Movement Power & Infrastructure Institute (MPI) - Applications ARE CLOSED
Where Movement Leaders and Lawyers Build Power & Infrastructure
Applications ARE CLOSED | Muslims for Just Futures (MJF) and Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC), alongside co-sponsorship from Charity & Security Network (C&SN) and Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), are hosting a first of its kind Movement Power & Infrastructure Institute (MPI) that brings together movement leaders and lawyers dedicated to strengthening movement infrastructure and building collective responses to state repression. This institute will focus on the weaponization of material support for terrorism laws and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) apparatus as tools of criminalization and targeting of movement infrastructure.
Note: Please note this application should take 45 minutes to an hour to complete. You can access the PDF of this application using this link: bit.ly/MPI_DOCAPP. If you have any questions, please email us at: MuslimsforJustFutures@protonmail.com.
WHAT: The institute will be broken into two tracks, one focused on lawyers and the other on leaders interested in seeding new entities as a form of movement fortification. In the application, please select which track you are applying for. The Institute will bring together both movement-aligned lawyers and frontline grassroots leaders to deepen capacity in two essential areas.
1. Legal Defense
Equipping legal practitioners with frameworks, training, and a network needed to engage in both civil and criminal defense for cases involving material support for terrorism. We are especially looking for licensed attorneys who can defend individuals and movement organizations with litigation in court, or outside of court with transactional legal support.
2. Movement Infrastructure & Resilience:
Supporting grassroots movement leaders who are exploring new structures as a form of movement fortification, including those in the early ideation, concept development stage, pre-seed or seed planning stages of entity formation. The institute will cover creating new structures that are informed by risk assessments, including choosing the types of entities and governance models that best protect movement assets, reduce legal exposure, and strengthen the ability to respond to government targeting or repression for small organizations (priority will be given to groups with an annual budget $5 million or less). The institute will also cover global counter-terrorism financing rules and banking regulations that increasingly restrict nonprofits and humanitarian aid groups, using anti-terror laws to impose legal and financial controls. This institute will explain how movement financial infrastructure can be targeted, share lessons from civil society and grassroots organizations facing these issues globally, and discuss areas for movement preparedness. Graduates of the institute will have access to a $50,000 Social Impact Venture Fund (SIVF) from Muslims for Just Futures to seed and develop new entities. In addition to the fund, graduates of the institute will have access to legal clinics from Sustainable Economies Law Center.
WHEN:
The institute will take place from September 26-28 in Chicago. You must be available to attend the entire institute. This application will be open until Monday, August 25th. We will send notifications of acceptance on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025. The institute will feature trainers from Muslims for Just Futures, Sustainable Economies Law Center, Charity & Security Network (C&SN), Center for Constitutional Rights, and other organizations.
CORE GOALS:
1. Build Legal Capacity: Train lawyers on the material support for terrorism and sanctions regime to better prepare and equip lawyers to provide legal representation for cases and provide advisals. 2. Strengthen Movement Infrastructure: Encourage durable, adaptable, and protective organizational models that reduce legal vulnerability while enabling continued grassroots organizing and international solidarity. 3.Strengthen collaboration, trust alignment and mutual accountability between movement leaders and lawyers to co-build defensive, advisory, and oppositional strategies. 4. Proactive Movement Defense: Move beyond reactive legal support toward proactive models of risk anticipation, rapid response, and legal-political education to safeguard movement work. 5. Shared Tools & Resources: Continue developing legal toolkits, templates, case studies, and other accessible resources to be used across movement networks for ongoing education and defense. 6. Support: Graduates of the institute will have access to a $50,000 Social Impact Venture Fund (SIVF) from Muslims for Just Futures to seed and develop new entities. In addition to the fund, graduates of the institute will have access to legal clinics from Sustainable Economies Law Center.
WHO
The ideal fellows for this institute include leaders of grassroots collectives, nonprofits, and ventures invested in building movement structure. In addition, the ideal lawyers for this institute include attorneys invested in working alongside movements to defend organizational and movement infrastructure.
COMMITMENT:
Lawyers who complete the institute will be expected to join MJF’s Just Futures Legal Network in some capacity, and will have the option to join consultations with movement groups through support from Sustainable Economies Law Center.
