pro bono Archives

COVID-19 Frontline Workers Project Expands to Help More Essential Workers

The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) and the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC), leading a group of Bay Area lawyers and organizations that provide free life planning assistance to qualified individuals, are excited to announce the expansion of the…

Life Planning for Life Savers: BASF and JDC Lead Pro Bono Initiative for COVID-19 Frontline Medical Workers

While much of the world shelters in place, our medical frontline workers—the nurses, EMTs, and custodial staff maintaining our hospitals—are putting their lives in danger every day as they go about taking care of our communities and saving lives. To…

Joining Forces for Justice in Times of COVID-19

Here at the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC), we continue to provide the essential legal services, advocacy, and support that more than 9,000 people in San Francisco rely on each year. In the ten-plus weeks since we have been sheltered-in-place,…

Association of Corporate Counsel and Cozen O’Connor Join JDC to Support Local Nonprofits

In light of recent developments to constantly evolving employment law such as AB 5, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s San Francisco Bay Area Chapter and Cozen O’Connor teamed up with the Justice and Diversity Center’s Community Organization Representation Project…

Volunteer Attorney CJ Kingsley Gives 36 Years of Service to JDC

The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) is honored to recognize the incredible contributions of CJ Kingsley, who has been volunteering with JDC since 1981! In particular, she has been a dedicated volunteer with JDC’s Legal Advice and Referral Clinic (LARC),…

JDC and Kirkland & Ellis Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Free Legal Clinic for Local Nonprofits

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, nonprofits nationwide joined forces to support organizations serving homeless people. The Justice & Diversity Center was proud to participate with Kirkland & Ellis, holding a free legal clinic for two nonprofits working to end…

JDC Volunteers Help Bay Area Nonprofits Improve their Legal and Financial Health

The Justice & Diversity Center’s (JDC) Community Organization Representation Project (CORP) recently conducted a legal-financial clinic for nonprofit organizations with volunteer attorneys and accountants from Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton; Morgan Lewis & Bockius; Fenwick & West; Deloitte; and PwC.…

Summer Associates Learn Advocacy Skills and Community Service

A number of law students began the academic year after a busy summer securing housing and disability benefits for community members. Because they were summer associates at firms that participate in the Justice & Diversity Center’s (JDC’s) Summer Associates Program,…

Incorporating Pro Bono Work into a Solo or Small Firm Practice

It is important that all of us attorneys strive to incorporate pro bono work into our practices. Although doing so in a solo or small firm practice setting presents some unique challenges, it is not only possible to do, but…

Representing Consumers Facing Debt Collection Clears “Insurmountable Obstacles”

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass scored another win for a JDC client facing questionable debt collection efforts with no means to fight back. The National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts (NCSLT) had sued the client and alleged he owed $115,000 on…

Volunteer Attorney Offers Life-Changing Family Law Assistance

Professionally, Jennifer Letulle practices a wide range of civil law, including contracts, employment, design defect and professional liability. Family law isn’t part of her day job but that hasn’t stopped her from representing 35 family law clients through the Justice…

Fenwick & West Achieves a First in JDC Pro Bono Cases

Congratulations to Fenwick & West attorneys Lynn Pasahow; Amy Hayden and Abby Wald who won actual and punitive damages for a prison inmate assaulted by correctional officers:. For the Justice & Diversity Center, this is the first trial of a…