January 21st and 22nd will be a busy weekend. Two organizations, Lawyers for Good Government Inc. and RISE When We Fall, are gathering together in Washington DC for the inauguration of the Rise Above Conference, an effort to coordinate legal resistance to the incoming Trump Administration and Republican controlled Congress. Recognizing the unprecedented political energy spurred by the presidential election of Donald Trump, lawyers, students, legal activists, and policy experts are hoping to convert that energy into strategic and relentless protection of civil rights and vulnerable communities in the United States.
On the conference website, Lawyers for Good Government Inc. “was created to harness the energy, passion, and skills of more than 120,000 lawyers, law students, and legal activists who joined together in the wake of the presidential election to fight for equality, justice, freedom, and democracy. Through a combination of legal advocacy, education, community outreach, and strategic partnerships, the organization’s mission is to ensure a just society and a government that works.” Lawyers For Good Government is also an official partner of the Women’s March on Washington, which will take place before the legal conference.
RISE When We Fall “is becoming the premier watchdog organization over the Trump Administration by connecting an extensive network of policy experts, including former senior officials from the White House and other agencies, with an energetic grassroots operation. Since the election, more than 16,000 people have joined RISE to create a new and powerful movement to demand a government that works.”
Trump, his cabinet and advisers, and a Republican controlled Congress would most likely threaten the rights and safety of women, people of color, LGBT citizens, immigrants, and more if the government allowed to do as they please. The collaboration and determination of the 120,000 members attending this conference may be one of our best solutions to ensure the safety and rights of the people.
Read more about the conference at their website, http://www.riseaboveconference.org/