Supporting Social Movements: A Brief Guide for Lawyers and Law Students

In recent years, there has been a surge in grassroots organizing and activism, creating new possibilities for advancing social, racial, gender, and economic justice. As a result, lawyers now have a rare opportunity to help create powerful and sustainable social movements by supporting, strengthening, and amplifying these on-the-ground efforts. However, there is a long history of would-be movement lawyers who have inadvertently undermined many promising grassroots-led initiatives. This article summarizes, from a practitioner\u27s perspective, the essential elements of effective movement lawyering and how they can help to avoid the mistakes of the past and promote transformative social change