Civil Justice Messaging Guide
Our civil justice system is a foundational bedrock of society and plays a huge role in people’s lives, yet talking about the importance of civil justice is not easy. We need messages and stories that resonate broadly and elevate the imperative for reform—allowing civil justice champions to achieve our shared mission of a system that is more just for all.
Part of the Justice Narrative Project, this guide is designed to equip a broad swath of stakeholders with a coordinated, compelling, and adaptable set of messages about:
- The importance of the civil justice system as a civic infrastructure that stabilizes families, strengthens communities, and supports economic opportunity.
- The collective challenges within the system that are stated in honest, human, and persuasive terms that connect to people's real experiences.
- The urgent need for innovative improvement framed around hopeful momentum, emerging solutions, and the opportunity for everyone to participate.
The guide is designed to help partners speak with greater clarity, consistency, and impact about civil justice—whether they are engaging policymakers, seeking funding, talking to the media, or mobilizing their own communities.
Importantly, the guide does not prescribe a single script but a foundation for your specific communications and messaging goals. The civil justice landscape is vast and varied, and effective messaging should be adapted to local contexts, specific issues, and distinct audiences. In line with that goal, the guide provides a two-layered messaging framework for users to build upon:
- A universal, values-based frame built on the concepts of fairness, dignity, participation, and community impact—language that grounds the conversation in life problems people recognize and care about.
- Tailored sub-messages that can be adapted by sector (e.g. housing, health, labor, courts), by audience (e.g. funders, policymakers, the public, frontline workers, skeptics), and by local context.
This expansive resource also includes guidance on knowing and reaching your audiences and choosing your messenger, as well as go-to reference sheets and summaries:
- Communications Planning Checklist
- Civil Justice Message Map
- Media Preparation and Working with the Media
- Social Media Guidance
- Supporting Those Directly Impacted When Sharing Their Stories
This guide grew out of a shared belief that the various people and organizations working to improve our civil justice system have more power when they work from a common foundation. When we use consistent language, share compelling stories, and reinforce the same core ideas, our collective voice becomes something larger than any one organization’s message or initiative. That matters when we are trying to reach policymakers, build public understanding, and make the case for investment and reform.
Your Role & Impact
- Tell us how you use this guide.
- Tell us what successes you see.
- Tell us what further guidance and alignment is needed.
- Please share this guide with your colleagues.
- Connect with us to partner on this project at iaals@du.edu.
