Every month, We The Action recognizes lawyers who embody our mission to expand access to justice and deliver free legal services where they are critically needed. This month, we are proud to honor Yolanda Townsend, whose leadership with the Nonprofit Legal Defense Network has empowered nonprofits to operate confidently in the face of rising legal threats.
Congratulations, Yolanda!
“Lawyers have always been and should continue to be part of building a strong democracy and civic infrastructure.”
— Yolanda Townsend, We The Action Volunteer
From Retired to Full-Time Volunteer: After a distinguished career in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, Yolanda now considers herself a full-time volunteer. She generously donates her time to multiple nonprofit organizations, including as a member of the Nonprofit Legal Defense Network.
“As long as I can remember, my father told me that I should be a lawyer. I didn’t question that too much, and as I pursued my legal studies, I came to agree that he chose well for me, knowing my penchant for debate and trying to find a right answer. In fact, going to law school enabled me to have several rewarding careers.”
While her professional experiences ranged from real estate and nonprofit governance to serving as the first African American Chairwoman of the National Credit Union Administration, the recurring theme was her desire to have a direct impact on social justice issues.
Yolanda credits We The Action, noting, “We The Action gives us opportunities to do meaningful work and support the collective impact of the nonprofit organizations.”
Safeguarding Nonprofit Organizations: Last year, We The Action partnered with Alliance for Justice’s Bolder Advocacy program to launch the Nonprofit Legal Defense Network, which helps prepare nonprofits for politically motivated attacks.
The Network has trained more than 500 lawyers and hosted six risk assessment clinics, during which nonprofit organizations are partnered with lawyers who help them walk through a risk assessment checklist.
Yolanda was one of the first lawyers to sign up and has since participated in four clinics. She has also served as an ambassador for this program, joining a recent panel at the Pro Bono Institute Annual Conference to discuss how to build legal mobilizations for social movements.
During the clinics, Yolanda helped both well-established nonprofits and brand-new organizations think through their risks and opportunities as they move forward with their compliance and governance journeys.
“I was assigned to a newly hired COO at the Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted People and Families Movement. She wanted to make sure that everything was in place so that the organization would be well positioned in an environment that is fraught with political ammunition. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting her and learning about all the great work they’re doing.”
Movement Lawyering and Impact: Yolanda embodies the movement-lawyering ethos, leading with care, patience, and a belief that the work is movement-driven, not lawyer-driven.
“I know it’s really hard work, and people are stretched, and they have to wear so many hats,” says Yolanda. “So how could I not help this organization that is doing such critical work?”
During one clinic, Yolanda worked with Michael Berry, Finance Director at the ACLU of Nebraska. “Yolanda listened and understood our concerns almost immediately,” says Michael. “She was able to narrow in on our most important issues and offer solutions that were practical and effective.”
While no legal advice is provided during the risk assessment clinic, nonprofits are encouraged to request legal guidance when needed by posting projects to the We The Action platform. In this capacity, Yolanda worked with Playtime Project to support children experiencing housing insecurity.
“Yolanda was approachable, respectful of our time and perspective, and easy to communicate with,” says Jamila Larson, Executive Director and co-founder of Playtime Project. “Her advice was clearly grounded in extensive knowledge of the law, but here’s what really got me: she spoke in layman’s terms, so we could actually understand what she was advising and why. We felt empowered to choose the path that was appropriate for our organization, while understanding pitfalls we never would have known without her.”
Join Yolanda and the Nonprofit Legal Defense Network: Nonprofit organizations working to strengthen democracy and protect vulnerable populations have increasingly come under attack.
“Whenever I’ve been involved in these clinics or taken on a project, the reaction has been, ‘Ah, lawyers doing something for good.’ I think it’s important for the law to be viewed as a mechanism for doing good and having an impact — not the opposite.”
Sign up now to join the Nonprofit Legal Defense Network. We’ll share details about the next training and keep you up to date on ways you can support our 800+ nonprofit partners.