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Recent News & Articles

California Judicial Council Sued for Illegal Scheme to Fund Courts through Late Fees; San Mateo Court Stops Collecting Millions in Outstanding Debts and Waits for Governor and Legislature to Act.

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, Litigation, News
MEDIA UPDATES “San Mateo court agrees to stop collecting debt from unpaid fees in light of lawsuit,” Maria Dinzeo for Courthouse News Service, 5/25/2022 “San Mateo Courts Pause Late Fees in Response to Suit,” Dave Simpson for Law360, 5/25/2022 (requires paid subscription) “Civil Rights, Legal Aid Groups Pause Lawsuit Over $300 Civil Assessments,” The Recorder, …

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KQED reports on civil assessments

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, Litigation, News
This morning’s KQED Morning Report includes coverage of civil assessments and the advocates who are pushing the Governor to propose their abolition in his May budget revise. As we reported in January, BayLegal has joined ACLU Foundation of Northern California, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area Legal Aid, …

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New resources from BayLegal’s Youth Justice team

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News, Resources
BayLegal’s Youth Justice team has added two new resources: RFA Cheat Sheet for for Emergency Placement & Criminal Record Exemptions Know Your Rights! – Consent Be sure to check out the main Youth Justice resource page for these and other materials covering youth interactions with law enforcement, foster care, educational rights and a range of …

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Observing Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) at BayLegal

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
BayLegal marks this April 27 – 28 as Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. We share these words from Senior Staff Attorney Jenna Statfeld Harris in the day’s spirit of remembrance, reflection, and commitment to stand with our Jewish colleagues, clients, community members and loved ones, and against genocide and the forces of national, religious, …

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Bay Area Legal Aid files suit against junk debt buyer for fraudulent collection practices

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Announcements, Attorneys, eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News
March 16, 2022 For Immediate Release Bay Area Legal Aid files suit against junk debt buyer for fraudulent collection practices. Press Contacts: Noah Zinner, Regional Managing Attorney, Bay Area Legal Aid, (510) 250-5266, nzinner@baylegal.org Kai Haswell, Senior Attorney, Bay Area Legal Aid, (510) 250-5205, khaswell@baylegal.org Oakland, CA- Today, Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal) filed a …

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Ramadan Mubarak to all!

| By BayLegal
Categories: Announcements, Homepage, News
Saturday April 2, 2022 marked the beginning of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month, the sacred month for Muslims, of the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is characterized as a month of self-reflection, increased spirituality and focus on attending to one’s relationship with God through prayer and reading the Qur’an, increased attention to generosity and charity, and …

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Celebrating Transgender Day of Visibility

| By BayLegal
Categories: eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News, Other
March 31st marks Transgender Day of Visibility, an international day to celebrate the accomplishments of transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people, and to recognize and face the work that remains to create safety, equality, inclusion and power for individuals and communities across the full spectrum of gender identities and forms of gender expression. In housing, …

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BayLegal’s Observance of Cesar Chavez Day 2022

| By BayLegal
Categories: Announcements, Homepage, News
"History will judge societies and governments—and their institutions—not by how big they are or how well they serve the rich and the powerful, but by how effectively they respond to the needs of the poor and the helpless." – César Chávez
In keeping with both our longstanding policy and our commitment to celebrate and support the self-determination struggles of Black and Brown communities, workers, poor people and those excluded from institutional power, BayLegal offices and phone lines will be closed tomorrow, March 31, in observance of Cesar Chavez Day. During the day of observance, BayLegal would …

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Apply to the CA COVID-19 Rent Relief Program before March 31st, 2022!

| By BayLegal
Categories: Announcements, eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News, Resources
The last day to apply to the California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program is March 31, 2022. Apply now! What tenants should know about the rent relief program: If you experienced financial hardship during the pandemic and have unpaid rent, you can apply at housingiskey.com to get up to 18 months of free rent and utilities …

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As Black History Month ends, and Women’s History Month begins, BayLegal congratulates Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on her nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court

| By BayLegal
Categories: Announcements, Homepage, News
Last week the White House announced that President Joe Biden has selected Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, currently serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, as his nominee for the United States Supreme Court seat being vacated by the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer. If confirmed, Judge Jackson will become the …

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BayLegal Statement on SFPD’s Use of Sexual Assault Survivor DNA Evidence in Criminal Suspect Databases

| By BayLegal
Categories: eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News, Other
Last week Bay Area Legal Aid was shocked and appalled to learn from multiple media sources – with confirmation from San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin – that the San Francisco Police Department used DNA from a survivor’s sexual assault examination several years ago to allege her link to a recent property crime. It is …

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BayLegal Remembers Robert Planthold

| By BayLegal
Categories: Announcements, eNewsletter Story, Executive Director blog, Homepage, News
Bay Area Legal Aid joins with friends, colleagues, and allies in the access to justice, disability, and tenant rights communities in our shared grief for the loss of our dear friend and long-serving member of our Board of Directors, Robert “Bob” Planthold who passed away unexpectedly on January 27th. BayLegal’s Board Chair Rob Goodin spoke …

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