“Since Friday, more than 10,000 people have signed a petition asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to release prisoners to stop the COVID-19 infections racing through San Quentin and other state prisons…. Other signers include the American Civil Liberties Union, the California Public Defenders Association, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, East Bay Community Law Center…”

EBCLC Consumer Justice Clinic student, Jessica Williams, breaks down Senate Bill 616 for the Daily Journal.

Today, we share in the community’s celebration upon hearing the U.S. Supreme Court’s momentous ruling that the Trump administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was unlawful. The decision, which stems from a legal challenge filed by the Regents of the University of California, the state Attorney General, and others, means that DACA will remain in effect for now…

Chang is just one advocate in a Berkeley community that has played a robust role in defending DACA and supporting “Dreamers.” He works with Berkeley Law’s East Bay Dreamers Project, a partnership between law students and the East Bay Community Law Center. Berkeley Law’s Pro Bono Program has provided extensive support to DACA recipients, helping some to renew their applications ahead of the court’s decision.

If you receive a judgement against you in small claims court, that becomes a public record, which can “have all kinds of ramifications,” said Marc Janowitz, staff attorney and clinical supervisor at the East Bay Community Law Center.

Under AB 2054, an 11-member advisory committee, selected by Governor Gavin Newsom, the Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, and the Speaker of the Assembly would first develop criteria for grant applications, then review resulting proposals and determine which organizations will take on the responsibility of emergency response. (To be eligible, organizations must already be operating in at least 10 counties.)

The advisory committee would then be responsible for overseeing the grants and making recommendations to the Office of Emergency Services about implementation.

The bill is sponsored and supported by dozens of organizations, including the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color, the ACLU of California, Youth Justice Coalition, PolicyLink, and East Bay Community Law Center.

CA Assembly Has Urgent Opportunity to Advance Alternatives to Police: Survivors of Police Violence, Community Organizers, and Advocates Call on Assembly Appropriations to Pass AB 2054 and Invest in Community-Based Solutions

As a Black-serving organization with a deep belief that your race should not determine your survival, EBCLC is outraged. There is a trifecta of crisis upon us and Black folks are disproportionately bearing the burden.

It is with great joy that we share with you all today that our Clean Slate Program Coordinator Juan M. Cabrales will be joining Berkeley Law’s Class of 2023 and was awarded the Berkeley Law Opportunity Scholarship covering all tuition expenses!

Juan, a San Diego native, brought his immigration expertise to EBCLC in 2018 as the first Clean Slate Program Coordinator dedicated to “Crimmigration” work. EBCLC is currently one of the only legal service providers in Alameda County that offers crimmigration services at no cost to predominantly low-income people of color. Juan is the son of Mexican immigrants and a first-generation college – and now law school – student. He knows first-hand the impacts over-policing has had on immigrant communities and the vital need to remedy both the broken immigration and criminal justice systems. We interviewed Juan to get an insight into the important work he has done at EBCLC, his journey to Berkeley Law, and the crucial need for reentry advocacy for immigrants during COVID-19.

Soto received a whopping eight nomination letters for the Swift Award, including one signed by 38 students and recent graduates. The supervising attorney of EBCLC’s Consumer Justice Clinic, he is widely hailed as a dedicated mentor who deftly trains students in litigation and legislative advocacy. Soto recently created a new teaching model and small claims case training manual for the student-led Consumer Rights Workshop to make them more accessible for 1Ls.