Legal Observers
NLG Legal Observer Program
The NLG Legal Observer Program is part of a comprehensive system of legal support coordinated by the Guild to enable people to express their political views as fully as possible, without unconstitutional disruption or interference by the government, and with the least onerous consequences from the criminal justice system.
Legal Observers (LOs) work under the supervision of Legal Observer program coordinators, who are attorneys licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois.
Who Can Be a Legal Observer?
LOs include attorneys, paralegals, legal workers, and law students, who have participated in attorney-supervised training. Trainings emphasize professionalism, ethics, nonviolence, and the requirement that non-attorneys avoid the unauthorized practice of law.
No NLG LOs ever tell demonstrators what to do, nor ever make political or tactical decisions. LOs who are lawyers may describe possible legal consequences.
How to Request A Legal Observer
Email chicago.lo.program@gmail.com.
We encourage organizers to contact us as soon as possible prior to the action, in order to increase our ability to provide observers, even before details are finalized. We consider your request for observers to be privileged legal communication and information provided will be kept confidential in accordance with applicable law.
To request LOs for your activity, please:
- Get in touch with us early! We need plenty of time to organize our LOs.
- Be clear about your goals for your demonstration or activity.
- Be able to meet with us in advance.
- Be able to tell us why you want legal observers, and what you may expect (even if you aren’t sure what to expect) from people coming to your demonstration, and from the police.
What Do We Do?
The National Lawyers Guild, Chicago Chapter, Legal Observer Program is part of NLG Chicago’s work in support of people’s power to express their political views as fully as possible, without unconstitutional disruption or interference by, and with the least onerous consequences from, the state.
We are dedicated to ethics, professionalism, and nonviolence. We are trained and vetted professionals who may be legal workers, law students, or attorneys. We work under the direction attorneys licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois. We work to build and maintain principled, trust-based relationships with the activists and organizations who request LOs.
What Don’t We Do?
We don’t give legal, tactical, or political advice, negotiate with the police for demonstrators, or speak to the press or public for demonstrators. Specific exceptions to these rules have to be negotiated in advance. LOs who aren’t attorneys licensed in Illinois can’t give legal advice.
We don’t interfere in arrests. We don’t give away confidential information about individuals or groups. We believe our notes, photographs, video and audio tape, and digitally-recorded materials are protected, and that the police aren’t entitled to them.
We can’t always promise to find lawyers for people who get arrested or to visit arrested people at the police station or jail. We usually try to help keep track of arrested people’s locations and needs.
Again, to request an LO for your activity, please email chicago.lo.program@gmail.com.
