Community Lawyering

In community-oriented lawyering, the lawyer works with other professionals in the community, using the legal system as one of the tools, to address an issue in the community from a broader perspective. Instead of looking at one client's issue, the lawyer looks for what is the community's issue that has led the client to involvement with the legal system. Community lawyers teach citizens the skills they need to effectively advocate on their own behalf and help them build the self-confidence necessary to bring about changes in their community.

Several years ago, there was a Center for Community Lawyering. Rumor has it that the director has moved on and the movement is no longer organized. Still, many lawyers approach the law from this perspective.

http://www.city-journal.org/html/8_4_sndgs06.html contains an article which describes some of the successes of Community Law.

There is also a website for a local community law group at www.communitylawyer.org