In honor of Women’s History Month, please join us in celebrating the women and milestones that expanded the possibilities, broke down barriers, and created new opportunities for women who dreamed of practicing law:
Amicus Mundi: The Lawyers Fighting for Representation in Government
Every month, we give the Amicus Mundi Award to an outstanding lawyer in our community who has donated their time and expertise to a cause they believe in.
We’re changing things up a little bit this month, and giving the award to two lawyers who’ve been friends for 20 years and teamed up to help increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government:
The Big Picture: Friends for more than 20 years, lawyers Susan and Stephanie helped engage lawmakers and policy experts to pass a federal law expanding the availability of the Plum Book, a key document for ensuring inclusive hiring practices across high-level positions in the federal government.
Though a relatively unknown document, advocates say that reforming the Plum Book, which lists more than 9,000 appointed leadership positions in the federal government, could be key to expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the federal government.
Increasing accountability and transparency: In the past the Plum Book was only published every four years — at the end of presidential administration — but under the PLUM Act, it will now be published every year.
“It’s impossible to hold any administration accountable when we only get this information once the administration is over,” says Mark Hanis, cofounder of Inclusive America, who sponsored the project. “If we want more equitable policies from our government, we need to have more diversity at the table where decisions are made.”
A chance to reconnect: A lawyer living in North Carolina, Susan says she often struggled to find engaging pro bono opportunities. But after finding Inclusive America’s project posting on We The Action, she saw an opportunity to work alongside her friend Stephanie.
“I like to use my skill set where I can contribute most,” Susan says. “So I volunteered on this project for myself originally, but then I realized it was also a good fit for Stephanie.”
Stephanie says she had no legislative pro bono experience, but jumped at the chance to break down barriers between underrepresented communities and leadership positions.
“You can’t dream about a job if you don’t even know it exists,” Stephanie says. “This was such a basic, simple fix that allows for greater public access to positions of power. It seemed like a big deal to me.”
A government that looks like our people: Inclusive America says their goal is to “make our government look like our people” by using data analysis, cultivation of qualified candidates from underrepresented communities, and urging governments and candidates for office to make structural changes to hiring practices.
Since 2021, Susan and Stephanie donated more than 100 hours to Inclusive America. Their volunteer work included conducting legal research, talking with Congressional staff, drafting language suggestions, engaging with partner organizations, and advising on strategy — all of which ended with President Biden signing the PLUM Act into law in January.
You can get involved too: These two lawyers highlight two different, equally impactful approaches to pro bono work: Susan volunteered on a project in an area where she already had experience and felt she could make a difference, while Stephanie jumped into a new subject area because she wanted the experience.
“I like to open more doors for myself and others than I close,” Stephanie says. “So I didn’t have any legislative experience, but when Susan called about this project I decided to say yes!”
Susan agrees, and encourages lawyers to use pro bono volunteering as a way to branch out from your day-to-day experience.
Do you have a friend you want to volunteer with this year? Forward this story to them and browse our 100+ projects together. As Susan says, “get out there and try something that looks interesting!”
#BlackHistoryMonth 2023: Honoring the Legacy of Black Lawyers in American History
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements & history of Black communities in the U.S. While We The Action is dedicated year round to advancing racial justice and equity, we took this opportunity to highlight the legacy and impact that Black lawyers have had on our country and our profession.
This year, We The Action honored 21 of the most influential Black lawyers in our country's history. You can read more about these leaders and their impact on our nation below:
Amicus Mundi: The Lawyer Challenging Racial Inequalities
Every month, we give the Amicus Mundi Award to an outstanding lawyer in our community who exemplifies our shared values of service and dedication to building a more just and equitable society. This month, we’re celebrating a retired lawyer who helped overturn a DC law that was disproportionately harming low income communities and communities of color.
If this story inspires you as much as it does us, We The Action currently has more than 120 projects looking for volunteer lawyers of all experience levels, expertises, and availabilities!
Congratulations, Jeff Nesvet!
The big picture: A retired lawyer with more than 50 years of experience — including more than 40 in the federal government — Jeff has volunteered since 2019 to help overturn a DC law that disproportionately harmed low income residents and communities of color…and they won the case!
