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Andrew Chen's avatar

I just recently (this coming Monday) am transitioning to working for the state after 10 years of legal aid work. Them firing you for pointing out the shoestrings the world expects lawyers to provide indigent services on pissed me off so fucking deeply.

Firing the staff attorney because, deep down, you're embarrassed about having to scrape to do righteous work has the same energy to me as the big annual fundraising galas all the big legal aids throw. The reality of money aside, those events always felt like they fundamentally misapprehended who was worth celebrating, who was worth venerating. There was a sick cowardice about trotting out the "photogenic" clients to pat the backs of rich firm partners for their "generosity" - it challenged nothing - show how to put the bandaid on, keep bailing the canoe, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

This was why the NLG fundraisers ruled, incidentally.

The young, fiery, best-hearted lawyers burn out when they see how legal aid, basically the only avenue for radical movement lawyering without the tremendous lift of starting one's own org, is part of a charity model that often resists structural change. I was one of those. I did direct services for five years in homelessness and eviction defense before having a traumatic breakup which accelerated my burnout, and by the time I left i was literally the last one standing of all of my coworkers my peer age. I left for a "support center" job advising legal aids, covid hit two months later,, and now I'm leaving to do housing enforcement work for the state.

Despite this obvious, terrifying problem for the health and effectiveness of legal aid, I've yet to see a legal aid director who's made retaining young, passionate talent a priority. It's the same staid cycle of chasing grants, chasing pro bonos, blah blah blah. And yet, even despite this, I and my colleagues were able to do incredible work. Imagine what legal aid would be like if higher ups saw a vid about hilariously scrappy work conditions and turned their embarrassment against the system that keeps them on a leash instead of the young lawyers trying to break it.

Rant over. Beautifully written post Lolo. I know you'll find an org that's a better fit. Cheering for you from California.

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Ken Klippenstein's avatar

#standwithlolo

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