Strategies for Impact

MLRI carries out strategic advocacy that promotes economic, racial, and social justice in Massachusetts. Our focus is on systems change and high impact advocacy that addresses widespread problems and institutional inequities that affect low income people and communities.

MLRI uses the following tools to create impact:

Impact Litigation

We initiate class action and other impact litigation that will significantly benefit low income people

Legislatve and Budget Advocacy

We engage in advocacy focused on protecting and increasing funding for identified items of importance to low income people; and defeating legislative and budget proposals that harm low income and vulnerable people.

Administrative Advocacy

We work with state and federal agencies to improve policies that affect low income and vulnerable people, and defend against policies that are harmful to low income and vulnerable people.

Coalition Building

We collaborate with legal services programs, community organizations, service providers, and other allies to achieve common goals and outcomes.

Community Lawyering

We partner with local legal services programs and community-based organizations to develop strategies and train advocates and/or community members to address needs of the community.

Information and Outreach

We engage in activities to inform policymakers, the general public, and key stakeholders about issues affecting low income people.

MLRI recognizes Poverty Reduction, Access to Justice, and Racial Equity as the three frameworks that underscore our mission.

Addressing Chronic Poverty:

identifying systems that perpetuate poverty and devising cross-substantive, multi-generational strategies that remove barriers and promote economic, family and community stability, opportunity, and mobility for low-income people.

Ensuring Access to Justice:

devising strategies to address systemic barriers that impede low income people, vulnerable populations (e.g., limited English proficient, limited education, seniors, children, individuals with physical, mental health, or cognitive disabilities) and pro se litigants from accessing the civil legal system, courts or administrative agencies, from receiving basic benefits and services, from knowing and exercising their legal rights, and from participating in fair judicial and administrative processes.

Advancing Racial Equity:

identifying issues and conditions that have a negative impact on the state’s communities of color and immigrant communities while devising effective strategies to diminish systemic barriers, racial disparities and implicit bias, and promote equal rights and opportunities for all.