News

Alameda County Courts are closed until April 7, 2020. What does that mean for your eviction, record remedy, or traffic court case? We’ve got you covered!

EBCLC and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights sent the Alameda County Board of Supervisors a cure and correct demand letter after failing to safely allow the public to participate in their Tuesday, March 17th meeting where the Board voted on a wide variety of issues.

“Local governments should be stopping all evictions during this global health crisis.”

EBCLC’s Director of Housing Practice, Meghan Gordon, discusses tenants rights amidst the pandemic with 94.1 KPFA’s UpFront radio show hosts.

On February 20, after years of work by EBCLC, community land trusts, and Berkeley government, Mayor Jesse Arreguín introduced the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), a groundbreaking affordable housing policy that prevents displacement by empowering tenants with choices when their owner decides to sell. Raise your voice for TOPA today!

Low-Income Californians Get Protection From Debt Collectors Trying to Clean Out Their Bank Account.

Three years ago, during Brandon Greene’s first week working as a lawyer in a new clinic affiliated with the East Bay Community Law Center, he was handed a stack of cases to review. Each involved a client who was struggling to pay down the fines and fees that easily accumulate in California’s criminal justice system. It was his job to help. A handful of the cases were so old that he couldn’t find current contact information for the clients. He quickly realized that “some of those folks,” even if he did reach them, “could not get back on their feet at all”  because of their debt. “The folks who were being affected were mostly indigent,” he said. “Everything costs money. Every program costs money. And a lot of folks can’t afford to pay these things.”

Who We Are:

The East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is one of the Bay Area’s largest and most effective systems disrupters. We are committed to providing impactful, holistic legal services, policy work, and litigation strategies across five program areas: Housing, Economic Security & Opportunity, Immigration, Health & Welfare, and Education Defense & Justice for Youth. We partner with Berkeley Law School to reject the legal status quo and to reimagine justice for our clients.

EBCLC recognizes that the impact and explicit racialized language being used by those at the highest levels of the U.S. government has a direct impact on people at the intersection of multiple oppressions. Thus, we have deepened our commitment to real security, equity, and belonging; through schools that allow children to feel safe and thrive, meaningful work opportunities, and relief from displacement, deportation, poverty, and debt. EBCLC strives to create a workplace that values dignity and equity for staff, students, and community partners.

It is an exciting time to join EBCLC. We see cities and communities across the country adopt policies launched by EBCLC.

These policies include the elimination of criminal fees and fines, the protection of constitutional rights of unhoused people and the implementation of ordinances providing tenants the first offer and right of refusal of property they live in before it goes on the market.

We recently celebrated 30 years of movement building, policy advocacy, and legal education. Our new Executive Director is excited to partner with a Director of Development invested in systems change to create the organizational vision and planning for EBCLC’s next chapter.

What Will You Do?

EBCLC seeks a Director of Development (DD) with skills and expertise to lead the development and implementation of a multi-faceted resource development plan. They oversee a comprehensive fund development program in support of a $9million annual budget, which is funded by government contracts, foundations, legal fees, individual donors, and UC Berkeley Law School.

The DD is a relationship and capacity-builder with staff and funders and provides strategic advice to the organization’s leadership.

Founded in 1988 by Berkeley Law students, the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is the largest non-profit provider of free legal services in Alameda County, serving more than 5,000 clients each year delivering client-centered, community-driven, and culturally-responsive services and engaging in legislative and policy advocacy.

We use legal and administrative strategies to mitigate the impact of inequitable and unjust systems on low-income individuals, families, and communities while advocating for systemic change at the local and state level. EBCLC’s ability to address a wide range of substantive legal issues, including housing, health, immigration, consumer and court debt, community economic development, juvenile defense, school expulsion, and community reentry, enables us to build a more healthy, secure, productive, and hopeful community.

In addition to our legal advocacy work, EBCLC functions as a law school teaching hospital, serving as the community clinic for Berkeley Law and preparing over 150 law students every year to become skilled and principled advocates committed to finding innovative solutions to the causes and conditions of poverty.

Over our 30+ year history, we have grown to a staff of more than 70, organized in eight legal clinics within five broad program areas, with an $8 million annual budget, two office locations, and a deeply supportive and engaged Board of Directors.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

EBCLC seeks an Office Manager to support the core Office and Administrative functions.

The Office Manager is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day reception, technology, and facility needs of EBCLC’s University office in Berkeley. The position requires someone committed to creating a professional environment that provides respectful and compassionate services to clients contacting the office by phone or in person, who can build a collaborative team to support clients, staff, and law students, and apply good judgment and strong administrative and organizational skills to the needs of the office.

Founded in 1988 by Berkeley Law students, the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC) is the largest non-profit provider of free legal services in Alameda County, serving more than 5,000 clients each year delivering client-centered, community-driven, and culturally-responsive services and engaging in legislative and policy advocacy.

We use legal and administrative strategies to mitigate the impact of inequitable and unjust systems on low-income individuals, families, and communities while advocating for systemic change at the local and state level. EBCLC’s ability to address a wide range of substantive legal issues, including housing, health, immigration, consumer and court debt, community economic development, juvenile defense, school expulsion, and community reentry, enables us to build a more healthy, secure, productive, and hopeful community.

As the Bay Area struggles with an escalating housing and homelessness crisis, EBCLC has deepened our commitment to true security, equity, and belonging; through schools that allow children to feel safe and thrive, meaningful work opportunities, and relief from displacement, deportation, and debt. EBCLC strives to create a workplace that values dignity and equity for our staff, students and community partners.

In addition to our legal advocacy work, EBCLC functions as a law school teaching hospital, serving as the community clinic for Berkeley Law and preparing over 150 law students every year to become skilled and principled advocates committed to finding innovative solutions to the causes and conditions of poverty.

Over our 30+ year history, we have grown to a staff of more than 70, organized in eight legal clinics within five broad program areas, with an $8 million annual budget, two office locations, and a deeply supportive and engaged Board of Directors.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

As a member of EBCLC’s senior leadership team, the Deputy Director plays a key role in day-to-day operations and strategic planning for EBCLC’s future development. The Deputy Director ensures that there are clear cooperation and coordination between EBCLC’s programmatic and operational activities.

A key responsibility of the Deputy Director will serve as an advisor for the Executive Director, ensuring that decision-making is appropriately decentralized and that senior leaders have the requisite authority within their roles to make necessary decisions.

This position requires a person who invests in relationship building, has strong management and organization skills, who is an excellent communicator, has significant experience working in legal or social services, experience or interest in clinical teaching, and is passionate about building a more just and equitable world.