Legal Activists of Color: EJ Training for Public Interest Lawyers

As part of the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association's annual Substantive Law Conference, a track of workshops will be offered on Environmental Justice advocacy. The Conference takes place on July 19-22, 2006 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose California. The conference is designed for less experienced practitioners including relatively new advocates (those with approximately five or fewer years of experience), those changing specialties, and generalists.

The overall goal of this national gathering is to offer relatively inexperienced advocates:

the latest knowledge in substantive areas
the professional skills to enable them to meet the legal needs of low-income people and communities
the opportunity to uncover and develop their leadership potential
a forum to meet and exchange ideas with colleagues from across the country and
a forum to connect with the history of the equal justice community

In additional to the workshops listed below, there are additional workshops of interest to EJ advocates including Environmental Justice in Rural Communities (7-20, 3:30-5pm), Race-based Advocacy (7-22, 8:30-10am), and Affirmative Litigation (7-20 and 7-22).

More information and registration information is available at:
http://www.nlada.org/Training/Training/Train_Civil/Train_Civil_Substantive

Hurry, Registration closes on July 7th.

Challenges and Opportunities Working with Community Organizers and Community Groups

Thursday, July 20 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

This workshop will consist of a panel discussion of lawyers, community organizers and community groups. Panel members will be asked to discuss how to form good working relationships between these three constituencies, and the typical problems that arise in the course of those relationships. Participants need not have worked on environmental health or environmental justice issues.

Introduction to the Law and Science of Environmental Justice

Friday, July 21 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

This workshop will introduce participants to key federal laws used by environmental justice lawyers, and some basic science concepts frequently encountered in environmental justice controversies. Laws discussed include Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 12898, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Lead Disclosure Act. Scientific principles covered include exposure pathways, risk assessment and the precautionary principle. Also discussed is the special vulnerability of children of color to toxic exposures, and how problems caused by those exposures may present themselves in routine legal services intake.

Promoting Environmental Justice at Home, at School and in the Community

Friday, July 21 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Friday, July 21 1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

This workshop examines successful environmental justice campaigns related to healthy housing, safe school siting and sustainable community development. Healthy housing work includes strategies to reduce exposures in the home to toxic substances such as lead, mold and pesticides. The discussion of safe school siting will discuss litigation and legislative advocacy strategies to promote siting practices away from environmental hazards such as air pollution sources, landfills and toxic waste sites. Sustainable community development is a broad topic, covering subjects as fighting local unwanted land uses, Brownfields re-development, and increasing the development of recreational spaces in low income communities.

Developing Strategic Partnerships with Scientists, Community Organizers and Client Groups

Friday, July 21 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Lawyers engaged in environmental justice work will, inevitably, have to work with a team of scientists and community organizers and groups. This workshop will feature speakers who are either scientists or community organizers. Topics of discussion include community-based participatory research, developing campaigns around community sampling, and principles of community lawyering.

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Steven Fischbach
Community Lawyer
Rhode Island Legal Services
56 Pine Street--Suite 400
Providence, RI 02903

401-274-2652 X-182
401-453-0310 (fax)