In the News

Student Leads Effort to Protect Tenants Involved in Eviction Lawsuits

Monday, April 11, 2016 |

Fueled by the injustice he encountered as a student advocate, Phil Hernandez ’16 has turned a simple idea into a California bill to protect tenants involved in eviction lawsuits. While working with the Housing Program at the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), Hernandez assisted clients who suffered from what he calls “a big flaw in landlord-tenant law.”

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Alameda County Halts Juvenile Probation Fees

Thursday, April 7, 2016 |

Thousands of low-income Alameda County families will no longer have to pay juvenile probation and public defender fees. On March 29, 2016 the Alameda County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to impose an immediate moratorium on all fees charged to parents and guardians with children in the juvenile justice system.

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Student’s Dedication Helps Clinic Score Its First Victory for Trafficking Victims

Monday, March 7, 2016 |

It was high-stakes for the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), representing a trafficking victim for the first time. It was high stakes for EBCLC student Asher Waite-Jones ’16, pursuing a visa for a detained client badly in need of help. And it was the highest of stakes for Lynden, who asked not to use her last name, an undocumented transgender woman from Belize facing possible deportation.

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Lawsuit Filed Against California DMV for Unlawfully Reporting and Maintaining Criminal Records of One Million State Drivers

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 |

DMV Policies Violate Californians’ Constitutional Rights and Jeopardize Employment Opportunities, according to the East Bay Community Law Center & Social Justice Law Project

Oakland, Calif., February 24, 2016 — A new lawsuit filed today charges the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with a widespread practice of illegally retaining and reporting the criminal history records of upwards of 1 million Californians.

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Youth Advocates: Two Recent Alums Launch Innovative Projects Helping Vulnerable Children in Oakland

Monday, January 25, 2016 |

Mindy Phillips ’15 and Whitney Rubenstein ’14 have plenty in common. Both found a second home in the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) soon after enrolling at Berkeley Law. Both strive to support at-risk youth. And both received prestigious, two-year Equal Justice Works fellowships to do just that at EBCLC.  Phillips’ initiative provides immigration legal services to Oakland public school students and their families. Rubenstein’s offers legal representation and social work support to Oakland public housing tenants who face possible eviction because of a juvenile delinquency matter. Each innovative project is improving the lives of vulnerable children.

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7 On Your Side: People’s paychecks garnished for debts they don’t owe

Wednesday, November 18, 2015 |
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Alameda County Traffic Court Eliminates Harsh License Suspension Policy That Punished The Poor

Thursday, November 12, 2015 |

Salmon — the Oakland resident featured in my story, who has legal support from the East Bay Community Law Center — has struggled with homelessness and unemployment and has been unable to pay fines tied to two minor traffic tickets over the last two years. The resulting license suspension has prevented him from getting multiple jobs, and he can’t afford to pay the more than $1,000 he now owes.

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