Case Studies:
Legal Services of Northern Virginia
The Request
A legal aid that's been working to make civil legal justice accessible for decades, LSNV simply needed more eyes on the fantastic work they're doing. Serving over 5,000 clients across Northern Virginia in 2023 alone, these diligent folks make due with a consistently small budget. With that and Owl Ear's experience with the legal aid community in mind, LSNV's Director of Special Projects came seeking a documentary project that would serve both to introduce them to community members and drive donor engagement.
The Process
In a preliminary production meeting, Owl Ears introduced LSNV's creative & executive staff to different styles of documentary filmmaking and helped them develop the voice for their project. After planning the subject matter around 3 video deliverables, Owl Ears staged, interviewed, and edited material from 10 different subjects over an 8-week period. The final products, including two pieces that highlight the experiences of different LSNV clients, were presented at the organization's annual donor gala in September of 2024.
The Results
LSNV's staff, clients, and Virginia legal professionals describe the importance of the organization to the community and the pursuit of equal justice for all. We hear about the challenges LSNV faces in its pursuit of closing the justice gap and how donors can support their efforts.
We meet Alex, LSNV's designated Human Trafficking Lawyer, and learn about the scope of the issue in and around Northern Virginia. Alex introduces us to one her former clients, Anna, and they describe the process of getting Anna away from her trafficker and full custody of her daughter. Along the way, we see the friendship the Alex and Anna have formed and the massive impact a legal aid lawyer can make on the lives of their clients.