Jeff helped successfully challenge the “Clean Hands Law,” a DC policy that exacerbates racial inequalities. Under this law, anyone who owes more than $100 in unpaid fines or fees of any kind to the District of Columbia Government is barred from applying for a new or renewed driver's license until all fines are paid, regardless of their ability to pay.
Compelled to help: Since starting his career in the 1970s, Jeff says he felt called to use his legal expertise to advance the public good and even worked on various public interest projects before beginning his career in the government.
“People with a career in the federal government always talk about what they’re going to do when they retire,” Jeff says. “I always said I would go back to doing public interest work.”
Fighting an unjust law: In a jurisdiction where the median net worth of a white household is 81 times higher than the median net worth of a Black household, the Clean Hands Law deeply impacted DC’s communities of color.
That's why Jeff used We The Action to connect with Tzedek DC, a DC-based nonprofit with the mission of safeguarding the legal rights and financial health of DC residents with lower incomes who are dealing with often unjust, abusive, and illegal debt collection practices.
“Jeff's work over parts of the last four years has been integral to our analysis of why the law is unconstitutional and harms DC residents with low incomes, and what can be done about it.” says Ariel Levinson-Waldman, Tzedek DC’s Founding Director.
A hard fought victory: Jeff says he helped with a two-pronged approach to overturning the Clean Hands Laws: convincing the DC Council (which has state and municipal-level authority) to overturn the law and, if that effort failed, having filings ready to urge the courts to overturn the law.
In July of 2022 — after years of effort — the DC Council finally passed a law removing drivers licenses from the Clean Hands Law. And a few weeks ago, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting the enforcement of the Clean Hands Law until its repeal becomes official in October 2023.
The Court found that “tens of thousands of DC residents …have been barred from receiving driver’s licenses under the Clean Hands Law” and noted that “ending the application of the Clean Hands Law to driver’s licenses will likely improve… [the] quality of life outcomes for Black residents who have a debt to the District government." They continued to say that overturning the Clean Hands Law will “mitigate the burden on D.C. residents with disabilities, those who lack stable housing, and those who are struggling to maintain steady employment.”
“It was a long process, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the results,” Jeff says. “The number of people in DC who will benefit will be really significant.”
You can help too: Though Jeff’s project took years to complete, he emphasizes that lawyers can also make a difference by signing up for shorter projects to help organizations solve smaller challenges.
“Whether it’s public interest work or work in the government, I’ve always gotten a lot of satisfaction from my work,” Jeff says. “There are a lot of ways lawyers can help remedy the ills of society.”
On behalf of 45,000+ volunteer lawyers: Thank you, Jeff!
Is your resolution to donate more time fighting for causes you believe in? Sign up for one of the more than 120 projects looking for volunteer lawyers!
We The Action's 2022 Impact Report
Protecting Voting Rights & Furthering Democracy
From protecting the 2022 midterm elections to empowering communities to engage with their elected officials, this was a banner year for We The Action’s democracy work. In all, 3,500 volunteer lawyers donated more than 45,000 hours to 36 organizations working to make the midterm elections safe, secure, and accessible for every voter.
For instance:
In 2018, We The Action partnered with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to build the technology to support Election Protection — the largest nonpartisan voter protection campaign in the country. In 2022 alone, We The Action lawyers staffed 10,445 shifts on the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline and answered questions from nearly 40,000 voters.
Coordinated efforts to undermine election officials were all too common in the midterm elections, and 60 We The Action lawyers volunteered with the Election Official Legal Defense Network to help election officials navigate a deluge of open records requests and comply with open records laws while ensuring the elections continued to run smoothly.
With one in six election officials facing threats as they worked to ensure a safe and secure election, We The Action partnered with the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law to find lawyers to represent election officials. For instance, a We The Action volunteer represented an Iowa election official following harassment stemming from the 2020 elections.
With state voting laws changing across the country, 70 We The Action lawyers helped Rock the Vote turn complicated local voting laws into easy-to-understand voter guides to help empower young voters.
