Making a nationwide impact

Since 2017, 14,000+ lawyers have joined the We The Action community to provide volunteer legal support to our 350+ nonprofit partners. Together, we are making a positive impact, one project at a time.

  • 80,000+

    Hours of volunteer legal services

  • $44M+

    Donated in volunteer services

  • 20,000+

    Connections to date

Fighting for today’s important causes

It’s not a theoretical problem. It’s mothers she met.

One lawyer who refused to sit on the sidelines

Helping nonprofits stay focused on their missions

A Uniquely Powerful Project
A Gateway to Activism
A Big Impact in Little Time
A Uniquely Powerful Project
A Gateway to Activism
A Big Impact in Little Time
  • It’s not a theoretical problem. It’s mothers she met.
  • One lawyer who refused to sit on the sidelines
  • Helping nonprofits stay focused on their missions
A Uniquely Powerful Project

Monica’s story

After the Trump administration announced immigration policies that made reuniting separated families and seeking asylum harder, Monica Carmean couldn’t ignore We The Action’s email calling for lawyers to help. The Chicago-based lawyer was one of 143 lawyers who signed up with the American Immigration Lawyers Association at We The Action to assist asylum seekers at the height of the family separation crisis. For one week, Monica volunteered at the nation’s largest detention center in Dilley, Texas, seeing the opportunity as a "uniquely powerful way to contribute to a pressing need."

All lawyers can help

On-site immigration law experts trained the volunteer lawyers, making it possible for even those without relevant experience to use their skills to address the life-or-death legal needs at the Southern border. Through hours-long interviews, volunteers like Monica helped women—most escaping threats of violence or death—understand what parts of their personal stories constituted grounds for asylum so that the women had a better chance at successfully conveying them to asylum officers.

Using legal skills to save lives

"We’re not doctors—lawyers don’t get the opportunity to save lives,” Monica says. “But in this situation, that’s exactly what we’re doing.” During her week in Dilley, Monica helped nearly 20 women and their children. “When the president is trying to demonize asylum seekers, it’s no longer a theoretical problem that exists—it’s moms that I met."

A Gateway to Activism

Zara’s story

For weeks following the 2016 election, Washington, D.C.-based lawyer Zara Day called dozens of nonprofits offering free legal help. All her calls went unreturned. Over the past year since joining We The Action, Zara has used the platform to connect and volunteer with several nonprofits including the American Constitution Society, Rock the Vote Action Fund, and Alliance for Justice.

Protecting the rights of voters

Leading up to the 2018 midterm elections, Zara volunteered with Election Protection—the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition. Election Protection and We The Action teamed up and together mobilized thousands of lawyers during the midterms to respond to voting issues on the ground and at call centers nationwide. While stationed at a local call center, Zara helped concerned voters navigate the voting process, so they could feel confident their voices were heard on Election Day.

Using your law degree for causes you care about

"Not every lawyer leaves law school and gets a job on the frontlines doing the practice they read about in books. We The Action allows you to tap into the reasons you went to law school,” Zara says. “As lawyers, we use our training in many different ways, so it stands to reason that we can use those skills to volunteer for things we’re passionate about, too."

A Big Impact in Little Time

Jeremy’s story

For nonprofit startups like We The Action partner First Ask, hiring a lawyer—even for a few hours—can swallow up not just their entire budget, but also time they could spend fulfilling their core mission. While browsing We The Action for ways to make a difference, New York-based lawyer Jeremy Coffey found First Ask’s request for help filing tax forms. His help allowed First Ask to focus on their mission—recruiting women to run for office.

Lawyers’ skills can make a difference

Common legal challenges nonprofits face—like creating 501(c)(3) organizations and revising bylaws—are issues that lawyers like Jeremy deal with every day. “We The Action lawyers are able to keep nonprofits focused on their mission and get them back to the people that they serve.” Since volunteering with First Ask, Jeremy has volunteered with four other We The Action partners including The Arc and Turnout.

A few hours can make an enormous impact

Tess Rabin, Director of First Ask, said that although Jeremy volunteered only three to four hours, his impact went far beyond helping them with compliance issues. "Jeremy put us at ease," Tess says. "He let us know that we can handle this, and we can help our candidates handle this, too."

Nationwide Legal Support

Lawyers taking action across the country.

We The Action lawyers hail from every state and are bound together by a common desire to advance the social good.

There when it matters

When nonprofits need legal support, the We The Action community responds in force.

From immigration to voter rights and everything in between.

From helping small businesses in Puerto Rico rebuild, to representing families separated at the border, to scrutinizing President Trump’s Supreme Court nominees, We The Action lawyers show up when it counts.

From immigration to voter rights and everything in between.
A nationwide pool of talent

Our lawyers have a breadth of experience enabling them to tackle a broad range of issues.

Browse all projects