"Have You Met My Lawyer?" and "Making Lists of What Was Lost"

Authors

Kirsten AndersonFollow

Abstract

The theme of what justice looks like for those experiencing homelessness finds expression in two poems by social justice lawyer and poet Kirsten Anderson. Based on her nearly two decades of representing clients experiencing homelessness, she explores the nature of the client-lawyer relationship in a society where lawyers are usually only available to persons with wealth and power. Both poems explore the consequences of housing not being recognized as a human right—given visible expression in a humanitarian crisis of homelessness in a country where the rent is unaffordable for more than half the population.

The first poem, “Have you met my lawyer?” describes the power dynamics inherent in retaining and having a lawyer in our justice system. The poem never names specifically the legal issue, or the outcome, but instead focuses on the power of the lawyer-client relationship to upend the power dynamics of a legal system where justice usually is equated with the ability to pay for a lawyer. The second poem, “Making lists of what was lost,” contrasts the privilege of a lawyer who is housed with the experience of clients who are unhoused. This poem centers on street sweeps, a common experience of persons experiencing homelessness who are constantly threatened with loss of liberty and property in a misguided and cruel attempt to reduce the visibility of homelessness in our communities. These efforts do not solve homelessness, but simply provide comfort for those in houses who would prefer not to be reminded that housing is a privilege, not a recognized right.

Suggested Citations:

Anderson, Kirsten (2025) "Have You Met My Lawyer?" Loyola Interdisciplinary Journal of Public Interest Law: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 3.

Anderson, Kirsten (2025) "Making Lists of What Was Lost," Loyola Interdisciplinary Journal of Public Interest Law: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 3.

Recommended Citation

Anderson, Kirsten (2025) ""Have You Met My Lawyer?" and "Making Lists of What Was Lost"," Loyola Interdisciplinary Journal of Public Interest Law: Vol. 2: Iss. 1, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/lijpil/vol2/iss1/3