State laws vary greatly across the U.S. and can be difficult for small nonprofits to understand, so 200 We The Action lawyers worked with the Democracy Capacity Project to create 19 state guides to empower nonprofit organizations to design and run civic engagement, democracy support, and Get Out the Vote programs.
Given the complexity of state election laws, We The Action lawyers volunteered with When We All Vote to compile research on voter registration, ballot return policies, residency requirements, and more to inform voter outreach strategy for Civic Nation initiatives including When We All Vote, United State of Women, and All In Campus Democracy Challenge.
We The Action partnered with Common Cause to expand our on-the-ground voter protection efforts, recruiting lawyers to serve as poll monitors and workers, solve problems at polling locations in real time, and work on time sensitive litigation and/or petitions as needed. From the start of early voting through the Senate runoff elections, We The Action lawyers were on the ground in 16 states.
After the polls closed on Election Day in the extremely close Georgia Senate race, We The Action lawyers flocked to sign up with All Voting Is Local to observe the statewide risk-limiting audit to help verify the fairness and accuracy of the vote audit.
For the second election cycle in a row, We The Action lawyers helped the Fair Elections Center update and confirm poll worker recruitment information for thousands of election jurisdictions. This work supports the massive national Power the Polls recruitment effort, of which We The Action is a coalition partner.
Amid reports of voter intimidation during highly competitive Senate and gubernatorial elections, We The Action lawyers volunteered with the Arizona Democracy Resource Center to answer voter questions via a statewide hotline and serve as point people in specific counties to troubleshoot issues and escalate more serious concerns.
Spotlight on: Democracy Capacity Project
State laws vary considerably across the U.S., but they regulate much of the work that nonprofit organizations do to promote civic engagement and a healthy democracy, like running voter registration drives, assisting voters with applying for a vote by mail ballot, organizing GOTV programs, and much more. This labyrinth of local laws can often discourage a nonprofit from doing election-related work — or stop them from participating altogether.
That’s why 200 We The Action lawyers volunteered with the Democracy Capacity Project to produce free resources to empower nonprofits to design and run civic engagement, democracy support, and Get Out the Vote programs while complying with complex state laws and regulations governing those activities.
Katherine Mirrasou, a recently-barred lawyer from California, volunteered with the Democracy Capacity Project to help create these state-by-state guides. In all, 19 guides were released over the summer.
“Katherine brought such enthusiasm and a kind of ‘magic sauce’ to the work!” said Sue Zachman, Founder and Director of the Democracy Capacity Project. “She quickly became a leader in this project — helping us design both our volunteer data collection process and the content of the nonprofit-facing resource itself!”
Supporting Immigrant Communities
Throughout the year, as humanitarian crises raged on the U.S.-Mexico border, in Afghanistan, in Ukraine, and many other places across the globe, We The Action channeled the passion of our community to support immigrant communities however possible.
For instance, We The Action helped launch the Welcome Legal Alliance, a nonpartisan initiative that channels the passion and skill of the nation’s lawyers to help Afghan evacuees coming to the United States access critical pro bono legal services.
We The Action also partnered with a coalition led by law firm Akin Gump to mobilize 150 lawyers who donated more than 3,000 hours to help nearly 3,000 migrants prepare for interviews with the government.
Spotlight on: Welcome Legal Alliance
In the spring, We The Action helped launch the Welcome Legal Alliance, a non-partisan initiative that channels the passion and skill of the nation’s lawyers to help Afghan evacuees coming to the United States access critical pro bono legal services. Since its launch in March, more than 200 lawyers have signed up for one of the Welcome Legal Alliance’s 32 projects to support immigrant communities.
The Welcome Legal Alliance is a program of Welcome.US, a new national initiative that mobilizes Americans to welcome and support refugees, beginning with those arriving from Afghanistan. WTA's platform is providing a single place for lawyers and legal organizations to find the right opportunity to help support our Afghan neighbors.
“We The Action is central to our ability to do this work,” said Robert Sabuda, Executive Director at the Afghan Refugee Housing Network. “WTA has saved us thousands of dollars in legal fees which we can then use to provide support and resettlement services.”
