Shriver Center On Poverty Law

TO ADVANCE LAWS AND POLICIES TO IMPROVE THE LIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY.

THE SHRIVER CENTER'S ADVOCACY PROGRAMS ADVANCE LAWS, POLICIES, AND SYSTEMS CHANGES THAT IMPROVE THE LIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY. SHRIVER CENTER ADVOCATES FOCUS ON ISSUES THAT HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY: COMMUNITY JUSTICE, ECONOMIC JUSTICE, HEALTHCARE JUSTICE, AND HOUSING JUSTICE. UNDERSTANDING THAT POVERTY CANNOT BE EFFECTIVELY ADDRESSED WITHOUT ADDRESSING RACIAL INEQUALITY, THE SHRIVER CENTER USES A RACIAL JUSTICE LENS TO SET ITS ADVOCACY AGENDA. SHRIVER CENTER ADVOCATES USE MULTIFACETED APPROACH, INCLUDING LITIGATION TO COMBAT MOUNTING STATE AND FEDERAL THREATS WHILE ALSO TACKLING STRUCTURAL RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION HEAD ON; POLICY TO UNCOVER SYSTEMIC INEQUITIES AND CREATE NEW PATHWAYS FOR OPPORTUNITY THROUGH LEGISLATION AND SYSTEM CHANGES; AND MULTISTATE ADVOCACY TO HARNESS THE POWER OF THE SHRIVER CENTER'S GROWING NETWORKS. THE SHRIVER CENTER HAS A TRACK RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN ITS HOME STATE OF ILLINOIS, AND IS WORKING TO BROADEN ITS ADVOCACY WINS, STATE BY STATE AND AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

THE SHRIVER CENTER'S ADVOCATE RESOURCES AND TRAINING PROGRAM (ART) OFFERS THE SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT EQUAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES NEED TO OBTAIN BIGGER, BETTER, AND BOLDER GAINS FOR THEIR CLIENTS. ROOTED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY VALUES, THE SHRIVER CENTER'S TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO FOSTER INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION WHILE BUILDING ADVOCATES' SKILLS AND CAPACITIES. THE SHRIVER CENTER, THROUGH ITS ADVOCACY AND ART PROGRAMS, BUILDS TEAMS AND DEVELOPS LEADERS THROUGH SEVERAL NETWORKS OF STATE ADVOCATES. EACH OF THESE NETWORKS CONNECTS ADVOCATES TO ONE ANOTHER AND TO THE INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION RESOURCE NETWORKS THEY NEED TO BE EFFECTIVE. TWO OF THE SHRIVER CENTER'S MOST ACTIVE NETWORKS INCLUDE: THE LEGAL IMPACT NETWORK, A DYNAMIC COLLABORATIVE OF 36 ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES TO END POVERTY AND ACHIEVE RACIAL JUSTICE AT THE FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS. THROUGH WORKING GROUPS AND CONVENINGS, LEGAL IMPACT NETWORK MEMBERS SHARE VICTORIES AND EXPERTISE, AND DEVELOP RESOURCES, STRATEGIES, MODEL POLICIES AND LEGAL TOOLS TO MAXIMIZE IMPACT ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE RACIAL JUSTICE INSTITUTE, A GROUNDBREAKING NATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, GROUNDED IN A COMMITMENT TO RACE-EQUITY AS AN INTEGRAL AND ESSENTIAL PART OF ANTI-POVERTY ADVOCACY. FOLLOWING SIX MONTHS OF INTENSIVE TRAINING, FELLOWS JOIN A NATIONAL NETWORK OF RJI ALUMNI WHO ARE ADVANCING RACE EQUITY ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. RJI HAS CULTIVATED NEARLY 300 ADVOCATES.