The TURN Model is a framework of community-legal thought and practice that seeks to turn the face of the law from the procedure back to the person, from the verdict to meaning, and from control to partnership. The model directs the legal gaze beyond the cold facts of the case - toward the face of the applicant, their inner world, and their life context. It recognizes the manifold facets of every individual and the capacity of every person to turn for help, make room for change, and lead a turning point in their lives.
Visibility: Seeing the person, their story, and their emotional world.
Recognition: Validating personal experience before shaping strategy. The individual ceases to be a 'case'.
Familiarity: Making legal steps transparent and non-threatening. The process ceases to be foreign.
Multidimensionality: Viewing the person within their broader context - biographical, familial, cultural, and systemic.
Mapping: Identifying needs, strengths, barriers, resources, and options in different life circles.
Integrity: Connecting law, welfare, health, and community toward humanly sound solutions.
Legal Literacy: Demystifying procedures, rights, and professional jargon.
Internalization: Ensuring substantive understanding - true access is measured by what is comprehended, not what is spoken.
Participation: Building a knowledge foundation for informed choices, voice, and shared decision-making.
Sovereignty: Restoring control to the individual and honoring their choices, even if not 'ideal'.
Agency: Strengthening responsibility, competence, and self-efficacy.
Leadership: Creating conditions for an active, proactive stance.
Seeing the person
Expanding the view to the environment
Providing tools and knowledge
The person takes the reins