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Massachusetts Appleseed Launches On-Demand Legal Rights Education Hub

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

May 15th, 2026 

Boston, MA — The Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is proud to announce the launch of its new On-Demand Legal Rights Education hub, a centralized online resource featuring recorded legal education videos designed to accompany the Massachusetts Homeless Youth Handbook. The hub is now live and includes both English and Spanish versions of its first webinar, which provides an overview of the Handbook, as well as English and Spanish recordings of the Housing Rights chapter, all available for anyone to access at any time. Additional content covering subject-specific legal rights information will be released on a rolling basis. 

The Massachusetts Homeless Youth Handbook was created in partnership with global law firm Baker McKenzie to provide clear, accessible information on key legal issues including education, healthcare, housing, civic law, immigration, and mental health.  

“We are thrilled to continue to partner with Massachusetts Appleseed and believe the launch of an accompanying online hub of resources will dramatically increase access and use of the Handbook,” said Jaclyn Pampel, Partner and Director of North American Pro Bono at Baker McKenzie. Each chapter is designed to be practical and easy to navigate, empowering youth and those who support them to better understand their rights and access essential services. 

The new On-Demand Legal Rights Education hub builds on this work by transforming key handbook topics into engaging, easy to follow video presentations. These no cost recordings, including a Spanish language version, are designed for youth, service providers, educators, and community members, making critical legal information more accessible, flexible, and widely available. To further advance language access, all on-demand videos will include captions in both English and Spanish, ensuring users can engage with the content in ways that best meet their needs. 

Across Massachusetts, the need for accessible legal information for young people is urgent. Between 2023, and 2025, the number of youth in Boston without a stable place to sleep nearly doubled. At the same time, access to legal support remains limited, with only about 5 civil legal aid attorneys available for every 10,0000 individuals living in poverty. Without clear and accessible guidance, many young people are unstable to access the protections and services they are legally entitled to. 

By offering these resources, Massachusetts Appleseed aims to equip professionals working with youth with tools they can share broadly within their organizations and communities. 

“We were thrilled by the engagement during our first webinar and inspired to see attendees thinking about how to bring the Handbook into their work,” said Ranjini Govender Dowley, President and Executive Director at Massachusetts Appleseed. “By connecting directly with educators, service providers, and advocates, we can amplify the impact of this resource and help ensure that young people across Massachusetts have access to the information and support they need.” 

The On-Demand Legal Rights Education hub is now available on the Massachusetts Appleseed website, where visitors can access current recordings in English and Spanish and stay tuned for additional videos to be added on a rolling basis.  

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About Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice    

MA Appleseed is driven by a mission to promote equal rights and opportunities for Massachusetts residents by developing and advocating for systemic solutions to social justice issues. Through policy analysis and research, coalition building, education and training, and advocacy, the nonprofit seeks systems-level change so all Massachusetts families and youth can exercise their legal rights, build pathways out of poverty and crisis, and thrive. Responding to emerging and enduring inequities, MA Appleseed addresses an array of complex issues including self-representation in the civil justice system, language access for immigrant families, the school-to-prison pipeline, and youth homelessness. To learn more about the On-Demand Legal Rights Education hub, explore the Massachusetts Homeless Youth Handbook or donate, please visit massappleseed.org.   

Call on Lawmakers to Support Justice and Opportunity Across Massachusetts

 Across the Commonwealth, too many residents face barriers to accessing essential services, equitable education, and safe housing. These challenges disproportionately impact communities that have long been underserved, making it critical that we act now to advance policies that promote fairness, access, and opportunity for all.

Take Action

Several key bills this session would make meaningful progress toward a more just and equitable Massachusetts:

An Act relative to language access and inclusion H.3384/S.2125 would ensure that people with limited English proficiency can access critical government programs and resources that impact their safety, security, and well being, including healthcare, housing, and domestic violence services.