Advocating for Racial Justice
Systemic racism permeates every level of the American legal system, and We The Action’s lawyers work every day to bridge the access to justice gap for underrepresented communities, including communities of color. In all, more than 200 lawyers signed up for Racial Justice projects this year.
For instance, since partnering with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition in 2020, more than 500 We The Action volunteers have researched more than 20,000 cases for Floridians with previous felony convictions to help them restore their voting rights. WTA even hosted a research-a-thon that recruited 50 lawyers from 17 states to complete research for more than 150 returning citizens in a single day!
Spotlight on: Jeff Nesvet
A retired lawyer from Maryland, Jeff has donated hundreds of hours since 2019 to Tzedek DC, a DC-based nonprofit safeguarding the legal rights of low-income DC residents dealing with often unjust, abusive, and illegal debt collection practices. Namely, Jeff has helped challenge the “Clean Hands Law,” a DC policy that exacerbates racial inequalities by automatically suspending the driver's license of people with unpaid traffic tickets without considering the person’s ability to pay and bars them from renewing their license until all fines are paid. In a city where the median income for a white household is more than 300% higher than Black households, this law deeply impacted DC’s communities of color.
Jeff’s work has led to the upcoming repeal of the Clean Hands Law, which will take place in October 2023. Jeff also worked with Tzedek DC to contribute to a lawsuit against the District arguing that continued enforcement of the Clean Hands Law in the months before the repeal takes effect violates the Constitution's Equal Protection and Due Process principles.
Fighting for Reproductive Freedom and Gender Equity
Following the devastating Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, lawyers from across the nation were looking for opportunities to help defend abortion access. In all, 220 We The Action lawyers volunteered with 10 nonprofits on 12 projects to help abortion providers expand or modify services, track abortion-related bills, serve as legal observers at protests, and more.
For instance:
In the first 72 hours following the ruling, more than 40 lawyers volunteered with Regulatory Assistance for Abortion Providers (RAAP) to help abortion providers comply with restrictions, expand or modify services, and respond to state inspections.
We The Action lawyers worked with Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health to answer legal questions related to increasing patient and clinic capacity and risk assessment.
Meanwhile, volunteer lawyers also flocked to sign up for other projects to advance gender equity more broadly. For instance, 12 lawyers helped End Rape on Campus prepare to launch their Campus Accountability Map – an interactive tool that allows users to view in-depth information on sexual assault investigation policies, prevention efforts, and available survivor support resources on colleges campuses.
Spotlight On: Rachel Spitz
A “staunchly pro-choice” lawyer of 22 years licensed in Georgia, Rachel volunteered with Regulatory Assistance for Abortion Providers (RAAP), working in partnership with RAAP attorneys to help an abortion provider understand the available options to keep their doors open during a time of unparalleled uncertainty for patients and providers.
“It was something constructive I could do in a time that felt bleak,” Rachel says. “The ability for patients to find care kept me going. It gave me a real sense that I could help while things were going to hell.”
For two months, Rachel worked with the staff attorneys at RAAP to analyze Georgia state law and offer guidance to the provider to help them continue providing care to their clients. Staff Attorneys for RAAP say Rachel’s work is the reason the provider is still open and providing abortion care in compliance with state law.
“Rachel’s work had a direct impact on an abortion provider’s ability to stay open and continue providing abortion care in Georgia,” a RAAP attorney said.
Amicus Mundi: The Lawyer Protecting an Election Official in Iowa
The 2022 midterms are behind us, and we want to take a moment to thank all of the 3,500 volunteer lawyers who donated more than 45,000 hours to 36 organizations working to make the midterm elections safe, secure, and accessible for every voter.
That’s why we’re giving the next Amicus Mundi Award — a monthly award we present to an outstanding lawyer in our community — to a lawyer who donated his time to represent an election official facing legal challenges stemming from her work administering the 2020 elections.
Congratulations, Frank Feilmeyer!
