Blog of Voices for Civil Justice: 2017 Archives


A Movement is Growing

December 19, 2017 - 11:05 am
Statewide approaches to communications and media are now bubbling up from coast to coast, and we are beginning to see good results.


Help Us Craft Our 2018 Plan

November 29, 2017 - 6:14 pm
We want to know how Voices can best support your communications work.


The New New Thing

October 23, 2017 - 4:06 pm
Statewide communications networks are the new new thing in spotlighting civil legal aid. Are you ready to work with Voices to create a JusticeVoices network in your state? At the 2017 NLADA Annual Conference in Washington DC, we will convene the first-ever gathering of state leaders to spotlight emerging models for strategy-setting, staffing and communications plans in several pioneering states.


Words to embrace, words to replace

October 9, 2017 - 2:04 pm
In this post, we spotlight the contributions of messaging expert Anat Shenker-Osorio who applies tools from cognition and linguistics to examine not just which words work when discussing civil legal aid and access to justice, but also to explain why certain words work when others don't.


Florida Bar Foundation Uses GIS to Develop Powerful Communications Tools

September 18, 2017 - 3:43 pm
In preparation for 2017's ABA Days in Washington, DC , the Florida Bar Foundation teamed up with SRLN to develop powerful tools for showing policy makers the impact of LSC funding on the lives of Floridians in every part of the state. In this post, FBF Communications Director Nancy Kinnally explains why she believes the the same sort of analysis that made the ABA Day team’s visuals so powerful could be used to communicate with other key audiences, making media, legal advocacy and philanthropic efforts more effective.


News Roundup: Hurricane Harvey, and Right to Counsel for Eviction Defense

August 31, 2017 - 4:38 pm
  Like you, we’ve been unable to take our eyes off the harrowing images of inundation and suffering along the Texas Gulf Coast. We are working to get a jump on a part of the story we know is too often overlooked – the consequential legal problems that inevitably accompany such a disaster, and the ... Read more


How to talk with philanthropists about civil legal aid

August 16, 2017 - 6:02 pm
This summer two important new pieces of research yielded fresh guidance on how to communicate about civil legal aid in a way that builds lasting support. This posts focuses on how to communicate effectively with the philanthropic community.


New research finds voters overwhelmingly believe equal justice under law is a right, not a privilege

July 31, 2017 - 11:49 am
On July 19, at a national Communications & Media Training, Voices unveiled the results of new messaging research conducted by Celinda Lake and Anat Shenker-Osorio. The findings are good news for advocates looking to increase awareness of and support for civil legal aid.


Opportunities for media coverage about civil legal aid continue

July 10, 2017 - 1:42 pm
As civil justice advocates continue to face big challenges across the country, media coverage is more critical than ever to help spotlight the scope of the unmet legal needs of low income Americans and the role of civil legal aid in meeting that need.


Voices Training will feature Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus

July 5, 2017 - 11:55 am
Voices is pleased to announce that Washington Post Deputy Editorial Page Editor Ruth Marcus will be in conversation with Janice L. Kaplan at its 2017 Communications & Media Training on Wednesday, July 19.


Voices’ Staff Picks for Summer Reading

June 19, 2017 - 6:14 pm
Are you looking for summer reading recommendations? Here, from your friendly Voices team, are our picks – all with a communications theme of course! In this post, each member of the Voices team shares two books or other resources that during the past year have proven influential, useful, or both.


Announcing Voices’ 2017 Communications & Media Training

May 25, 2017 - 3:50 pm
Last summer Voices convened the first-ever national communications training focused exclusively on civil legal aid. For year two, we've added an advanced media track plus new message research and a half-day of intensive storytelling skills.


Introducing the Voices “A-Team”

May 17, 2017 - 3:12 pm
Are you A-Team material? Last year, Voices for Civil Justice began a special initiative we call our “A-Team.” Now we are ready to expand it.


See you in Pittsburgh?

April 27, 2017 - 3:09 pm
Here's where you can find the Voices team at the 2017 Equal Justice Conference in Pittsburgh next week.


The Extraordinary Media Moment Continues

April 18, 2017 - 2:48 pm
Since our last media roundup on March 24, there have been at least 40 additional pieces featuring the role of legal aid in providing essential help to people nationwide – for a total of more than 80 pieces since February in national outlets and at least one local outlet in most states.


What’s on deck for Voices Training in 2017?

March 31, 2017 - 2:44 pm
Last year, across the country, Voices trained more than 500 civil legal aid advocates in the building blocks of “Communications Planning” and “Persuasive Messaging.” In 2017 we are adding to that curriculum, developing advanced trainings for graduates of our 2016 training.


An Extraordinary Media Moment

March 24, 2017 - 1:40 pm
In the week since President Trump proposed a budget that eliminates the Legal Services Corporation, civil legal aid has received a lot of media exposure, including stories in the New York Times, the Atlantic, and other major national outlets.


Is your state ready to coordinate media efforts?

February 28, 2017 - 1:39 pm
In our last post, we promised you more information about our 2017 initiatives and how you can participate. Here’s more about what is in store for statewide capacity building.


We Are Here to Help

February 14, 2017 - 5:32 pm
It has never been more important to engage the public and shape conversations about what justice for all in America is -- and what it should look like.


2016 Voices Survey Results

January 11, 2017 - 3:19 pm
Last October, 306 of you - representing 47 states, the District of Columbia and the Northern Marianas - generously took the time to complete our 2016 survey of communications activity in the civil legal aid sector.