lorilei williams
The Resilient Advocates Collective’s founder, lorilei w. (they/them), is an immigration attorney, artist, and abolitionist with more than 14 years of experience working with migrants. They have conducted training sessions and presented on panels on their approaches to legal advocacy since 2013 when they began their career as an attorney for detained unaccompanied migrant children. lorilei used their own personal experiences of migration and violence, and their professional experiences in business and science, to develop a replicable approach to legal practice that was both trauma-informed and strategic. lorilei’s work resulted in numerous proven successes, from innovative approaches to volunteer management in high-volume, rapid response legal projects to community-driven group advocacy and impact litigation efforts.
In 2020, lorilei began articulating their approach to legal advocacy and practice into a four-part framework, now the cornerstone of RAC. lorilei has since been a frequently sought after speaker and presenter, and has presented their material more than 90 times since 2020. RAC is an evolution of lorilei’s current work providing training, coaching, and consulting services to legal services organizations on their approaches to advocacy and practice management. lorilei’s past projects include:
CAMBA Legal Services. CAMBA Legal Services is a large legal services organization in New York City that serves more than 4,500 individuals and families each year in practice areas such as housing, consumer law, and immigration law. lorilei designed and executed a three-part training series for all staff designed to provide a foundational approach to resilient advocacy, trauma-informed communication strategies, and holistic legal supervision.
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (ABLE) and Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO). ABLE and LAWO provide direct legal services to low-income individuals and families in Ohio. Both organizations work together to provide services, as one organization is subject to LSC restrictions while the other is not. lorilei designed and executed a training program for all staff on resilient advocacy and holistic legal supervision, and facilitated a debrief for managers designed to further practice and implement strategies covered during training sessions.
Shriver Center on Poverty Law. lorilei has extensive experience stemming from their work as a training attorney with the Shriver Center, and as a coach, trainer, and advisor for the Shriver Center’s Racial Justice Institute. lorilei’s work with the Shriver Center includes designing and executing curricula related to racial justice, supervision, leadership, and community lawyering; coaching race equity teams through the Racial Justice Institute on improving their racial justice approach to internal and external legal services work; and, designing and facilitating workshops that guide participants to practice concepts learned.
