Welcome
The Colorado chapter of the National Lawyers Guild brings together lawyers, legal workers, law students, jailhouse lawyers, and activists. We support progressive movements within our communities by
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educating our members;
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providing legal observers; and
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encouraging law students to become progressive practicing attorneys.
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We believe collaboration with other organizations is a stronger model for success, and we provide opportunities to learn about the efforts of others so that our members to activity engage in the issues they are most passionate about!
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Our Offerings
Our history
The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) is the oldest and most extensive network of public interest and human rights activists working within the legal system. It was the first nationwide attorney organization in the United States open to members of all races and national origins.
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The Guild was founded in 1937 as an association of progressive lawyers and jurists who believed that they had a major role to play in the reconstruction of legal values to emphasize human rights over property interests. A Denver chapter was formed in 1938, but later collapsed under McCathyism. During the Smith Act trials in Denver in the 1950s, Guild lawyers had to come from the east coast bolster the eventually successful defense. In the 1960s, the anti-war and Chicano movements inspired the formation of a Colorado chapter. Colorado Guild members have since been involved in supporting community activists challenging human rights violations, environmental degradation, the Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons facility, racism in universities and schools, spying by the Denver Police Department, police violence and intimidation against protesters at many events, including: Columbus Day marches, the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Occupy Denver, immigrant rights demonstrations, Black Lives Matter and other demonstrations after the murder of George Floyd.