WE DID IT! Spring Appeal Gratitude & Victory Lap

You absolutely crushed it. CLDC’s Spring Fund Appeal has officially closed, and we're blown away by what our community accomplished together. With a final total of nearly $30,000 raised – exceeding our $25,000 goal by almost $5,000 – you've proven once again that when we stand together, we don't just meet our goals, we transcend them.

The Power of Our Conspiracy

Just as ravens gather in a powerful “conspiracy” when danger looms, our community showed up when civil liberties and the right to dissent and protest face unprecedented attacks. Your response was nothing short of extraordinary. Whether you contributed $25 that became $50 through our generous matching partner, or made larger gifts that were doubled dollar-for-dollar, every single donation amplified our collective power when we needed it most.

This isn't just about numbers on a spreadsheet. Your support directly translates into:

More legal firepower for frontline activists who risk it all to confront the fascism we continue to reckon with.
Expanded Know Your Rights & Risks trainings reaching hundreds of registrants, with our revised Train the Trainer program coming soon!
Increased capacity with our new California & Washington bar-licensed movement defense attorney, an Administrative Associate, and our bilingual Community & Education Coordinator, we are doing our best to rise to the needs of our beloved movement now.

The Resistance Momentum Continues

Your generosity comes at a critical time when our communities are organizing and mobilizing like never before. We're seeing explosive growth in requests for our KYRR trainings, and unprecedented demand for our legal expertise and representation, demonstrating what we have expected all along – that this movement will only strengthen in the face of oppression. This isn't a fleeting spike – it's the new baseline, and your support ensures we can meet this moment with the full force it demands.

What Success Looks Like

Because of supporters like you, success for CLDC means frontline activists and communities don't just survive repression – they thrive. We're building a movement where no one faces state targeting alone, where every protester, civil rights advocate, land and water defender, and community organizer knows their rights and fights to uphold them – and has expert movement aligned legal representation if needed – without cost to them. Your contributions armor up our communities with the legal tools, resources, and solidarity needed to take bold action for environmental and social justice – and win.

Looking Forward

The fights ahead won't wait, and neither will we. With nearly $30,000 in capacity, we're doubling down on our relentless momentum.

We see your commitment. We feel your solidarity. We're inspired by your courage.

Thank you for standing with us in this fight. If you wanted to contribute to our Spring Appeal but weren’t able to (we know how tight money may be), no worries. We have so many other ways for you to get involved and join the conspiracy. Please visit our website, check out our resource library, share our information, visit us at a tabling event, sign up to volunteer, or just shoot us an email to tell us what you think of our work.

Together, we're proving that when communities unite with shared purpose and unwavering determination, failure is not an option. The resistance endures, and thanks to your support, we've got your back until all are free.

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Dear CLDC Supporter,

CLDC has long been a trusted ally to activists across the nation. We’ve seen the rise and fall of movements and the continuation of state repression, through various iterations and stages. It is undoubtably a scary time for those of us who speak up for the rights of our most oppressed community members. However, we know that in times when we feel the most afraid, our solidarity and action must grow stronger.

“For over 25 years, I’ve defended environmental and social justice activists in some of the most serious cases of our time—including during past waves of state repression. Silencing dissent is always the goal of those who abuse power, which is why it’s critical to stay sharp, effective, and unyielding.

Lawyers like me now stand on the front lines, facing real consequences for doing our jobs. But we do so knowingly, and we won’t back down. We’ll win—in court, in public, and in the history books.”

~ Lauren Regan, CLDC Founder & Director of Litigation & Advocacy

The Resistance Awakens

Our communities are awakening and mobilizing. We at CLDC found it very encouraging to see millions of people activated and moving in the streets during the last few nationwide protests; now it’s time to double down. This moment requires that engaged citizens and our sharpest strategists come together to develop concrete action plans. We need clear, achievable goals that offer an inspirational alternative to the Trump administration's policies.

2025: Our Relentless Momentum Unleashed

Our momentum isn't just building, it's exploding. Our Know Your Rights & Risks (KYRR) trainings are drawing hundreds of registrants, both in person and virtually. We know that this surge isn't a fleeting spike—it's the new baseline. Just three months into 2025, all indicators point to even greater momentum-building as we move forward. The people are awakening, mobilizing, and seeking out the expert legal education and resources CLDC provides. With this kind of explosive start, 2025 isn't just a promising year, it's the breakthrough moment we've been building toward.

Smashing Our Goals

We promised growth, and we've delivered. After an exhaustive search for extraordinary talent who share our vision, we're thrilled to announce the expansion of our legal team with a new movement attorney. This addition strengthens our ability to defend those targeted for fighting for a better world, advocate for human rights for our political prisoners, and litigate federal civil rights cases against the government to maintain fundamental legal protections. To support our lawyers, we've also welcomed a legal worker and a bilingual organizer who bring fresh energy and increased capacity to our work. This expansion comes at a crucial time when frontline communities—those willing to risk their liberty for issues affecting us all—face growing threats to their environmental safety, health, and rights while bearing the heaviest burden of social and environmental injustices.

Failure Is Not an Option

This team doesn’t know the definition of “failure.” Success for CLDC looks like frontline activists and communities not simply surviving repression, but thriving, by equipping movements to defend themselves—legally, strategically, and collectively—so that seemingly all-powerful oligarchs can’t silence us through intimidation or legal attacks. Success means creating a movement where no one faces state targeting or prosecution alone, where every protester, civil rights advocate, land and water defender, and community organizer knows their rights and fights to uphold them. We're building communities armed with the legal tools, resources, and solidarity needed to take bold action for environmental and social justice—and win.

We see your outrage. We hear your concerns. We feel your fears. This moment demands courage from us all. Your support doesn't just fund our work—it empowers and strengthens us all. Will you stand with us in this fight?

CLDC 2025 Spring Appeal

By Civil Liberties Defense Center

CLDC 2025 Spring Appeal

The Resistance Awakens

Team Members