COSTS:
The Institute will be free of charge for all selected participants. We will also cover travel and lodging expenses for those accepted into the program. In return, we ask participants to see this as a mutual investment: as we invest in your growth and capacity, we expect you to reinvest your skills, time, and energy into defending movement infrastructure and supporting communities and organizations most in need.
Please answer these questions as honestly as possible.
The institute looks for a cohort of individuals at every stage of their career. We encourage applicants at all levels of expertise and familiarity with the subject matter. Our aim is to support you and to create a diverse group of participants with a wide range of experiences, considering all aspects of your application.
1. Full Name
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First Name
Last Name
2. Email
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example@example.com
3. Contact Number
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4. Address
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Street Address
Street Address Line 2
City
State / Province
Postal / Zip Code
5. Affiliated Organization
If applicable
6. Role in Organization
If applicable
7. Race and/or Ethnicity
Optional
8. Gender
Optional
9. Is there anything you want to share about your identity and this work in particular with us?
Optional
10a. Do you have any dietary accessibility needs we should we aware of?
Optional
10b. Do you have any childcare accessibility needs we should we aware of?
Optional
10c. Are there any other accessibility needs you may have?
Optional
11. Please describe your work as a lawyer or movement organizer. (250 words max)
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12. How has your work intersected with government repression, surveillance, or criminalization (e.g., material support laws, terrorism charges, de-banking, international solidarity work)? What skills, perspectives, or experiences would you bring to the Institute community? (250 words max)
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13. Which track are you applying for
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Movement Leader
Lawyer
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Section 2: Lawyers Track Only
Legal Defense: Equipping legal practitioners with frameworks, training, and a network needed to engage in both civil and criminal defense for cases involving material support for terrorism. We are especially looking for licensed attorneys who can defend individuals and movement organizations with litigation in court, or outside of court with transactional legal support.
1. I am a licensed attorney
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Yes
No
2. State Bar Admission(s) and Federal Court admissions
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Please separate by comma
3. How many years have you been licensed to practice law?
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4. What area(s) of law do you practice?
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5. Do you have litigation experience, and if so in what area of law?
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6. What area of law are you interested in being trained in at the Institute?
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Civil Side - MST cases
Financial compliance
Other
6a. Please share more details on your suggestion for "other"
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7. Do you commit to remaining engaged with MJF Just Futures Legal Network in some capacity for at least one year after the institute?
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I commit
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SECTION 2 | Movement Leaders Track Only
Please note: For this section, we welcome applications from movement leaders in the ideation and concept development stage of new structures. However, we will prioritize individuals who are in the seed planning stages of entity formation and development.
1. What movement(s) are you currently working in? What is your organization’s role in the movement ecosystem?
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2. What specific vision do you have for the new entity you want to build and how will this entity serve movements?
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Please be specific if this is a new entity altogether or a multi-entity structure connected to an existing entity. For example nonprofits can own a for-profit or LLC
3. Do you have direct experience building or managing movement infrastructure? (e.g. founding or significantly contributing to a nonprofit, fiscally sponsored project, bail fund/mutual aid fund, or social venture)
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Please describe your specific role
4. Where are you in the development process for this new entity or structure? (e.g. concept development, pre-seed planning, formal entity structuring, and include any milestones you've already reached)
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5. What are the most pressing questions or challenges you are facing right now in building this new structure?
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6. How do you plan to use this institute to support you in building this venture? What knowledge, resources, or connections are you seeking? What would success look like for you?
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7. Can you commit to launching or formalizing this structure within the next 6–9 months? What resources or technical assistance/support would need to be in place for that to happen? (Responding “No” will not disadvantage your application).
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(If yes, what resources or technical support would need to be in place for that to happen? If no, please share your current timeline. Responding “No” will not disadvantage your application).
8. Do you commit to remaining engaged with MJF and our partners post-institute in some capacity?
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I commit
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SECTION 3: Interests
1. Why are you interested in attending this Institute? What do you hope to gain from the experience? (300 words max)
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2. This Institute is a mutual investment. As we cover travel, lodging, and tuition, we ask that participants commit to reinvesting their knowledge and capacity into defending movement infrastructure and supporting communities in need. How do you envision fulfilling your commitment to reinvest your knowledge and capacity into defending movements? (300 words max)
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3. Do you require financial support for travel and lodging in order to attend?
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Yes
No
4. Please let us know if there is anything else you'd like to share with us? (100 words) Optional
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