The big picture: A lawyer from Iowa with more than 30 years of legal experience, Frank’s experience as a poll watcher led him to respond to a call from the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law through We The Action’s network to volunteer to represent Roxanna “Roxy” Moritz, a local election official facing harassment and specious legal challenges stemming from her work in the 2020 elections.
“When this opportunity came up, I felt like it was so important to help a local official who was having a hard time,” Frank said. “Because of election denialism and the difficulties in that election, I felt it was time to step up and help out.”
“Election officials were - and remain - under attack”: Across the country, election officials faced harassment, threats, and frivolous legal challenges during and after the 2020 election— many aimed at impeding officials’ ability to do their jobs and ensure the election was safe, secure, and accessible for everyone.
“Election officials were — and remain — under attack,” says Liz Howard, senior counsel for the Brennan Center's Democracy Program. “Helping to ensure they have committed legal counsel was an important piece of the Brennan Center’s efforts to support election officials.”
“Bullied and targeted”: This was happening to Roxy Moritz, who was serving as the chief election officer in Scott County, Iowa, the third most populous county in Iowa. The state announced an investigation into her decision to offer hazard pay to poll workers who staffed polling locations amid the COVID pandemic.
“She wanted to make sure that the people she was sending out to count votes were appropriately compensated for the risk they were taking,” Frank says. “Many people didn’t want to take that risk and she wanted to compensate the people willing to do the work.”
After resigning from her position due to the threats and harassment she faced, Roxy no longer had access to government representation — and that’s where Frank came in to represent her for free.
“People don’t understand the passion that election officials feel about our jobs, our constituency, and the services we’re delivering,” Roxy says. “To be bullied and targeted for doing our jobs was very emotional. Knowing that I had someone to protect my legal rights was extremely important to me.”
A trusted voice in a difficult time: Roxy says Frank helped decipher the complicated legal processes surrounding the investigation, which only officially concluded several months ago. Roxy says Frank also helped her maintain her mental health as the agonizingly slow process moved forward.
Frank says he had to navigate two competing factors: handling the media fallout of the investigation, and handling the day-to-day legal steps of the investigation itself.
“The news cycle is one thing, but the legal process for resolving these things tends to be a lot longer and less in the spotlight,” Frank says. “I was focused on making sure she knew that we were going to get this sorted out. It was a little bit of legal advice, a little bit of practical advice.”
You can help too!: Unfortunately, election officials across the nation still face harassment and threats every day. There are still opportunities for lawyers like you to help like Frank helped Roxy!
Along with our work with The Brennan Center, WTA has partnered with the Election Official Legal Defense Network to match lawyers with election officials facing harassment and threats.
Click here to sign up with the Election Official Legal Defense Network. Election officials need help with a variety of issues, such as harassment, defamation, and employment problems, so you don’t need election law experience to volunteer.”
On behalf of 45,000+ volunteer lawyers: Thank you, Frank!
And thank you again to the 3,500 volunteer lawyers who donated more than 45,000 hours to 36 organizations working to make the midterm elections safe, secure, and accessible for every voter. Your work made an enormous difference in the 2022 midterms, and we’re so grateful to have you in our community.
A Thank You from Anna Chu, Executive Director of We The Action
I can’t believe it, but the 2022 midterm elections are mostly behind us. I know when I volunteered on past Election Days as a voter protection lawyer, I woke up the next day exhausted, and I’m sure many of you are feeling the same way this morning. So I’ll cut right to the chase:
Thank you. Your work mattered.
Over the past year, nearly 3,500 volunteer lawyers donated more than 45,000 hours to 36 organizations working to make this election safe, secure, and accessible for every voter. Whether you answered voter questions through the national Election Protection hotline, represented local election officials facing harassment, helped create voter guides to empower young voters, or volunteered on another election protection project through We The Action, you made an enormous impact in the fight to defend voting rights.
From the bottom of my heart: Thank you for all the time and dedication. We know that not everyone has the same access to democracy yet, but your work helped voters across the country.
Our work is far from over, but I’m taking some time this morning to be grateful for lawyers like you.
With gratitude,
Anna Chu
Executive Director, We The Action
Ps. If you’re new to We The Action after signing up for an Election Protection Hotline shift — Welcome! Your Election Protection login gives you access to hundreds of opportunities for lawyers to volunteer with more than 500 nonprofits nationwide through We The Action.
