Conference T-shirt designed by NLG member Hannah Adams.
By Amy Mei Willis, NLG Southern Regional Vice President
The 2018 NLG Southern Regional took place at Georgia State University College of Law in downtown Atlanta, March 23-25. The three-day event brought together NLG members from TN, NC, LA, FL and GA, with the first day being a CLE on representing protesters in the South. This year aimed to incorporate more community building and hands-on activities rather than solely panel discussions. Given the short time we had together, folks were more interested in building and deepening connections with fellow leftist/radical attorneys, legal workers, students and community activists. It can feel especially politically isolating in the South, and given the large geographical size of the region, NLG chapters can be located hundreds of miles away from each other.
For Saturday, participants were able to choose from two different volunteer activities. The first one focused on helping the sizable refugee population of Clarkston High School fill out citizenship/naturalization paperwork. While the applications are available online, it can be very confusing and hard to fill out on your own—especially if English is not your first language. Clarkston High School serves students from over 40 different countries, and naturalization is truly the only way to protect families from deportation.
The second event involved meeting with a local Iman and other male elders for the Ethiopian and Somali communities. The goal was to “train the trainers” on the importance of family law and provide practical tips on what to do if you or a loved one are detained or deported. Volunteers enjoyed coffee and donuts in the morning and in the afternoon both volunteer groups met up at a locally-owned Refuge Coffee to share in some delicious falafel or chicken shawarma sandwiches. Afterwards, everyone returned to Georgia State for an intensive Legal Observer training by the NLG Louisiana chapter.
Sunday closed out the event with a vegan brunch and roundtable discussion about organizing in the South. The conversation was facilitated by a local law student, and all panelists were Southern Black organizers, which is vital when learning how to work with community groups. We look forward to next year’s regional at Florida’s A&M college of Law (FAMU)!