About Us

Community Law In Action (CLIA) is committed to preparing our youth leaders to enhance the quality of life in their schools and communities. CLIA operates a variety of innovative programs serving youth aged 12-21, focusing on self-exploration, leadership development, problem solving, advocacy, youth organizing, community service, civic engagement, team-building, and exposure to personal and professional opportunity.

CLIA began as a partnership between the University of Maryland School of Law (UMB) and several Baltimore neighborhoods whose residents had been represented by the school's legal clinic. Faced with a growing list of complex issues (poor schools, vacant houses, random violence, drug addiction, etc.) that could not be solved through traditional legal representation, CLIA was created to work directly with urban communities to identify, address, and solve issues before legal representation became necessary.

CLIA works with urban communities to:

• Bring youth and adults together to identify problems, research possible options, plan action strategies, and implement plans to effect social change;
• Develop innovative, collaborative strategies for addressing social and political issues;
• Build community-wide capacity to lead, organize, and sustain social advocacy initiatives through established programs, technical assistance, and support;
• Develop sustainable community leadership by empowering youth and young adults to assume leadership roles in civic associations and community-based organizations;
• Introduce youth to leadership and advocacy skills through youth-adult partnerships, interactive programming, advocacy training, and additional workshops.

Since its beginning in 1997, CLIA has worked to equip young people with the knowledge, skills, and access needed to give voice to youth perspective on vital community issues directly impacting their lives. This training provides youth an opportunity to act upon those concerns and to achieve real victories through their efforts. While the old saying indicates youth are the leaders of the future, CLIA's programs emphasize the reality that youth need the skills and opportunities to meet their capacity to become leaders today. Based on this simple concept, CLIA has evolved into an innovative, hands-on youth-serving organization with the mission to assist emerging youth leaders as they develop into self-empowered, problem-solving advocates for social and political change.

In July 2004, CLIA became an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. While we continue to work closely with the University of Maryland School of Law, we are now governed by a Board of Directors.

Community Law in Action
520 West Fayette Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 706-3875
(410) 706-0041 fax
clia@communitylawinaction.org
© 2007