Unprecedented Session 1 Recap
Insights from Linda Burnham and Max Elbaum
On February 23, we hosted our first webinar in our newest series Unprecedented: How Lawyers Can Build Power to Defeat Authoritarianism. We learned so much listening to Linda Burnham and Max Elbaum discuss Why Progressive Lawyers Must Join the Pro-Democracy Fight: Understanding Today’s Authoritarian Crisis.
The session provided an in-depth analysis of the MAGA bloc’s historical roots and its composition today — a bloc dominated by white Christian nationalists, a section of the capitalist class centered in the fossil-fuel industry, and a multiclass coalition of people deeply invested in racial and gender hierarchies. Linda and Max emphasized the MAGA bloc’s influence on U.S. politics within a broader global context of rising authoritarianism.
The discussion centered around the “Block and Build” framework, which seeks to block the rise of authoritarianism while building the people’s capacity to shape a multiracial, gender-inclusive democracy and exercise governing power. Key discussions included the importance of legal strategies and electoral empowerment of the Left. The critical role of building broad political alliances to effectively oppose authoritarian tendencies and advance progressive policies.
Feedback from Participants
We heard from so many of you that the webinar offered a clear frame — just the sort of sharp analysis that you’ve been looking for:
“One of the first times I’ve heard real, practical talk about long term power-building in the current political context. Thank you so much! Fantastic panel!”
“The materials and the presenters really helped me to mentally articulate a general direction for fighting authoritarianism and to pinpoint what is instinctually wrong and why.”
“The materials and the presenters really helped me to mentally articulate a general direction for fighting authoritarianism and to pinpoint what is instinctually wrong and why.”
In other words, not only was this first session on point, but also there is a vibrant community of legal professionals across the country who are eager to contribute their skills towards defending against authoritarianism and building a stronger multiracial democracy.
Upcoming Webinar with Maruice Mitchell and Alana Greer
For our second webinar: “Getting in Formation: How Lawyers Should Orient to the Movement Against Authoritarianism,” we will learn from Maurice Mitchell of Working Families Party and Alana Greer of Community Justice Project.
Maurice and Alana will be interviewing each other about the role of progressive lawyers in the block-and-build democracy movement. We will answer the question: how do lawyers need to orient to this moment to more powerfully bolster, protect, and defend our social movements?
Please join us on Friday, March 22, 2024.
Resources for Legal Professionals Building Community Power for Democracy
We've curated some resources we hope will help you on your learning journey–check them out!
Recording of our first Unprecedented webinar: Why Progressive Lawyers Must Join the Pro-Democracy Fight: Understanding Today’s Authoritarian Crisis
Two articles from our team! Nikki Thanos and Meena Jagannath: "Calling All Progressive Lawyers to Fight for Multiracial Democracy"; and What Propels the Global Authoritarian Surge and How We Can Fight Back. These essays are an urgent call to deepen the connections between the work you’re already doing as lawyers and the collective task of defending, building and strengthening a multiracial democracy.
“Block and Build: Left Strategy in the MAGA Era”, Convergence Magazine, 2023: This is a syllabus for an in-depth study of the Block and Build strategy that Convergence Magazine compiled, along with many other social justice groups. The strategy elaborated in this syllabus aims to block MAGA’s bid for power while building the multiracial democracy that we deserve.
Grassroots Power Project’s resources on Governing Power that offers a definition of governing power and reflections on the strategies needed to get there.
The project and Linda discussed and has worked on for some time, Project 2050,: toward the Development of a Shared Strategic Framework on the U.S. Left
Your role in this movement is more than just showing up to a webinar – it's about leadership, solidarity, and building a future in which we can transform our political and economic systems towards human dignity, multiracial democracy, and ecological harmony. We are here to accompany you in the process — so don’t forget to join us for the next webinar in our Unprecedented series. Register today!
