guide

Did You Know The NLG Has A Members-only Job Board?

You can view current job openings at https://www.nlg.org/job-board/. If you are interested in posting a job, please email jobboard@nlg.org.

National Announcements And Updates

Support Our Haywood Burns Fellows!

Since 1973, the NLG has been funding the summer work of legal workers and law students seeking to build their progressive legal skills. The Haywood Burns Memorial Fellowships for Social and Economic Justice were named in 1997 for renowned social justice lawyer and beloved former Guild President Haywood Burns, who is remembered by students as an exceptional teacher and dedicated mentor.

We can't continue provide this critical support without your contributions, so we encourage those who can to give back!

Donate To Support The Fellows

Convention Updates

Submit a Proposal for a Major Panel or Workshop!

We are opening our programing application form! We encourage NLG members, committees, chapters, and allies to propose relevant and timely programming for the convention! To submit a proposal for a major panel (1.5 hours) or workshop (1 hour), use this 2024 NLG Convention Programming Application Form. Deadline for all programming proposals is Tuesday, June 18, 2024.

Click Here To Submit A Workshop Or Panel

NLG In The News

All of y'all continue to do grat things across our communities. These are some of the news stories we found, that highlight the important work do our members are doing.

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