We’re hosting demos of We The Action in the coming days — We hope you’ll join us and learn how we can help you find projects to work on the issues that matter most to you:
Amicus Mundi: The Lawyer Fighting for Abortion Access
Abortion rights continue to be under attack and lawyers like you are an important resource in the fight. From supporting abortion providers to protecting the vote in states where abortion is on the ballot, We The Action makes it easy to volunteer on the frontlines of today's most pressing concerns.
Every month, we give the Amicus Mundi Award to a volunteer in our community of 45,000+ lawyers to recognize the impact they’ve made fighting for issues they believe in. This month’s award recipient used her time and talent to help a health care provider continue offering abortion services in the aftermath of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling.
Congratulations, Rachel Spitz!
The big picture: As the nation reeled following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling, Rachel turned her anger into action and helped an abortion provider in Georgia continue treating patients amid an uncertain legal landscape.
A “staunchly pro-choice” lawyer of 22 years licensed in Georgia, Rachel volunteered with Regulatory Assistance for Abortion Providers (RAAP), working in partnership with RAAP attorneys to help an abortion provider understand the available options to keep their doors open during a time of unparalleled uncertainty for patients and providers.
“A real sense that I could help”: When Rachel started volunteering, the Dobbs decision had already been leaked in the press, and her volunteer work became a positive outlet during an emotional time.
“It was something constructive I could do in a time that felt bleak,” Rachel says. “The ability for patients to find care kept me going. It gave me a real sense that I could help while things were going to hell.”
Navigating the post-Roe landscape: State abortion laws have always been unique and complex, so the Dobbs decision impacted each state differently. RAAP relies on volunteer lawyers like Rachel to work with providers in each state to help them protect and expand abortion services.
In 2019, the Georgia state legislature passed a law that banned abortion after six weeks, but at the time the law was unconstitutional due to Roe v. Wade.
However, once the Dobbs decision became official, that six week abortion ban became law in Georgia, severely limiting the care that the state’s abortion providers could offer to their patients.
“We gave them the best advice we could, which kept them open,” Rachel says. “They had a lot of hard decisions to make, and they had limited options. It was harrowing for them and very sad for me.”
A direct impact: For two months, Rachel worked with the staff attorneys at RAAP to analyze Georgia state law and offer guidance to the provider to help them continue providing care to their clients.
Staff Attorneys for RAAP say the provider Rachel served is still open and providing abortion care in compliance with state law — and that Rachel made the difference.
“Rachel’s work had a direct impact on an abortion provider’s ability to stay open and continue providing abortion care in Georgia,” a RAAP attorney said.
“We could not do our work without our volunteer lawyers”: Want to join Rachel and help abortion providers keep their doors open? Click here to sign up with RAAP to volunteer as local counsel to an abortion provider!
“Just sign up!” Rachel says. “RAAP makes it really easy on you. It was honestly the best free time I‘ve spent lately.”
On behalf of 45,000+ volunteer lawyers: Thank you, Rachel!
Don’t forget: We’re days away from the midterm elections, and organizations need volunteer lawyers to help protect the vote! Click here to see how you can help ensure the election is safe, secure, and accessible for everyone!
Amicus Mundi: The Lawyer Helping Nonprofits Engage Voters
Every month, we give the Amicus Mundi Award to a lawyer in our community to recognize their dedication to fighting for the causes they believe in.
With the midterm elections fast approaching, this month’s award recipient is a lawyer who volunteered to help empower local nonprofits to engage and mobilize their communities to vote.
Congratulations, Katherine Mirassou!
The big picture: A recently-barred lawyer from California, Katherine volunteered with the Democracy Capacity Project to help create state-by-state guides to help local nonprofits navigate their state’s laws around voter engagement and turn out the vote in the midterms.
State laws vary considerably across the U.S., but they regulate much of the democracy-promoting work that nonprofit organizations do, including running voter registration drives, assisting voters with applying for a vote by mail ballot, organizing GOTV programs, and much more.
