Greetings of solidarity from all of us at CLDC!
By now many of you have likely received our end of year appeal in your mailboxes. We wanted to make a digital connection as well.
We work every day to defend the defenders through no-cost legal representation, movement-aligned legal education, and through strategic litigation. CLDC fights to ensure that activists, frontline communities, and progressive movements have the necessary space to move us all towards liberation. We are not doing this work alone. We are doing it with you!
The best way to support CLDC is to become a monthly donor at the most generous level possible for you. As we head into our 20th year, we encourage you to celebrate with us by pledging $20 a month. Any new monthly donor, or an existing one who increases their monthly pledge, will receive a special gift in 2023, featuring our new logo! To become a monthly donor, register online at cldc.org/donate. Make sure you check the monthly donation icon.
There are countless worthy organizations doing vital work that are certainly filling up your inboxes this time of year. We are humbled by those who have generously donated in the past and we are grateful for your consideration in your monthly giving. As a public interest organization that provides activist legal support, representation, and education free of charge, we literally couldn’t do it without you.
CLDC is a lean, mean, litigating machine!
Some of the ways we put your money to work for justice:
• Providing pro bono (no charge) criminal defense for activists: Typical criminal defense cases cost around $5,000-100,000, and unlike our civil rights cases, we do not get paid by the State if we win. We also provide pro bono legal information and consultations to activists and frontline communities. That totals close to $20,000/month.
• We take on federal civil rights lawsuits for people who cannot afford to pay the out-of-pocket expenses.Litigation costs, such as filing fees, deposition expenses, expert witness fees, and more, can easily run as high as $50,000 or more to take the case through trial. CLDC uses the fees we earned from winning past cases, and our member support, to fund these cases that otherwise could not be litigated successfully. Your financial support ensures that our “warchest” will permit us to take on more of these critical cases.
• Keeping us legal: By the time you add up mandatory legal malpractice insurance, bar dues, and mandatory continuing legal education, it costs CLDC about $2,000/month just to satisfy the basic requirements for being able to litigate. And because we take on cases all around the country, we are required to pay hefty fees for each case in each State outside of Oregon and Washington.
• Educating movements: In addition to custom training for movements, CLDC hosts a webinar series tailored to meet the educational needs of those engaged in direct action and dissent. Editing, platform hosting, interpretation, and small honorariums bring the hard costs for these programs to $500/month.
If you have any questions about your giving or if you’d like to volunteer with us, email our office at info@cldc.org and a staff member will respond promptly.
We are proud to have you on our side. Here’s to the next 20 years!
Until then, and in solidarity,
Lauren Regan
Executive Director, Senior Staff Attorney, & Founder