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Recent News & Articles

BayLegal’s 2020 Annual Campaign Launches: A Note from Our Executive Director

| By BayLegal
Categories: Announcements, eNewsletter Story, Executive Director blog, Fundraising, Homepage, News
Genevieve Richardson, Executive Director
Dear friends and supporters of Bay Area Legal Aid,   As we launch BayLegal’s 2020 Annual Campaign, I am so grateful that with your support we are able to address the critical needs of our clients.  As the public health and economic stresses intensify and deepen our clients face increased housing instability, exposure to predatory lending …

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Bay Area Legal Aid Reaches Settlement to Protect Survivors of Domestic Violence

| By Lia Dun
Categories: Attorneys, Client Story, eNewsletter Story, Homepage, Litigation, News
This fall, Bay Area Legal Aid reached a final settlement in a lawsuit filed in 2019 to compel the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) to fulfill its legal and ethical responsibilities to survivors of domestic violence. The lawsuit was filed in response to SFPD’s long-term failure to comply with California Family Code § 6228, a …

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BayLegal’s Systems Advocacy During the Pandemic: An Overview and Update

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, eNewsletter Story, Homepage, News
group of lawyers or corporate businessmen and businesswomen crossing two cliffs with the help of a justice scale acting as a bridge to legal services
Our expertise in advocating for clients’ individual legal needs while simultaneously identifying and pursuing opportunities for broader systemic change has been critical in response to the pandemic. I hope you will read more about our specific advocacy initiatives since the world changed in March 2020 and anticipated needs – it is because of your support that we are able to …

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URGENT ALERT: You Do Not Need to Pay Any Money to Get Your Economic Impact Payment

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
ALERT: You do not need to pay any money to get your Economic Impact Payment. If you need help accessing your Economic Impact Payment, there are many high quality and free services available for you, including: United Way’s 211 Economic Impact Payment Helpline – (844) 322-3639 or https://www.211.org/pages/stimuluscheck IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites – to …

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Oakland City Attorney Launches Housing Justice Initiative and Know Your Rights Campaign

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
October 22, 2020: Today Oakland City Attorney Barbara Parker announced the launch of the Housing Justice Initiative. Building on the work of the City Attorney’s office to protect tenant rights during the pandemic against illegal self-help evictions, lockouts and utility shutoffs, and other abuses that threaten renters’ ability to safely shelter in place, the HJI …

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BayLegal Opposes the City of Oakland’s Proposed “Homeless Encampment Management Policy”

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
On Friday, October 16, Bay Area Legal Aid attorneys submitted public comment strongly opposing the City of Oakland’s proposed “Homeless Encampment Management Policy.” Implementation of the policy as written would result in unconstitutional seizures of property and denial of due process rights to those living unsheltered in Oakland. It would needlessly increase policing, accelerate the …

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Working to Protect Accessible and Representative Juries in Alameda County Misdemeanor Trials

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
BayLegal has submitted a letter urging that the Alameda County Superior Court reconsider its plan to eliminate local jury panels and to institute county-wide jury pools for misdemeanor trials. Traveling across-county to serve on a jury would be a tremendous hardship for low-income people, particularly those with disabilities and during the pandemic. Our clients’ decreased …

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Advocating for Due Process Rights for Our Immigrant Survivor Clients

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
The BayLegal Regional Immigration team has submitted comments opposing proposed Executive Office of Immigration Review rules that would strip important due process rights from noncitizens before the immigration court and Board of Immigration Appeals. The proposed regulations would dramatically alter the BIA appellate process, prevent many noncitizens with immediate relatives or asylum eligibility from reopening …

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Eliminate the Inflated Cost of Phone and Video Communication for People Incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail and Their Families

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News
Yesterday Bay Area Legal Aid joined nine other legal services, prisoner support, and social justice organizations in urging the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to eliminate the inflated cost of phone and video communications between people incarcerated at Santa Rita Jail (SRJ) and their families. Families and communities most affected by incarceration are already among …

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Wildfire Local Assistance Center Opens in Napa County

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
Napa County OES Seal
From Napa County OES, October 5, 2020: Individuals, families, and business owners in Napa County affected by the 2020 Glass Fire can begin the process of receiving support through the Napa County Local Assistance Center (LAC). The center will provide “One Stop Information” for local, State, and Federal recovery resources that may become available. The …

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What Tenants Need to Know About Their Protections Under State Law and Federal Policy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
| Tags: ,
A jigsaw puzzle of a housing complex with three loose pieces in the left bottom corner
Last update: September 25, 2020 On August 31st, supermajorities in the CA Assembly and Senate passed AB 3088, the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020. The legislation takes effect immediately and contains NO provisions for rent forgiveness or cancellation. At the federal level, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also issued an order on September …

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BayLegal Stands Against Proposed HUD Rule Allowing Anti-Transgender Discrimination in Shelters

| By BayLegal
Categories: Advocacy, Homepage, News, Other
Protect Trans Live march sign
Bay Area Legal Aid today published our response to a request for comment by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), strongly opposing a new proposed HUD rule for shelter admissions. The rule would enshrine in approved HUD practice anti-transgender discrimination in shelter admissions based on gender stereotyping, create additional barriers to shelter …

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