A passion for social justice: After spending several years working after getting her undergraduate degree, Katherine says she was drawn to practicing law by her interest in social justice issues.
Katherine started volunteering as a data entry volunteer for a local immigrants rights organization, but that experience would soon turn into a legal internship with the same group.
But once the pandemic made volunteering more difficult, Katherine says she missed giving back to her community and sought out online opportunities to volunteer.
Empowering nonprofits to engage voters: That’s how Katherine found We The Action and the Democracy Capacity Project, who were recruiting lawyers to research state election laws.
“I read the project description and it really seemed like something I wanted to be a part of,” Katherine says. “It was an opportunity to not only help out, but to expand my knowledge.”
The ‘magic sauce’: Katherine would eventually take on a larger role for the Democracy Capacity Project, creating training materials for other volunteer lawyers to help them better conduct their legal research and understand where to look for state-specific legal information.
“Smaller non profit organizations often struggle to find free, publicly-available, practical advice about how to comply with state laws surrounding their democracy-promoting work,” said Sue Zachman, Founder and Director of the Democracy Capacity Project. “Katherine brought such enthusiasm and a kind of ‘magic sauce’ to the work! She quickly became a leader in this project — helping us design both our volunteer data collection process and the content of the nonprofit-facing resource itself!”,
Take a look for yourself: — 19 state guides are already live on the Democracy Capacity Project’s website!
These free resources empower nonprofit organizations operating in those states to design and run civic engagement, democracy support, and Get Out the Vote programs while complying with complex state laws and regulations governing those activities.
You can get involved too: Katherine emphasizes that whatever your availability, organizations are willing to work around your schedule and get you the training you need to get up to speed.
“Even if you’re really busy, organizations are willing to work around your schedule,” she says. “Every group I’ve worked with has been so grateful for any time you can offer them.”
Want to join Katherine in helping nonprofits engage voters? Click here to sign up for the Democracy Capacity Project’s Local Democracy Task Force!
On behalf of 43,000+ volunteer lawyers: Thank you, Katherine!
You’re also invited to join We The Action and the Transgender Law Center for a lunch and learn panel discussing how lawyers can better partner with and protect trans people. Lawyers of all expertises and experience are welcome — and please share with your network too!
We The Action Welcomes Anna Chu as New Executive Director
Today, We The Action announced that on September 1, Anna Chu began leading the organization as Executive Director. Anna joins WTA from the National Women’s Law Center where she served as Vice President for Strategy and Policy.
“I decided to practice law because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,” Anna says. “I believe the law can be an engine for change — especially among underrepresented communities — to protect the most vulnerable, fight for justice, and defend our values. At We The Action, we put those values to work and give lawyers of every experience level, every expertise, and from every ZIP code a chance to make a difference on the issues they care about most. There’s an unprecedented need for volunteer lawyers nationwide, and I’m thrilled to join We The Action and continue growing this community as we fight for a more just and equitable nation.”
Anna brings a wealth of experience to her role as Executive Director of We The Action. At the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Anna shaped NWLC’s cross-cutting advocacy and policy work and led federal and state government relations. Prior to joining NWLC, Anna served as the Vice President of Policy and Research at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, leading its economic justice advocacy work. Chu attended the University of Southern California Law School and began her career as a law clerk to former Chief Judge Jane A. Restani in her sittings before the U.S. Court of International Trade and in six different federal appellate courts. She has also spent time as an attorney at Paul Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP and as a policy advisor in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Anna says she’s most excited about working at the intersection of the law, nonprofits, and activism to help drive change on the issues she cares about most. From fighting for reproductive justice, to defending the right to vote, to advocating for immigrant communities, Anna says that her vision for We The Action includes bringing diverse and underrepresented voices to the table to find innovative ways to engage the legal community and address the known and unforeseen challenges facing the nation.
“I’ve been a lawyer, and I’ve worked at nonprofits,” Anna says. “So I’ve seen both sides of We The Action’s work firsthand. I know how passionate lawyers are and how much impact they can have. And I know how even a few hours of free legal support can make a world of difference for organizations who work around the clock to improve their communities. Together, we can continue building on the incredible impact We The Action has made over the past five years.”
