Schedule of Training Events

Justice in Action will be held each year in February, strategically timed to the calendar of the Tennessee General Assembly. The program spans three days:

Day 1: Intensive Training

• General overview of Tennessee legislative process
• How to meet with legislators
• Overview and in-depth workshops on issue-specific bills
• Role-plays to prepare for legislative visits the following day

Day 2: Legislative Meetings. Each meeting (pre-arranged by NPJC staff) focuses on one specific bill currently in the Tennessee legislature. Each meeting involves:

• One state legislator
• 1-5 Justice in Action participants from that legislator’s district
• One “meeting coach” to provide moral support and facts & figures (generally a staff person of the organization most closely tied to the issue the bill addresses)
• At the end of each visit, all participants fill out a “meeting report form” to describe how the meeting went, what concerns were raised, commitments made, etc.

Day 3: More legislative meetings (day) and Group Debrief (evening). During the group debrief:

• Participants report back on their legislative meetings
• Participants make commitments for follow-up plans with their legislators
• Resources are shared for further involvement and education.