An Act to reduce exclusionary discipline for rules related to student grooming and dress H.576/S.368 would build on the passage of the CROWN Act by prohibiting schools from suspending or expelling students solely for dress code violations. These policies often disproportionately impact Black and brown girls and can reinforce harmful and discriminatory norms.

An Act allowing certain minors to consent to supportive services H.290/S.132 would expand access to shelter and supportive services for unaccompanied minors experiencing homelessness by allowing youth ages 15 and older to consent to services on their own. This change would help young people facing abuse, family conflict, or housing instability meet their basic needs and access support.

Together, these bills will help ensure equal access to government services, reduce harmful school discipline practices, and support youth experiencing homelessness on their path to safety and stability.

We have already started a message for you, click “Start Writing” above to add your own details and urge your legislators to co sponsor H.3384/S.2125, H.576/S.368, and H.290/S.132.

Taking action now can help build a stronger, more equitable Commonwealth for all.

Keep informed and stay involved
Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action and support Massachusetts families and youth by liking us on Facebook and following us on Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out our website for our most recent news.

To support our work, please consider giving a donation today.

Thank you for advancing social justice in Massachusetts!

Want to stay informed on the latest issues Massachusetts Appleseed is working on?
Sign up for our mailing list.

Keep Kids in Class and End Unfair Suspensions

Students depend on consistent access to classroom learning to succeed, yet too many are removed from school for dress and grooming rule violations. Lost instructional time, from early grades through high school, can have lasting negative impacts on academic achievement and long term outcomes. Disparities in discipline further deepen inequities. In Massachusetts, Black girls are three times more likely to be disciplined and five times more likely to receive an out of school suspension than their white peers. These disparities are often worsened by unclear policies that can be applied inconsistently or in discriminatory ways. A 2022 United States Government Accountability Office report found that about 90 percent of dress codes nationwide restrict clothing associated with girls, compared to 69 percent that restrict items associated with boys.

Take Action

Amendment #1389, filed as an outside section of the FY27 budget, would reduce the amount of time students miss in the classroom due to dress and grooming rule violations. It would ensure that students are not suspended solely for these violations and require that policies are clearly defined and fairly enforced to prevent discriminatory application. The amendment still allows schools to take appropriate action in cases involving bullying or harassment.

We have already started a message for you, click “Start Writing” above to add your own details and urge your State Representative to help ensure that the FY27 budget includes Amendment #1389.

Keeping students in the classroom is essential to their success and well being. Take one minute to speak up and support this important effort.

Keep informed and stay involved
Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action and support students and communities across Massachusetts by liking us on Facebook and following us on Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out our website for our most recent updates.

To support our work, please consider giving a donation today.

Thank you for advancing social justice in Massachusetts!

Want to stay informed on the latest issues Massachusetts Appleseed is working on?
Sign up for our mailing list.

Advance Equitable Access to State Services by Eliminating Language Barriers Across Agencies

State agencies play a vital role in helping people meet basic needs, from accessing unemployment benefits to avoiding eviction and navigating the child welfare system. However, nearly one in four Massachusetts residents speaks a language other than English at home, and most state services remain English only, creating significant barriers that prevent hundreds of thousands of families from accessing the support they need.
Take Action

An Act relative to language access and inclusion H.3384/S.2622 (filed by Representatives Madaro and González and Senator DiDomenico), would address this crisis by standardizing and enforcing language access policies and practices at select state agencies to ensure all residents have equal access to the services and information they need.

We have already started a message for you. Click “Start Writing” above to add your own details and urge your legislator to advocate with the Chairs of the Ways and Means Committee to report H.3384/S.2622 out favorably and send it to the floor for a vote.

Language access is essential to the safety, stability, and well-being of our communities. Take this one-minute action to urge your legislator to support this important piece of legislation!

Keep informed & stay involved!
Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action and support Massachusetts families and youth by liking us on Facebook and following us on Instagram and LinkedIn. Check out our website for our most recent news.

To support our work, please consider giving a donation today.

Thank you for advancing social justice in Massachusetts!

