What if legal work centered on solidarity? Hallie Jay Pope on legal design and rethinking power in lawyer services [Ep. 8]

19/02/2025 41 min Episodio 8
What if legal work centered on solidarity? Hallie Jay Pope on legal design and rethinking power in lawyer services [Ep. 8]

Listen "What if legal work centered on solidarity? Hallie Jay Pope on legal design and rethinking power in lawyer services [Ep. 8]"

Episode Synopsis

Are lawyers the real changemakers in justice—or should we rethink our role?
For decades, lawyers have been at the forefront of advocacy, fighting legal battles and pushing for reform. But what if true change doesn’t come from lawyers leading the charge—but from shifting power to the communities most affected by injustice?
Today, we’re diving deep into solidarity by legal design—a radical approach to law that prioritizes co-creation, community leadership, and reimagining legal systems from the ground up.
And my guest? The brilliant Hallie Jay Pope, Director of the New Jersey Legal Design Lab at Seton Hall Law School. Hallie brings a unique mix of law, design, and visual storytelling to rethink how lawyers engage with communities—and why we need to stop trying to be the heroes of social change.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

 What “solidarity by legal design” means—and how it differs from traditional advocacy
The power of co-creating solutions with the people directly affected by housing injustice
Why the future of legal work isn’t about lawyers having all the answers—but about community-driven leadership
Real-life case studies from the New Jersey Legal Design Lab and their work with tenants’ rights organizations.
How legal design can help shift power and create systemic change—not just surface-level reform

Whether you’re a lawyer, law student, activist, or simply someone passionate about housing justice and legal innovation, this episode will challenge how you think about law and your role in it.
Because here’s the truth: Lasting change doesn’t happen when lawyers hold all the power. It happens when we share it.
Here’s the website for the New Jersey Legal Design Lab.
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