The National Legal Aid & Defender Association is presenting a  series of free webinars brought to you by their Civil, Client and Defender communities! 

The Annual Encore Webinar Series offers supplemental content from the NLADA Annual Conference last fall. These webinars are a blend of popular topics and themes that emerged from Annual as well as a space for presenters who were unable to attend in person to share their knowledge and experience with the NLADA community on a virtual platform.  

The webinars will run from February to April, 2025. Registration for the webinar series is FREE. Upon registration you will gain access to all webinars in the series. 

The Sexy Baby: Fundraising with Advocacy

MARCH 19, 3PM EDT

• Shannon Lucas, Executive Director, Michigan Advocacy Program
• Jennifer Viser, Director of Development and Communications, Michigan Advocacy Program

This session will outline the practice of the Director of Development and the Director of Advocacy collaborating on fundraising goals for the agency. Session would provide a blueprint on how to use advocacy to support funding requests; to identify advocacy that would be right for fundraising; how to handle competing fundraising projects within your agency; and how to build fundraising and advocacy discussions into your strategic plan to avoid mission drift.

Light in Dark Places: Creating Supportive Legal Advocacy Communities During Difficult Times

MARCH 24, 3PM EDT

• Denise Smith, NASAMS
• Megan Leschak, NASAMS

In times of uncertainty and adversity, the importance of supportive legal advocacy and civil legal advocacy communities cannot be overstated. As we face challenges that threaten the fabric of our society, fostering strong support within our networks becomes essential for both legal professionals and those they serve. These communities not only create a sense of belonging but also empower individuals to understand their rights and access the resources they need. We will discuss how to build these supportive communities and how to sustain ourselves emotionally, mentally, and physically as we press forward in doing this critical work.

Data don’t have to be a nightmare: Reflections on a decade of data work with Cleveland Legal Aid

APRIL 1, 3PM EDT

• Brian Mikelbank, Associate Professor of Urban Studies, Cleveland State University

The idea of using data to measure impact and guide decision making can be intimidating for Legal Aid organizations.  It’s easy to let uncertainty creep in and keep your organization from the potential benefits that working with data can deliver. This webinar has three parts. The first will present the motivations – why bother with data analysis at all? The second portion will highlight important lessons learned over the last 10 years by sharing examples of different data-based projects, both internally- and externally-facing.  Finally, it’s important to recognize that it’s not always easy! Drawing on these same experiences, I’ll address a number of critical points in the data analysis timeline that demand extra attention to keep things moving in the direction of progress.

Tenants Rights Resources with the National Housing Law Project

APRIL 15, 3PM EDT

Social Work, Social Services, and Legal Services: Collaborating for Impact

TBD

• Chaz Kohlrieser, Director of Social Work, Rising for Justice
• Michanda Myles, Network Project Manager, DC Bar Foundation
• Rebecca Gallahue, Director of Legal Support, Legal Aid DC
• Laurence Boylan, Supervising Attorney, Maryland Legal Aid

Mental health disorders and housing insecurity have risen in the United States, which opens individuals and families to increased stress and mental and physical health problems. In general, we know that evictions disproportionately affect low-income people of color, and the health consequences of eviction likely widen both racial and socioeconomic disparities in health as well.

How can we leverage the collective force of attorneys, social workers, and social service providers to achieve equity and justice for all at the intersection of the legal system and life? A unique feature of Rising for Justice’s social work program is that it embeds within our legal team such that clients receive both services simultaneously. The social work division partners with clients and their attorneys to assess clients for potential benefits, determine what services in the community may help, and support clients through the stressful process of walking through their legal cases. This structure allows our legal and social work teams to collaborate to achieve the best results for our clients. We know that other organizations are also exploring, building, and pioneering similar structures – all to elevate, empower, and educate communities impacted by the legal system.

This panel will explore how collaborative structures that include social workers, attorneys or social services reinforce the coordination of services between disciplines to promote sustainable success for their clients impacted by the legal system.

More webinars to come, so keep checking back!