“Legal observers is a great representation of why so many of us went to law school-we had dreams of helping to create a just society. We’re tired from past few years. But find some way to have an influence in the #RuleOfLaw space”-Barbara Harding of @JonesDay #1stAm #dcprobono19

A big part of legal observing is tracking arrested protestors’ contact info, loved ones’ contact info & messages to pass on, etc, says @ellingerlocke. #1stAm #dcprobono19

Legal observers program that @NLGnews offers (note! There’s a training tomorrow night at @GWtweets) provides #probono volunteers 1.5 hrs training & a buddy to observe with, and you’re asked to document what you see & submit your notes afterwards. #1stAm #dcprobono19

Audience question: how can attys find protest #probono oppys? Harding suggests contacting the legal aid organizations or nonprofits involved and offering to help. #1stAm #dcprobono19

Additionally transactional attys can provide #probono to legal aid organizations involved in #1stAm law through corporate entity assistance, HR assistance, immigration advice, etc #dcprobono19

Harding says @WashLaw4CR has a network of attorneys ready to go to #probono help protestors who might need legal help. #1stAm #DCProBono19

Why should attys do #1stAm protest #probono work? “I call it #movementlawyering—You can use your legal skills to greatly increase the movement’s effectiveness” -@ellingerlocke #DCProBono19

Many of the crimes protestors are charged with are low-level misdemeanors that would be perfect for new law school graduates or anyone to take on #probono with mentorship of criminal defense attys. #1stAm #DCProBono19

“#probono after a protest is crucial-protestors are caught up in some serious personal legal disputes but all the support & attys are often gone”—Barbara Harding of @JonesDay #1stAm #DCProBono19

“As a law firm, we often have the ability to bring many people to the table before the event to ensure they all understand the #RuleOfLaw so the protest can be as effective as possible” — @JonesDay’s Barbara Harding #1stAm #DCProBono19

Barbara Harding of @JonesDay says bringing protest organizers & religious groups & law enforcement together before protests can ensure events don’t devolve into situations like in Charlottesville. #1stAm #DCProBono19

Wow! @ellingerlocke was packing her car to move from St Louis to DC when Michael Brpwn was killed & she began representing protestors in Ferguson for next few years. #1stAm #DCProBono19

Now panelist @ellingerlocke discussing how she was a community organizer & after law school practiced civil rights & legislative work in St Louis (my birthplace!) & represented #OccupyStlouis #thelou #DcProBono19

Barbara Harding of @JonesDay is one of the panelists. She’s speaking about how in 2016 she started working to help protest organizers understand local laws & bring together with law enforcement BEFORE the event to understand protest goals, infrastructure #1stAm #DCProBono19

3rd #ProBonoWeek event of today kicking off-Pro Bono in Protest: Protecting 1st Amendment Freedoms in the District, at @SteptoeLLP @WashLawyers #DCProBono19

“What happens in DC doesn’t stay in DC. It often sets precedent for the rest of the country”—#ChocolateCity authors @gdmusgrove @chrismyersasch #DCProBono19

After the Civil War the black population in DC tripled and eventually DC became the site of the best educated and most prosperous black community in the US. #ChocolateCity @gdmusgrove @chrismyersasch #DCProBono19

When DC was being built & they couldn’t get white workers to come here, they used enslaved black workers to build the city. Blacks made up 30% of city’s population at founding, almost entirely enslaved. #DCProBono19

Chocolate City authors chose the title because they are proud of the term and saw it as a term of endearment but many white editors warned them not to do it, that they’d be called racist. #DCProBono19

Lol Chocolate City authors discussing reason they chose that title-“first & foremost My father is a big P-Funk fan” @gdmusgrove #DCProBono19 #DC #Funk

Oh nice. Shoutout to the authors’ @dcpublicschools time as students at @alicedealmiddle & @WilsonPTSO! #DC #DCProBono19

BTW glasses were in short supply at this packed luncheon but I’m highly enjoying my lunch beverage out of this @akin_gump large mug. #DCProBono19

“And I say, no we can’t. We can’t be done with discussing race until we understand the deep-seated causes and consequences of racism in America”—Chocolate City author @chrismyersasch #DCProBono19

Brian Rohal, @DCBarProBono atty, explaining how much his #Ward8 students when he was a @dcpublicschools teacher, enjoyed this book & said every new DC resident should read it. #DCProBono19

Haha and I have already mistagged an author. Sorry @gdmusgrove! #DCProBono19 #DC

The room is packed-and it’s a gorgeous new @akin_gump conference room in their new offices. Amazing DC views. #DCProBono19 #accesstojustice

Day 2 of #ProBonoWeek, Event #2 I’m livetweeting: @DCBarProBono Pro Bono Partnership Luncheon: authors of Chocolate City @chrismyersasch & @Georgemusgrove. #DCProBono19 #DC

Ooh. We’ve been here not 2 hours yet and a group built a Google Form for entry that merges your entered info into the TANF/SNAP form & has an option if you’re homeless too. #CodingJustice #DCProBono19

“What are you working on?”
“Breaking apart the forms, the requirements, the assumptions, the everything” UX specialist at #CodingJustice at @dechertllp #DCProBono19

The subject-matter experts from @DcKincare helping the volunteers tonight at @dechertllp understand more nuances of the problem. #CodingJustice #DCProBono19 #accesstojustice