Important Update From LYRIC

For the past 15 years, LYRIC’s Founders Hannah Seigel Proff and Michael Juba, our Board, and Volunteers have worked diligently to educate young people in the community to feel empowered to exercise their 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendment rights when interacting with the police.
The organization has seen multiple legislative and administrative changes, navigated COVID-19 restrictions, and advocated for youth as they participated in activist movements. Over the past 15 years, LYRIC volunteers have trained roughly 50,000 young people in schools, community centers, and justice programs.
The vision for LYRIC has always been to expand, reach more young people, and provide more comprehensive and needed services. When our fearless founder, Hannah Seigel Proff, decided last year to step down as LYRIC’s unpaid executive Director and Board Chair, the board began planning for the next stage of the organization and our important work.
With great honor and excitement, LYRIC can officially announce our new home at the Transformative Justice Project of Colorado (formerly the Colorado Juvenile Defender Center).
Founded in 2010, CJDC initially focused on ensuring excellence in juvenile defense. Over the years, it expanded its scope to include nonpartisan research, policy analysis, and robust defense for youth prosecuted as adults.
In 2023, the organization transitioned into the Transformative Justice Project under the leadership of Elie Zwiebel, Barbara Garza, and Erin Pier. The work already being done by TJP closely aligns with LYRIC’s mission and values to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and systemic oppression within legal, education, and mental healthcare systems. The LYRIC “Give ‘Em Five” curriculum and program will complement TJP’s current Believe in Youth, Education First, and Community Cares programs, all working to provide holistic, interdisciplinary wraparound services to young people and their families – all with the goal of keeping young people in school and out of prison.
LYRIC and TJP appreciate the continued support of our community as we embark on this new chapter.
Together, we strive to make a lasting impact on the lives of young people and their families, advocating for a just and equitable world.
We hope you will join us on September 24th to honor Hannah Seigel Proff and Michael Juba’s vision, celebrate 15 years of LYRIC’s work, and usher in a new era with the Transformative Justice Project.
Sincerely,
LYRIC Board of Directors
Hannah Seigel Proff
Michael Juba
Antoinette Gifford
Brendan Rodman
Elie Zwiebel
Ezra Aldern
Ian Farrell
Kate Crampton
Megan Casimir
Phelicia Kossie-Butler
Tally Zuckerman
Tim Tarr

Our Mission

Learn Your Rights in the Community (LYRIC) is an organization composed of passionate attorney and law student volunteers donating their time to empower young people to exercise their constitutional rights. Our curriculum brings constitutional law to life for young people in schools, juvenile justice facilities, and community settings. LYRIC encourages young people to become active and knowledgeable citizens who feel comfortable exercising their rights.

Our Story

LYRIC was founded in 2009 by Colorado State Public Defenders Hannah Seigel Proff and Michael Juba, who were frustrated that so many of their young clients didn’t understand their constitutional rights during interactions with the police. LYRIC was born from this need to educate young people before they have any contact with the juvenile or criminal justice systems. With the help of our donors and partners, LYRIC has grown into an organization with many active volunteers who produce educational videos and teach in person across the state of Colorado. Now, we are launching a nationwide program in the hopes of bringing the law to life in classrooms across the country. Through this effort we hope to empower young people all over the United States to learn about and exercise their rights.

We Need You

Would you like to help LYRIC make a difference? Your support is greatly appreciated, whether you volunteer your time or contribute through charitable donation. Thank you for helping us reach more young people!

Upcoming Events

LYRIC’s Brewing Up Justice 2024

LYRIC is bubbling up for this year’s Brewing Up Justice; reserve your ticket or join us as a sponsor today.

Contribute

Volunteer

Each of our volunteers must be LYRIC-trained and either a licensed attorney or a law student. Please click the link below and fill out a registration form. We will notify you when our next volunteer training CLE will be offered. Thank you for your interest!

Donate

LYRIC relies on the generosity of our donors so that we can provide amazing educational resources to our classrooms and communities. Thank you for your support!

Contribute

Volunteer

Each of our volunteers must be LYRIC-trained and either a licensed attorney or a law student. Please click the link below and fill out a registration form. We will notify you when our next volunteer training CLE will be offered. Thank you for your interest!

Donate

LYRIC relies on the generosity of our donors so that we can provide amazing educational resources to our classrooms and communities. Thank you for your support!

Videos

Know Your Rights to Protest

It has never been more important for your voice to be heard!

We All Have Rights

Everyone within the United States has rights under the Constitution, regardless of their immigration status. LYRIC is dedicated to teaching about those rights most important in police encounters, which come from the 4th, 5th, and 6th Amendments.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Kinaree Eichner explains the burden of proof in criminal trials known as “beyond a reasonable doubt” and shows how it protects those accused of crimes in court.

Kids’ Rights Talking to Police

Sixth-grader Kinaree Eichner explains the rights kids have when they are confronted by the police.