Anna’s hire comes as We The Action celebrates its fifth birthday. Since its founding in 2017, We The Action has built an expansive network of lawyers ready to volunteer their time and skills:
More than 42,000 volunteer lawyers have joined We The Action. That includes lawyers from all 50 states — plus DC, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and Guam.
We The Action volunteer lawyers have donated nearly 260,000 hours of free legal services worth more than $110 million.
We The Action has partnered with more than 500 nonprofits to provide the free legal support they need to make a difference in communities nationwide.
We The Action has also partnered with leading organizations and coalitions to ensure social justice movements have the legal support they need. For instance, WTA recently partnered with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, a grassroots organization helping people with previous felony convictions restore their right to vote. Since the partnership launched, WTA has recruited more than 400 lawyers to work with returning citizens and help them navigate the re-enfranchisement process. To date, they’ve served more than 10,000 people.
“Anna has dedicated her career to addressing gender equity and economic inequality, utilizing her legal expertise to fight for justice,” said Kyle Lierman, CEO of Civic Nation. “Over the last five years, We The Action has made a stunning impact and we know the initiative will continue to thrive under Anna’s leadership and vision.”
Amicus Mundi: The Lawyer Helping Innovate Education Nonprofits
Every month, We The Action gives the Amicus Mundi Award to an outstanding lawyer in our community who exemplifies our shared values of service and volunteerism.
With the school year set to begin, we’re proud to give this month’s Amicus Mundi Award to a lawyer who uses her expertise in copyright law to help innovative education nonprofits make an impact in communities nationwide.
We hope the profile below inspires you to volunteer for one of our 150+ active projects. And if you’re already volunteering – thank you!
Congratulations, Stephanie Abrutyn!
The big picture: A lawyer in New York with 30+ years of experience, Stephanie has volunteered on three different We The Action projects to help education innovation organizations navigate copyright law and other intellectual property questions.
After a long career, Stephanie says her schedule finally allowed her to explore something she’d been interested in for years: pro bono legal work.
“It’s only getting more and more expensive to get good legal advice,” she says. “When I decided to take a break from full-time employment — and after a couple months of sleep — I wanted to find an opportunity to contribute.”
A win-win: That urge to give back led her to We The Action, where she sought out projects with a defined time commitment in familiar areas of the law.
“I started looking for projects from organizations who needed my expertise and couldn’t find it in the paying legal marketplace,” she says. “It’s a win-win. I got to actually use my skills and experience, and they got the benefits of my help.”
“The perfect match for me”: With a background in copyright and intellectual law, Stephanie volunteered for projects where she could apply her specialized expertise.
For instance, Stephanie held an in-person training for one organization to help them understand fair use laws, consider the risks and tradeoffs of fair use, and answer questions for themselves.
“That project was the perfect match for me because I didn’t have to do a bunch of extra research to get up to speed,” she says. “But I also felt like I was doing something meaningful for them.”
Using her expertise to make an impact: In her work, Stephanie has helped nonprofits review policy agreements, navigate intellectual property questions.
For instance, Stephanie helped Deans for Impact, a national nonprofit organization working to improve how teachers are prepared, understand and navigate “fair use” questions to make the latest teaching materials widely available to the teachers and institutions they serve.
“It’s incredible that someone so accomplished who has so many demands on her time has gone above and beyond for us,” said Benjamin Riley, founder of Deans for Impact. “She helped us work through the practical applications and pros and cons of our work. It was so perfect, and we’ll be able to serve the education community in a broader fashion.”
The time for action: If you’re interested in trying pro bono work too, Stephanie says there is no learning curve when working with pro bono clients.
“The most important thing to remember is that these organizations are clients just like any other, except for they’re really thrilled to have your time.” Stephanie says.
On behalf of 42,000+ volunteer lawyers: Thank you, Stephanie!
Be sure to check out our 150+ active projects currently looking for volunteer lawyers. Whatever your experience, expertise, or availability, there's an opportunity for lawyers like you to make a difference!