Volunteer

This team provides free, zealous, life-affirming, and gender-affirming holistic criminal legal services to low-income and street based transgender and gender non-conforming people targeted by the criminal legal system. We need volunteer attorneys to:

• Provide direct representation around prisoner rights, criminal defense, employment discrimination, public benefits advocacy, name change advocacy, immigration, etc.

• Visit clients in prison and jail

• Engage in legal research and writing

• Participate in client meetings

• Conduct legal resource clinics at TJLP and at allied organizations

Additionally, we need non-attorney volunteers to:

• Organize and digitize client files

• Answer out of state letters requesting services

• Order necessary forms for attorneys upon request (HIPAA forms, psych records, etc)

• Volunteer with our Name Change Mobilization and assist transgender and gender non-conforming folks in changing their legal names.

This team fulfills our commitment to growing our political consciousness and building intentional community relationships.  We need volunteers to:

• Recommend event themes and skillshares that speak to our communities’ needs and interests

• Provide outreach support to community partners who might wish to co-host an event

• Organize reading groups or film screenings for members of TJLP to develop our critical consciousness

• Provide trainings and skillshares to the TJLP Collective

• Notify TJLP members of workshops/trainings/conferences/CLEs that we could attend

The Organizing Support Team works on building intentional and meaningful relationships between TJLP and allied organizations. We need volunteers to:

• Collaborate with allied organizations on reading groups and monthly film screenings

• Organize dinners, discussion groups, skype check-ins, etc. with members of allied organizations to help build coalitions

The Creative Resource Gathering Team is responsible for organizing fundraising and other resources for TJLP. We need volunteers to:

• Organize fundraisers

• Write and edit grant applications

• Search for potential grants we could apply for

• Gather in-kind donations (office supplies, CTA cards, etc)

• Someone with accounting experience to manage TJLP’s budget and bank account, and do TJLP’s taxes

The Self-Care Team is responsible for making sure that TJLP’s volunteers, collective members, interns, and clients stay recharged for the revolution, and do not experience “burnout.”  We need volunteers to:

• Provide astrology readings to TJLP members

• Connect TJLP members to acupuncture/bodywork

• Organize art/music/herbal therapy sessions for TJLP volunteers and folks who receive services

• Train TJLP members in relaxation techniques

• Conduct regular check-ins with TJLP members about our capacity and workload. This could be time to vent, to get advice on time management, to reflect on how over-worked you are, and whether you should take on more responsibilities or take a step back from some responsibilities

The Admin Team is responsible for maintaining TJLP’s communication infrastructure. We need volunteers to:

• Check voicemail daily

• Check info@tjlp.org email account daily

• Produce a regular newsletter to distribute to TJLP listservs, clients, and folks on the inside

• Manage the TJLP facebook page

• Draft informational pamphlets, resource lists, how-to guides, and other documents that could be of use to clients, community members, allied orgs, TJLP members, and the revolution at large

• Work as our Volunteer Coordinator to recruit, coordinate, and provide orientation to new volunteers

   

The Advocacy Support Team uses e our privileges as a legal organization to provide support in non-legal ways, including .  To do this, the Advocacy Support Team is looking for volunteers to:

• Organize court support

• Collect job applications for clients upon request (esp. if they’re getting out of prison/jail)

• Work as a Resource Advocate to provide ongoing support for folks who access TJLP’s services, including applying for housing, government benefits, clothing, medical care, supplying CTA cards, etc.

• Create a database of our clients’ birthdays, then send them birthday and holiday cards on an ongoing basis

• Organize letter-writing campaigns for clients who ask us to support them

• Assist folks on the inside with navigating the grievance procedure for their facility

• Join Write to Win as a penpal with a trans person on the inside

• Join GLAM Crew and gather and organize fabulous donations, connect individuals in need of the service, and assist recipients in picking out fabulous looks.

• Join the Hidden Expressions ‘Zine Crew and correspond with folks who have contributed to the ‘zine, send mass mailings, organize submissions, or help plan our release party.

• Assist Write to Win, our trans prisoner penpal project

• Organize skillshares, discussion groups, and workshops. Suggested topics may include:

  • writing and public speaking

  • hair/makeup/nail/eyebrow tutorials

  • cooking club

  • harm-reduction strategies for dealing with police

  • safer sex work tips

  • how to find housing

  • harm reduction tips with hormone injection

  • groups just to meet other trans folks

  • astrology readings

  • how to write a resume and practice interviews

  • prison abolition and TJ in theory and practice

  • what does trans pride mean to you

  • activism and organizing tips

  • know your rights

  • community gardening

  • when to disclose that you are trans/HIV+/have a record/etc

  • fashion design

  • computer/MS Office literacy

  • woodworking

  • musical/singing lessons

  • arts and crafts

  • dance lessons

  • media critical consciousness

  • non-english language lessons

  • how to fill out tax forms

  • web design

  • conflict de-escalation