As a recent law school graduate working in the public sector, I am constantly searching for new and innovative ways to serve low-income clients who are facing a variety of complex legal issues. I recently was connected with the Graphic Advocacy Project, which is run by a team of social justice advocates who expertly utilize visual communication in order to make difficult legal concepts accessible to everyone who needs them.
As a social justice lawyer, I am especially interested in developing new ways to explain legal concepts to non-lawyers. This vision for a more just world depends on the ability to communicate. I want to work with the amazing team at Graphic Advocacy Project in order to develop a new legal guide for people in poverty called "The Life of a Lawsuit" that will enable all community members to understand their legal rights and help them learn how they defend themselves in court.
The goal of this project is to teach the diverse and vulnerable communities I serve about their legal rights in order to increase their access to justice. The team I will be working with uses a variety of graphic devices to combine words and drawings that create a compelling visual narrative. Their expertise directs the reader to key points and delivers complex information in a clear, engaging way. Most importantly, the Graphic Advocacy team is able to use unique illustrations to distill complicated topics into powerful imagery.
The motivation behind this project is simple: humans process visuals faster than text. Combining words with clear and useful graphics increases our ability to comprehend and synthesize new information. Visuals engage us, motivate us, and stay with us long after we've seen them. Public interest lawyers are communicators, and with your help, this project will enable me to use the best tools I can to help as many people as possible. The legal services I provide to clients are always free, and this new visual resource would tremendously expand my impact.