Unprecedented Session 2 Recap
Insights from Alana Greer and Maruice Mitchell
In the second webinar in our Unprecedented series, "Getting in Formation: How Lawyers Can Build Power to Defeat Authoritarianism," our speakers, Alana Greer, a lawyer and the Director of of Community Justice Project and Maurice Mitchell, an organizer and the director of Working Families Party, sat down to discuss the opportunity for sharper, more integrated legal and organizing strategies to push back on the authoritarian advance. The two spoke candidly and our audience participated as flies on the wall listening in on an experienced organizer and an experienced lawyer talking shop for an hour about cross-sectoral collaborations, what is working, and what big pivots we all need to make.
The speakers challenged progressive lawyers to grapple with how our profession has narrowed the concept of democracy and contributed to the dilution of democratic practices for folks most directly affected by systems of oppression. They went into detail about how the legal sector can build a plan to democratize the everyday experiences of people’s lives such that local fights in terrains like housing and education become priority battlegrounds on the path toward state governing power. The speakers underscored that many with an authoritarian agenda understand the value of local fights and “little d” democracy better than some progressives. Greer noted that in Florida, for example, authoritarian forces have been organizing in local arenas such as school boards for years.
The session highlighted the importance of a visionary agenda that extends past opposing authoritarianism, advocating for a comprehensive engagement in democracy at all societal levels. Through the "Block and Build" framework, the speakers explored how lawyers can actively work with movements to lay the groundwork for a future founded on multiracial formations where working class people are at the forefront and their needs are prioritized.
If you can’t watch the whole video right now, be sure to check out the live tweet stream from our friend Josie Duffy Rice:
Resources
As our speakers referred to during their talk, we continue to encourage participants to become familiar with the block and build framework.
You can check out our recap from Session 1.
Register for MLL’s next webinar in this Unprecedented series, “How Did We Get Here? A History of the Conservative Legal Movement” on Friday, April 19th. This will be another insightful and action-oriented discussion with two brilliant minds, Alex Aronson and Lisa Graves.
This movement requires lawyers to struggle alongside communities over the long haul to win lasting, transformative reforms while, at the same time, developing new leaders, growing the power of grassroots formations, and achieving governing power. It demands leadership, unity, and a commitment to building a future defined by dignity, democracy, and ecological harmony. Movement Law Lab is with you on this journey.
