SACRAMENTO, CA — In compliance with a California Court of Appeal ruling, the California Department of Motor Vehicles reported to the court that it lifted 554,997 improperly imposed driver’s license suspensions. The DMV action was the result of a statewide lawsuit, Hernandez v. CA Department of Motor Vehicles, in which several Californians challenged the DMV’s suspension of licenses based on drivers’ failure to pay traffic citations or appear in court. The plaintiffs were represented by Bay Area Legal Aid, Western Center on Law & Poverty, The ACLU of Northern California, East Bay Community Law Center, The USC Gould School of Law Access to Justice Practicum, The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF), and the law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

Berkeley, CA—In a victory for the entire organization, the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) has reached a collective bargaining agreement. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and national discourse on valuing the dignity of workers, 80 staff members and executive team members came together to strengthen our work environment and culture. 

On Thursday, June 17th, 2021 Dominique Turrentine, Manager of Strategic Initiatives at Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), Zoë Polk, Executive Director of the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), Rebecca Dixon, Executive Director of the National Employment Law Project (NELP), and Imani Rupert- Gordon, Executive Director National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) came together to reflect on Juneteenth and discuss how we can collectively build and transform institutions to advance Black liberation. 

Join us on Thursday, June 17th, from 2PM-3:15PM PT (5PM-6:15PM ET) for “Freedom to Lead – Revisiting Juneteenth 2020: A Year Later,” a virtual event hosted by East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), National Employment Law Project (NELP), and National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). On the anniversary of Juneteenth, our dynamic panel will explore […]

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the East Bay Community Law Center is celebrating our Asian American and Pacific Islander clients, staff, and supporters. This month, we asked our fellow EBCLC community members to share how they are honoring their unique AA/PI heritage. We hope you continue on to learn more:  […]

As one of the largest eviction defense organizations in California, the East Bay Community Law Center knows intimately how devastating evictions are on communities, neighborhoods, families, and children. Every day, we reckon with how present-day law enforcement upholds the legacy of state sponsored housing discrimination

In my three years of law school, more than 700 Black people were shot by police. As I was writing this reflection, I read the story of Mario Gonzalez, a long-time East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) community member, who died after the Alameda County Police Department pinned him to the ground for five minutes—only a day before Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd in a similar fashion…

My experience at EBCLC reminded me why I wanted to become a lawyer.

Like many law students, I ended my 1L year craving something more. My classes were interesting, but I came to law school to help people. I didn’t feel like I was doing much of that while sitting in a classroom…

My experiences as a clinical student at EBCLC were the most meaningful, edifying, and enjoyable I have had at Berkeley Law. For four semesters, I was a member of the Consumer Justice Clinic. During this time, I was able to practice a great array of advocacy skills…

Do I belong here? As a first generation American, this is a question I grapple with regularly, and one that became particularly stark during my three years at Berkeley Law…