It was 2018, and one of Asher Waite-Jones’ clients was making minimum wage working part-time in a warehouse when he was assessed about $2000 in fines and fees for a DUI conviction. To pay those, the client, a young man in his 20s, dropped out of school so he could pick up additional work hours. But not long afterward, he was laid off.
The EBCLC writes that the mural, titled Know Justice, Know Peace—Our Vision for Community Health, “honors the lives, strength, and stories of women of color, and commemorates the power and vibrancy of EBCLC’s historically Black South Berkeley neighborhood.”
“It is EBCLC’s privilege and responsibility to center the dignity and power of Women of Color,” says EBCLC Executive Director, Zoë Polk. “Our vision, our leadership, our staff, and, now, our home represent this investment. I am particularly humbled to present this gift to the South Berkeley community. They have inspired our pursuit of justice and peace. Through this mural, I hope they recognize that their lives and their stories are bound up in EBCLC’s vision.”
In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, we asked our fellow EBCLC community members to share what inspires them to do the critical work they do here at EBCLC. Ingrid Murillo, Health & Welfare Paralegal “For me, it is important to be doing the work that I’m doing because I think that my experience can […]
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 Monday, September 28, Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 2463 (Wicks), effectively stopping the unjust practice of forcing the sale of family homes over small, unsecured debts. East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) celebrates the passage of this long-overdue legislation, which will prevent a statewide foreclosure crisis by expanding consumer protections for all Californians.
The legislature’s budget action proposes to permanently repeal 23 fees, including various probation-related fees and public defender fees, across California, in AB 1869/SB 824!
EBCLC and local parnters join to call the City of Berkeley to reimagine public safety by de-policing transportation. Read our letter to Mayor Arreguin and Councilmembers.
The Development Assistant provides support with the fundraising and communications activities of the organization. The position requires an extremely organized individual with attention to detail, excellent judgment and discretion, strong writing skills, a flexible and proactive attitude, and a commitment to EBCLC’s racial justice mission.
The Development Assistant’s responsibilities will primarily focus on helping to coordinate activities for our individual giving program. Currently, EBCLC raises ~$550,000 individual giving annually; we hope to increase this revenue stream each year. The focus of this position is to secure and increase financial support from individuals–major, midlevel, and grassroots donors, and alums of EBCLC’s clinical education program. The Development Assistant will also provide ongoing administrative support to our Contracts Officer for all of our government contracts. The position reports to the Director of Development and Communications.
The Individual Giving Manager will work in close collaboration with the rest of the Development, Communications, and Data and Evaluation team, as well as the Executive Director, in implementing multi-prong strategies for sustaining and expanding EBCLC’s individual giving program. The position reports to the Director of Development and Communications (DDC).
The Immigration Staff Attorney represents immigrants with a wide variety of immigration matters. The position requires an excellent advocate with strong writing, interpersonal, and organizational skills who works well in a fast-paced collaborative environment, has experience providing immigration services to low-income people, has a strong interest in clinical teaching, and is committed to furthering the mission for racial justice.