Want to stay informed on the latest issues Massachusetts Appleseed is working on?
Sign up for our mailing list.

From Filing to Final Vote: Understanding the MA Legislative Process and How You Can Take Action

When a community member, nonprofit organization, legislator, or anyone else wants to see a change or addition to the law in Massachusetts, they typically must go through the legislative process. This can take up to 2 years to complete. If a bill does not pass before the end of the two-year legislative session, it is often reintroduced in the next session, meaning that advocates often pursue a bill across multiple sessions before it becomes law. While it can be frustrating to see bills stall or have to be refiled session after session, persistence is what drives long-term success.

Legislative processes vary across the country, as each state operates under its own rules and regulations that govern the legislature. These differences can include the length of a legislative session, committee procedures, and the number of steps a bill must go through before reaching the Governor’s desk. This blog post provides an overview of the MA legislative process, explains where most of the bills on MA Appleseed’s legislative agenda currently stand, and highlights ways you can take action!

On the first Wednesday in January of odd-numbered years, the Massachusetts Legislature enters a new legislative session. Each session, 5,000+ bills are filed and follow the legislative process, pausing at various stages, where they advance to the next stage, pause any movement, or are completely halted. What does each stage look like?

The formal process begins when a legislator files a bill with the House or Senate Clerk’s Office. That Clerk assigns the bill a number and committee based on its subject matter (for example, K-12 education bills are typically assigned to the Joint Committee on Education)

Once assigned, Committees schedule public hearings where any member of the public can provide testimony in support of or opposition to a bill. Testimony can be given orally, as seen here, or submitted in writing. Because speaking time is often limited, written testimony gives people the opportunity to give a more detailed argument. After the hearing, the Committee is given a certain amount of time to report the bill out favorably, unfavorably, or to study. Starting in the 2025 session, new rules were introduced that require House and Senate members of Joint Committees to vote separately and on different timelines.

If reported favorably, the bill moves to the next stage. Bill involving funding are often reported to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, though other bills may be sent there as well. If the bill passes this stage, it goes through additional readings before reaching the Governor, who has 10 days to sign or veto the bill. If vetoed, the Legislature can override the veto by a 2/3 vote in both the Senate and House.

Most of the bills on our agenda are before the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means, which is an important step forward, but with much more progress needed. You can see the status of specific bills here.

With most of the bills being before House and Senate Ways and Means, we are now pushing the Committee and their chairs to report the bills out and send them to the floor for a full vote. Interested in joining advocacy with us?

Take 2 minutes to see if your legislators sit on this Committee and if they do, you can use a templated letter we created to urge them to pass the Language Access and Inclusion Act: https://tinyurl.com/34yn74fp 

Legislation Tracker

Want to help push our school discipline bills? Sign the petition here.

Policy change can be complex and rarely quick, but it is possible, especially with the support of sustained public engagement. Each stage of the legislative process offers opportunities for people to make their voices heard, whether it be by submitting testimony, contacting legislators, or raising awareness.

Continue to follow our work from the policy proposal stage all the way to policy enforcement and implementation, as we work to build a more equitable Commonwealth.

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Massachusetts Appleseed Holds First Homeless Youth Handbook Webinar

April 3rd, 2026 

Boston, MA – Last week, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law & Justice held an orientation webinar focused on increasing the accessibility, reach, and use of the Massachusetts Homeless Youth Handbook, a practical legal resource covering 20 key topics affecting young people across the Commonwealth. The handbook was developed in 2021 in partnership with Baker McKenzie and has since undergone two revisions to keep the information current. The no-cost session marked the first in a series of online tools that will form a centralized hub, serving as a companion resource to the Handbook and strengthening connections with educators, service providers, and advocates working with youth. 

