Strategic Plan - Legal Action Chicago

The Board of Legal Action Chicago has adopted a three-year strategic plan for 2024-2026. Under the Plan, Legal Action’s agenda-setting will prioritize initiatives that have the greatest impact for the largest number of people, and it will ensure consideration, at a minimum, of the following criteria:

1. The work answers a demonstrated community need either arising from the Legal Aid caseload or from other community sources.

2. The work reflects a strategic priority for racial justice/racial equity.

3. Legal Action’s involvement is a value-add and not duplicative of work already in progress by other organizations with similar missions.

4. The potential impact of a matter, if successful, will justify the expenditure of resources devoted to it.

Legal Action’s 2024-2026 Goals

Legal Action will be an established and welcomed leader on the issues within its mission, fitting well and productively among other organizations doing similar work. Legal Action will be capable of leading a legislative and administrative agenda each year and of leading a docket of complex class action litigation. Legal Action will be capable of deploying communications strategies on all of its projects, responsibly incorporating community priorities into its agenda-setting, participating productively in coalitions and community partnerships, and otherwise positioning itself to influence policy and systems affecting its mission.
Legal Action will produce results with and for low income people and communities. It will have a leadership role in winning passage of bills, ordinances, budget initiatives and administrative rule/policy/procedure changes. It will have a leadership role in a docket of complex litigation matters. It will be able to show community need and/or significant community engagement or partnerships in all of its initiatives; and it will have a substantial racial equity or racial justice analysis and involvement in all of its initiatives. Legal Action will have in place an effective means to evaluate its impact and work.
Legal Action will have secured adequate support to sustain its programs and enable growth. Legal Action staff will receive annual professional development support for training and/or conferences. Legal Action staff will be experts or presenters on a regular basis for training programs, webinars or conferences. Legal Action will have all necessary support for technology, research, financial, HR, and travel needs. Legal Action’s board will have plans in place for emergency and longer term leadership succession.
Legal Action will have secured adequate support to sustain its programs and create potential for growth. Legal Action staff will receive annual professional development support for training and/or conferences. Legal Action staff will be experts or presenters on a regular basis for training programs, webinars or conferences. Legal Action will have all necessary support for technology, research, financial, HR, and travel needs.