Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area

Description

Formed to provide legal support to the Civil Rights Movement, our attorney network provides free legal representation to communities on the front lines of social justice struggles, including asylum seekers, unhoused people, and Californians impacted by predatory bail industry contracts. These direct legal services inform the broader impact litigation and policy advocacy we undertake:

Immigrant Justice:
Our Asylum Program, now in its 36th year, has represented thousands of refugees. We are currently litigating against inhumane conditions on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Racial Justice:
We work to end the criminalization of poverty, including the over-policing of communities of color and unconstitutional seizure of property from unhoused people. Last fall, we won repeal of an unconstitutional loitering ordinance that disproportionately harmed Oakland’s Black public housing residents.

Economic Justice:
Our Legal Services for Entrepreneurs Program provides transactional legal assistance to start-ups and small businesses at risk of displacement in low-income communities of color. We seek to change legal and business landscapes through policy interventions and establishment of alternative business models including public banks, commercial land trusts, and small-business purchasing cooperatives.

We have constant need for pro bono attorneys, volunteer interpreters, and volunteers willing to help with data entry and administrative support. Please join us today!