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Lawyers And The Power Of Community: The Story Of South Ardmore, Corey S. Shdaimah

Corey S Shdaimah

Community organizing and lawyering have often been seen as incompatible. Lawyers are said to take over, many legal remedies are not amenable to and even dampen lay participation, and legal efforts can siphon money and other scarce resources. However, community organizations choose to seek out legal assistance for the benefits it provides despite their awareness of the dangers of working with lawyers and engaging the law. Much of the more recent literature shows that lawyers working with community organizations are also sensitive to these potential risks and benefits. This article presents the author’s efforts to organize her South Ardmore community …