STEP 1
Find the existing laws in your area for a starting point.
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STEP 2
Find laws in other parts of the United States that may have good ideas for your law.
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STEP 3
Search for background and supporting information on your issue with helpful tips.
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STEP 4
Find ways to promote your law to the local government offices and to the public through Social Media.
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We the People...

need easier access to our laws--finding them, changing them, writing them. We should not have to hire lawyers and lobbyists to pass a law we find beneficial. This is a way to bring government back to the people. Back to YOU.
Note, your law may not be passed as you present it in the template, however, having done the research and being able to present a working draft of a law to your elected officials will assist them in understanding what you want them to vote on. City or County attorneys will most likely have to adjust what you present to match the proper legal phrases needed. Creating laws for a better tomorrow
Note, your law may not be passed as you present it in the template, however, having done the research and being able to present a working draft of a law to your elected officials will assist them in understanding what you want them to vote on. City or County attorneys will most likely have to adjust what you present to match the proper legal phrases needed. Creating laws for a better tomorrow
NOTE: Although this website is Mobile Friendly, many of the research sites you may click on are not.
It is best to use this site from a computer so you can get the full benefit of the sites it links to.
It is best to use this site from a computer so you can get the full benefit of the sites it links to.
~ Special Thanks ~
The links and guidance have been graciously provided by:
Ed Edmonds
Associate Dean for Library and Information Technology
Professor of Law
Kresge Law Library
Notre Dame Law School
Ed Edmonds
Associate Dean for Library and Information Technology
Professor of Law
Kresge Law Library
Notre Dame Law School
National Data App Series
IDEO and the Sunlight Foundation created Apps to help make our government more open and transparent. If you would like access to government data, check out this link. https://www.ideo.com/work/sitegeist
International Push to Empower Citizens
TED Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/vivek_maru_how_to_put_the_power_of_law_in_people_s_hands
Access to Justice Navigators are part of Namati which is a Grassroots Legal Empowerment with a Global Network of Paralegals, in many places they are called "Barefoot Lawyers". They help Citizens in the areas of environment, citizenship, women, policy change, right to healthcare, tenant rights and more...
Access to Justice Navigators are part of Namati which is a Grassroots Legal Empowerment with a Global Network of Paralegals, in many places they are called "Barefoot Lawyers". They help Citizens in the areas of environment, citizenship, women, policy change, right to healthcare, tenant rights and more...
Namati is a Sanskrit word that means “to shape something into a curve”. Martin Luther King Jr. said that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. We call ourselves Namati because we’re dedicated to bending that curve.
Diagram courtesy of ACLU of Indiana
How a Bill Becomes a Law PDF <--Download
How you write a Bill for Indiana: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2016/publications/bill_drafting_manual/#document-ae6c0119
Links that may be helpful for Drafting an Ordinance:
“Every citizen is presumed to know the law… and it needs no argument to show that justice requires that all should have free access” - Nash v. Lathrop (1886)
https://www.openlawlib.org/resources/ordinance-templates-and-examples/
https://plannersweb.com/2010/04/drafting-clear-ordinances-dos-and-donts/
www.law.berkeley.edu/library/dynamic/guide.php?id=62
(Although this is for California, it has other more general resources)
https://www.loc.gov/rr/news/stategov/index.html
(General State Resouces)
https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2016/publications/bill_drafting_manual/#document-ae6c0119
Indiana Bill Drafting Manual
Note: You need to find one for the State you are in since they do vary.
“Every citizen is presumed to know the law… and it needs no argument to show that justice requires that all should have free access” - Nash v. Lathrop (1886)
https://www.openlawlib.org/resources/ordinance-templates-and-examples/
https://plannersweb.com/2010/04/drafting-clear-ordinances-dos-and-donts/
www.law.berkeley.edu/library/dynamic/guide.php?id=62
(Although this is for California, it has other more general resources)
https://www.loc.gov/rr/news/stategov/index.html
(General State Resouces)
https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2016/publications/bill_drafting_manual/#document-ae6c0119
Indiana Bill Drafting Manual
Note: You need to find one for the State you are in since they do vary.
DISCLAIMER: Please be advised, this site is NOT legal advice. Its sole purpose to assist you in finding helpful public resources.
There are no lawyers on staff, there are no paid services to be offered. This is a volunteer site offered to assist the average citizen.
There are no guarantees the links provide accurate information. Like any reference, please authenticate and confirm the source.
We are not responsible in any way. You need to work with the elected officials and resources in your local area.
There are no lawyers on staff, there are no paid services to be offered. This is a volunteer site offered to assist the average citizen.
There are no guarantees the links provide accurate information. Like any reference, please authenticate and confirm the source.
We are not responsible in any way. You need to work with the elected officials and resources in your local area.