Facilitated by NLG Director of Mass Defense King Downing with the participation of a number of ally organizations from our community, this training has been developed to serve (3) core purposes:
1. Training in Legal Observing and delivering Know Your Rights trainings.
The morning Legal Observer training will include discussion of both formal LO practices at events and informal Legal Observing (such as independent attorney documentation of harassment for parties that are reticent to involve law enforcement due to fears of rights violations and/or deportation). Participants who complete the morning session will be NLG-certified Legal Observers.
The afternoon session is a “train-the-trainers” event for individuals who would like to deliver Know Your Rights (KYR) trainings. While all attorneys, legal workers, law students, and organizers are invited to attend the afternoon event, there will be an emphasis on multi-lingual individuals who will be conducting trainings in languages other than English, and on training formats that are best-suited to various cultural contexts.
2. Awareness raising around emergent social justice issues in New Jersey through direct engagement with key stakeholders, with a focus on understanding the kind of legal response needs they are likely to engender. In addition to the LO and KYR skills components, this training will provide information on emergent NJ issue areas, and bring participants into conversation with affected communities. Even those who are already Legal Observers and KYR trainers may find the topical content of these sessions valuable.