National Legal Advocacy Network

What is the National Legal Advocacy Network (NLAN)?

NLAN is a legal non-profit dedicated to enhancing the capacity and sustainability of worker center centers through movement focused lawyering, worker center support and strategic litigation. NLAN will do this by:

1. Building & Strengthening the Worker Center Bar -  NLAN will serve as a hub for worker center lawyering that crosses industries and geographies in order to elevate working conditions for marginalized workers. To build this bar of justice minded, accountable and competent Attorneys, NLAN will identify, train, supervise and place movement lawyers in worker centers or on campaigns. Additionally, NLAN will lead a national network of Worker Center Lawyers by creating a resource bank for worker center lawyering and hosting regular gatherings aimed at moving strategic litigation on a national level, identifying innovative pro-worker legal theories and sharing strategies for supporting local worker centers.
2. Partnering with Worker Centers interested in the Law & Organizing Model as a means of improving the lives of their members, advancing wages & working conditions and generating revenue for the organization. To support worker centers in doing this, NLAN will provide: support in developing the appropriate infrastructure necessary to carry out such a program; legal trainings for staff and members that focuses on key issues that have potential to bring significant relief to affected workers, change industry practices and/or generate revenue; consultation on plans for digital and in person legal outreach; referral fees as a source of revenue to the organization and; worker referrals to the organization and their campaigns.
3. Leading & Coordinating Strategic Litigation within an industry or on issues that transgress industries in order to support policy changes that have a broad impact across low-wage worker communities. To do this, NLAN will work with its legal network and worker organizations to identify key issues and areas that hold strong opportunities for policy reform initiatives or strategic litigation efforts.