Best Practices for Establishing a Legal Defense Fund

There is no one “right” way to set up a legal defense fund or rapid response bail fund, and these definitions can be fluid depending on the needs of your local community. Historically, legal activists have employed a variety of approaches when creating and operating these funds, often specific to political circumstances and differences in local legal systems. This document, developed by the National Bail Fund Network and the National Lawyers Guild, provides an overview of some of the best practices distilled from decades of legal defense fund experiences. This document is focused on funds that are created for rapid response and as part of movement campaigns or direct actions.