Legislative Education & Advocacy Day

Legislative Education & Advocacy Day 2024 will be held virtually on Thursday, April, 04, 2024
Information on LEAD 2025 will be available in January 2025.

Educating the next generation of advocates is core to our values as a profession and chapter.  Each year, we host our annual Legislative Education & Advocacy Day (LEAD)  day which brings together hundreds of social work students and professionals from across the state in our state capital of Trenton. 

LEAD is designed to further social workers’ knowledge of the legislative process, grassroots advocacy, and major current statewide and national policy initiatives. Attendees hear from an array of passionate speakers from elected officials, the government sector, community organizers, and advocates. 

LEAD 2023 included a rally and press conference to advocate for the removal of the ASWB Masters Exam as a requirement for LSW licensure in New Jersey. You can watch video of the rally and press conference here.

Our LEAD 2024 Speakers

Debrah O'Neal, MSW, ACSW, LMSW Executive Director, NASW-NJ
Dr. Cherese Godwin, MSW, Ph.D., Policy & Legislation Manager, NASW-NJ
Resia M Cooper, MSW, Engagement Coordinator, NASW-NJ
Ameerah McCoy, MSW, LSW, Chief of Staff Assemblywoman Carmen Morales, NJ 34th Legislative District

Dr. Judith Crocker-Billingsley, MSW,Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Social Work Johnson C. Smith University 


Get Our Advocacy Toolkit

Click the images below to access our LEAD 2022 presentations on-demand.

LEAD 2022 Session 1

Session 1637842509820057316

LEAD 2021 Session 2

Session 2

LEAD 2021 Session 3

Session 3

LEAD 2021 Session 4

Session 4

LEAD 2021 Session 5

Session 5

LEAD 2021 Downloadable Resources

Session 1

The Legislative Process Slide Presentation (NASW-NJ Spring 2021 Interns)

Session 4

Transforming Policing in Newark Toolkit (NJ Institute for Social Justice)

(Please note, Brooke Lewis's slides from session 4 are not available for distribution. Her organization's "Transforming Policing in Newark Toolkit" has been provided in its place.)


LEAD logoFinal-01636894790029887652

Sponsor LEAD 2025!

LEAD Is made possible through the generous support of our partners who share our vision and values as well as a commitment to educating students about the legislative process so that they can be effective advocates in their own communities.  

You can support this work.

To do so, simply contact our Director of Education & Development at (732) 296-8070 x 122.