Law Students

Name Changes

By Andrea

I just found out that one of my favorite-named organizations ever, Stop Prisoner Rape, changed their name to Just Detention International. What a disappointment. The new name is OK, but sounds like it could be a private prison company or something (if you read it as "just kidding" instead of "justice"). I loved the old name because it was so to the point. "What's your organization about?" "Well, prisoners are getting raped, and that's a big problem, so we try and stop it." "Cool."

Another great organization, the Political Asylum Project of Austin, aka PAPA, is changing its name this year to American Gateways, which I think sounds a bit like an insurance company. I guess after the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund changed its name to Legal Momentum people starting having meetings about how to sound vaguer and more palatable to the public and the funders. Too bad. If I ever get so rich I can fund my own or other people's legal nonprofits, I'll encourage them all to have in-your-face names, like Tenants Have Rights and Fair Workplaces Please (Or Else We'll Sue You) and Awesome Disabled People With Crazy Good Lawyers. As a bonus, it'd be a lot more fun to have those on your resume, I think.

Full post as published by Peanut Butter Burrito on February 21, 2009 (boomark / email).