The celebration brought together a community united by a shared belief: that legal knowledge should be co-created with, not simply delivered to, those most impacted by the justice system. People directly affected by incarceration understand both the importance of the law and the ways legal institutions fail. Meaningful reform promoting transformation requires their experience and full participation.
About the evening
The event featured the reflections of LLAW Co-directors Tony "Hashim" Windley and Susan Sturm, who spoke to the program's origins, its evolving model of collaboration, and the vision that drives their work. Four LLAW fellows who are currently incarcerated shared their experiences of LLAW as an amplifier of transformative change. Three Columbia Law students described the lessons they learned from co-authoring the Jailhouse Lawyers Manual (JLM) to improve its accessibility. Their shared goal is for this resource to communicate the knowledge and wisdom of those who have advocated for themselves and others while incarcerated.
Participants experienced how LLAW has built a community among fellows, Columbia Law students, and practicing attorneys;; and how their shared insight is “groundtruthing” legal knowledge and making it more accessible. The event also premiered an original song titled “Your Day Will Come”, written by an LLAW Fellow and a composer based on interviews with other LLAW fellows. The song powerfully conveys the need to make law more accessible and the hope generated by LLAW’s transformative impact.
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