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 Media@BayLegal.org 

Recent News & Articles

Announcing a major new legal resource for homeless youth

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
With the launch of the Homeless Youth Handbook, advocates and California youth who are unhoused, precariously housed, or transitioning out of homelessness have gained a major new set of legal resources. A multi-year, multi-state pro bono initiative by Baker McKenzie in partnership with corporate partners and a broad range of legal services and youth support organizations, …

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Join BayLegal and the Family Justice Center for a Training — All About Domestic Violence Restraining Orders

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
All About Domestic Violence Restraining Orders Bay Area Legal Aid Family Law attorneys will conduct this training to help providers and community members recognize domestic violence and know what options and resources are available for survivors in Contra Costa County. Learning Objectives Participants will learn to: Define what a domestic violence restraining order can and …

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Celebrating a significant victory against the criminalization of poverty

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
BayLegal joins our colleagues at Public Counsel, and the allied organizations with whom we partnered in an amicus brief, in celebrating yesterday’s decision by the CA Second District Court of Appeals in People v. Dueñas. The court’s decision represents an important step against the criminalization of poverty and the imposing of court fees on defendants …

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Working to Bring Eboni Route Home for the Holidays

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
A story in today’s San Francisco Chronicle by Kimberly Veklerov details the challenges faced by Eboni Route in fighting an improper lockout by the Oakland Housing Authority. Represented by her BayLegal attorneys Rebekah Evenson and Emma Dinkelspiel, Eboni was in court and at her OHA housing site today, hoping the agency would abide by a …

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New Developments in the San Francisco Towing and Impound Case

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
As covered in previous BayLegal news items, BayLegal attorneys, our colleagues from the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights (LCCR), and pro bono co-counsel from the firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, have worked throughout 2018 to represent very low-income, homeless and precariously housed clients whose vehicles have been seized for unpaid parking tickets by …

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BayLegal advocacy pushes SFPD to comply with state law and protect survivors

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
A story in today’s SF Examiner details the role of Bay Area Legal Aid attorneys and volunteers including Fawn Jade Koopman and Jeanne Finberg, in pushing the San Francisco Police Department to comply with state law requiring timely release of police reports to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Timely release of these reports is …

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Steve Ronfeldt

| By Laurence Bashford
Categories: Announcements, Homepage, News
BayLegal mourns the passing of our dear friend Steve Ronfeldt, who died last weekend. Steve was a tremendous person, an extraordinary advocate, a mentor, and true friend. Steve devoted his entire life and career – more than fifty years – to legal services. Right out of law school he started work at Legal Aid; he went …

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A heartfelt thanks to Vogmask from Bay Area Legal Aid!

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
We at BayLegal are touched and deeply grateful, on behalf of our clients and staff, to start this morning of terrible, smoky air with news of a generous donation from Vogmask of San Francisco. Nearly 600 microfiber face masks are on their way to us thanks to the staff and management of this local company …

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BayLegal Lawsuit Helps Spotlight Systemic Problems with Juvenile Detention in 4 Bay Area Counties

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News, Other
A November 9th story on NBC Bay Area by Liz Wagner, Michael Bott, and Jeremy Carroll finds that 4 of 5 Bay Area counties investigated are deciding in a majority of cases to hold kids in pre-trial juvenile detention when their own assessment tools indicate pre-trial release. This investigative report emerged from discussions between BayLegal …

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Urgent Alert: New SSA Phone Scam

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, News
From our allies at Justice in Aging comes news of a phone scam targeting Social Security beneficiaries: There’s a new phone scam targeting Social Security beneficiaries that advocates for older adults should be aware of. The Federal Trade Commission is warning that scammers are engaging in a caller ID trick called “spoofing” to make it …

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Civil Rights and Legal Aid Groups Demand End to City’s Unconstitutional Towing Practices

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, Litigation, News
For Immediate Release News from LCCR – SF Bay Area and Bay Area Legal Aid: Groups issue letter to City Attorney over violation of low-income people’s 4th Amendment rights Contact: Taylor Brady, TBrady@baylegal.org, (510) 250-5234; Matt Kovac, mkovac@lccr.com, (415) 510-9601 SAN FRANCISCO – One day after a federal court ordered the City of San Francisco to return an impounded …

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San Francisco Towing Practices Called into Question by New Federal Court Ruling

| By BayLegal
Categories: Homepage, Litigation, News
For Immediate Release News from LCCR – SF Bay Area and Bay Area Legal Aid: City towed and impounded homeless man’s car for unpaid parking tickets; Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Bay Area Legal Aid and Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP claim policy violates 4th Amendment guarantee against unreasonable seizure October 10, 2018 Contact: Taylor Brady, …

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