The webinar welcomed participants including service providers, educators, advocates, youth, and community members from across the state. Participants engaged in hands activity designed to familiarize them with the handbook and demonstrate how it can be used in real-world situations. For example, attendees were asked to locate the answer to the question: “What phone number can I call if I need to know where I can get food resources near me?” Using the handbook, participants identified the information in the Public Benefits chapter, which directs individuals to the Project Bread Hotline at (800) 645-8333 or by dialing 211. The activity helped illustrate how the handbook can serve as a practical tool for quickly finding critical information. 

Youth experiencing homelessness often face overlapping legal and systemic challenges that make access to reliable information especially critical. Approximately 1 in 10 young people ages 18–25 experience homelessness over the course of a year, yet only about 50% of eligible applicants receive legal assistance, highlighting significant gaps in access to support and resources for young people navigating complex systems. 

The Massachusetts Homeless Youth Handbook was developed to help address these challenges by providing accessible guidance on critical topics such as education, healthcare, housing, juvenile justice, immigration, and mental health. Each chapter is designed to be practical and easy to navigate, empowering youth and those who support them to better understand their rights and access essential services. 

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Massachusetts Appleseed Announces 2026 Priorities

March 26, 2026

Boston, MA – Building on the progress and impact highlighted in the 2025 Impact Report, Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, a statewide social justice research and advocacy nonprofit, published its priorities for 2026 last week, outlining the organization’s continued commitment to advancing justice and equity across the Commonwealth. Every day, people across Massachusetts are denied their rights and face barriers to accessing the government and legal systems meant to support them. As we move through 2026, our sense of urgency to address these inequities has never been greater.

Massachusetts Appleseed will continue to advance systemic change through research, policy advocacy, coalition building, and community education. Over the coming year, the organization will collaborate with more than 50 partner organizations across the state, expand its Know Your Rights trainings, grow its online community, and work with local media to spotlight ongoing inequities.

By publishing its 2026 priorities, Massachusetts Appleseed reaffirms its mission to dismantle barriers that perpetuate injustice and to ensure that all residents of Massachusetts have equal access to opportunity, services, and legal protections.

The full outline of Massachusetts Appleseed’s 2026 priorities and objectives is included here for readers who wish to learn more about the organization’s plans and initiatives for the year ahead.

 

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Building Pathways and Expanding Access to Justice: Our 2025 Impact Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 25, 2026

Boston, MA – Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, a statewide social justice research and advocacy nonprofit, launched its 2025 Impact Report in February, highlighting the organization’s progress, milestones, and measurable impact throughout the year. The report reflects Massachusetts Appleseed’s ongoing commitment to community education, strengthened partnerships, and advocacy to advance access to justice across the Commonwealth.

In 2025, Massachusetts Appleseed’s work contributed to tangible improvements in the lives of youth, adults, and families across Massachusetts. From expanding equitable access to government services, to supporting initiatives that promote stability and opportunity for youth experiencing homelessness, the organization’s programs continued to address systemic barriers and advance meaningful social change.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of Massachusetts Appleseed’s initiatives, outcomes, and continued dedication to building a more just and equitable Massachusetts. Key highlights include work to ensure language access through the Mass Speaks Coalition, the launch of the Justice in Actin Volunteer Corps (JAVC) supporting youth experiencing homelessness, and efforts to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline.

By sharing the 2025 Impact Report, Massachusetts Appleseed reaffirms its mission to dismantle barriers that perpetuate inequities and to ensure that all communities across the state have equal access to opportunity and justice.

 

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About Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice  

MA Appleseed is driven by a mission to promote equal rights and opportunities for Massachusetts residents by developing and advocating for systemic solutions to social justice issues. Through policy analysis and research, coalition building, education and training, community organizing, and advocacy, the nonprofit seeks systems-level change so all Massachusetts families and youth can exercise their legal rights, build pathways out of poverty and crisis, and thrive. Responding to emerging and enduring inequities, MA Appleseed addresses an array of complex issues including self-representation in the civil justice system, language access for immigrant families, the school-to-prison pipeline, and youth homelessness. To explore recent research, find resources, sign up for opportunities to take action, or donate, please visit massappleseed.org.   

 

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Sign up for our mailing list.