Where the CCLP is the Coalition of Concerned Legal Professionals.

I hadn't heard of them until I bumped into them in front of the grocery store back in May after finishing up a study session during finals. They made a good pitch. Access to legal services is becoming more and more difficult, especially for the poor. I was told about their advising sessions and stuff, was showed a very glossy publication, etc. Having been thinking that volunteering somewhere might help me get some real-world experience, I signed up. They called me once in the middle of finals, at which point they got a curt "Leave me alone!" They called me again a week ago, let me know about what was going on, and I agreed to volunteer at a "legal advice" session on Saturday.

The legal advice session was fine. The group struck me as weird, but fine. Absolutely no government money, etc. I was a bit taken aback by the operations director (a full-time volunteer) when I was there. She started talking about eminent domain and the like, but she hadn't heard about Kelo v. New London. That struck me as odd. Anyhow, I found it strange that in the middle of this session, Michelle got very adamant about me coming by their office to figure out what I'll do to help out. I thought that was pretty presumptuous, but I agreed to come by Monday night. I did so.

Earlier, I wrote up my feelings after the Monday meeting, including:

After volunteering last weekend, I went in today to discuss what I might be able to do to help. Things were normal enough on Saturday, in spite of some comments that made them come off a bit radical in many ways for my tastes. Today, I got what amounted to a sales pitch, followed by what struck me as some strong-arm, almost cultish tactics. Not, “Hey, come help us at our literature table Saturday.” Not, “How about you send out these daily letters?” I was asked which part of their strategies I wanted to run. This is my second day with them.

My early searches for a website were not fruitful, so I gave up. However, throughout the day today, I kept thinking that there's got to be more about this group that I was missing. There was just too much craziness, and it seemed way to strange. Plus, somehow, they had to maintain these offices. I decided to do some more digging tonight. This time, I found stuff on the anti-cult activist Rick Ross's site.

Then I found this. Michelle, the "operations director", told me how she used to work for the "Western Service Workers Association" in Oakland. Some of the descriptions, down to the talk of the "cadre" in those postings are right in line with the education session I had on Monday night.

I guess I should have worked harder to know more before I got involved. Tomorrow, I am expecting a call from Michelle to find out what I've decided I want to take on management of. That should be fun. I haven't decided whether to bring this stuff up, or just to say I've decided I'm not interested.

Update: The fun never ends.

I have been volunteering with them for two weeks now, I've been going in for a few hours on days that I don't have class and helping around the office. I originally wanted to do the legal advice sessions, but they said those were temporarily off and start again in November, so I stuck around to stay in contact. I was originally drawn to them because they have a long relationship of scheduling speaking engagements in the class of a professor that I respect, so I figured his blessings were trustable.

However after these first two weeks they asked me, just like they asked you, to run part of the organization, namely the volunteers coordination. I thought it was a little strange, but Michelle and Mel, the two full-timers were going out of town, and I was familliar with the office environment, and basically knew the paperwork it entialed, so I justified it to myself. But now the temp guy running the office has been at first gently, then more enthusiastically trying to get me involved in the Western Service Workers and some other groups. I knew something didn't feel right in the air, but I've never been in a volunteer service org before, so I had no point of reference.

After reading this, I'm thinking how I could gracefully slip out of my duties. I am the one on the phone calling contacts, I am one of the people out on their lit tables. From what you have described I would hate to create bad blood with these people, considering they have my number, know my school and have a rough idea of where I live. I just wish there was more specific information out there - yours is the only one so far on CCLP alone, though there's lots about NATLFED.

Don't know if you read this...but do you think I should cut and run immediatly?

I haven't read anything to suggest that, these days, the NATLFED groups are particularly dangerous. Most characterizations I've found have suggested that they largely exist to recruit, and they recruit to exist. After my last contact, they've never contacted me again.

I'd be really weary b/c once u join, u will have a very hard time quitting! If it so happens that you can't dedicate yourself fully or commit as much time your other commitments will be questioned. I am still trying to quit! I generally just ignore the phone call, i dont want to be rude, but there are reasons why I can't commit and it really stinks when someone can't understand that and will argue with you about why all your reasons for not committing are not good enough. If you tell them you can't come on a saturday, they will want to know why and then try and convince you that your prio commitments are not as important as CCLP. So you will find yourself constantly arguing with them or in the alternative avoiding thier phone calls, which can be rather hard to do since they are not above making anonymous phone calls.
curiously does anyone get what the objective is of organizing lawyers. They are bringing lawyers together for what. On a daily basis I found thier objectives to be a bit of a sham. What happens on saturday seems largely to be more of an advertisement to recruit new members, but it doesnt seem to be the ultimate end of the organization. Clearly they are not organizing simply to provide pro bono services. I understand their main purpose is to organize lawyers but for what. when i do ask i end up getting these long lectures on the plight of the working people, and how the legal system is not accommodating the needs of all the people effected by it etc etc. I agree with that, but still what the objective of this particular organization? what is CCLP looking to do by organizing lawyers, and i find it specially suspect when its lawyers being organized but yet they are not the ones who are engaged in the organizing efforts or even administrative efforts. It seems to me that the orgaizers bring the lawyers together but then also decide what the lawyers should be doing, and thats very suspect for me!
not to mention all these lawyers organized is a lot of power, and I don’t think its making the lawyers who are organized anymore powerful (as they not engaged in the organization enough to really set the goals of the organization) and it certainly not making the indigent that walk in looking for assistance, b/c they haveto follow the agenda of the organization as well, so it seems to be that really all these lawyers organized is only going ot be making CCLP significantly powerful. Which coincidently what is CCLP? Except for the two “cultish” rather aggressive women who else is CCLP? so yea be weary, i am not opposed to making the system more responsive to the needs of the indigent masses, and i love being able to do pro bono when i can, but there has got to be other places, and if it has to be CCLP then well they need to be a little bit more transparent. I am really glad someone is spreading the word about this organization!