University of California, Los Angeles School of Law
The Alliance for Children's Rights
Los Angeles, CA
Direct services, community legal education and cooperative efforts at systemic reform to improve long-term outcomes for foster youth victims of sex trafficking in Los Angeles County.
Advocacy for low-income immigrant women who have experienced sexual harassment and assault in the workplace, by representing them in their employment claims and developing holistic clinics to comprehensively address their legal and nonlegal needs.
Direct representation and policy advocacy to ensure educational success and college readiness for homeless youth and transitional foster youth in the San Francisco area. The California legislature has recognized the need for extended benefits to foster youth ages 18-21 through the passage of a new bill that has just gone into effect. The bill creates an opportunity to use additional time in foster care to increase enrollment in higher education.
Improving education for students with disabilities by litigating high-impact cases to compel schools to provide accessible instructional materials, and empowering students to become self-advocates through the creation and distribution of guides for blind and other print-disabled students.
Direct representation and impact litigation for low-income students excluded from charter schools to enforce and strengthen charter schools' civil rights obligations.
Direct representation, impact litigation and advocacy to obtain meaningful relief for underserved low-income tenants toward a goal of reforming the D.C. Superior Court's Housing Conditions Calendar (HCC). Issues will include collapsing ceilings, inoperable heat and vermin infestation that threaten tenants' health and safety. Established two years ago, the HCC is a much-needed venue where tenants can quickly and inexpensively sue their landlords for repairs, but it has failed to order the swift and full relief to which tenants are entitled.
Impact litigation, community education and advocacy on behalf of LGBT students in rural, impoverished regions of New York State who are experiencing harassment in school, which often leads LGBT students to drop out at much higher rates than their peers. Will enforce the newly passed Dignity for All Students Act, which went into effect July 1, 2012, and establishes a student's right to be free from harassment based on sexual orientation/gender identity and a school's responsibility to train staff to prevent bullying.
Direct representation of working poor Los Angeles families facing foreclosure in an effort to save their homes, emphasizing enforcement of California's newly enacted Homeowner Bill of Rights.
Direct representation of low-wage workers to combat workplace violations uncovered by innovative local organizing efforts. Warehouse, hotel, carwash, port and sanitation workers have all expressed a need for representation.
By employing a multifaceted advocacy approach, will work with youth and parents to reform discipline policies and practices in charter and traditional public schools in Washington, D.C. to help eliminate the push out of students of color.
Direct representation of low-income, rent-regulated tenants in Williamsburg-Greenpoint facing illegal displacement through landlord abuse and city-imposed vacate orders.
Advocacy to assist low-income persons in Michigan who have past criminal records, so they can successfully re-enter society. Will provide direct representation, impact litigation, community legal education and legislative advocacy.
Direct representation, community education and systemic advocacy to enforce the education and due process rights of court-involved children with school-based behavior issues.
Direct representation for West Virginia coal miners who have experienced unlawful retaliation for reporting unsafe working conditions to their employers or to regulators. Would also assist miners in commenting on rules and permits and in participating at the public hearings of regulatory agencies.
Comprehensive legal services to remove barriers to familial and economic participation for noncustodial fathers with criminal records. Project will involve direct representation in family court, clearing/mitigation of criminal records and collaboration with social service partners to enhance long-term outcomes and educational outreach.
Direct representation and advocacy for guest workers in the Gulf Coast seafood industry to achieve dignified work by combating forced labor, retaliation, minimum wage violations and unsafe working conditions.
Direct representation of fathers in neglect, abuse and termination of parental rights proceedings. Will also promote responsible parenting through "know your rights as fathers" trainings to prevent the unnecessary disruption of the father-child relationship and reduce dependence on foster care.
Direct representation of low-income, limited-English-proficient tenants facing eviction and illegal rents. Will collaborate with community organizations to educate renters about their rights and available administrative remedies under recently passed just-cause and rent stabilization ordinance.
Direct representation and policy advocacy to keep New York City students in school and out of court. Will provide workshops to train students, families and court personnel about educational rights. Will also advocate for policies that develop alternatives for suspensions and improve coordination between the education and juvenile justice systems.
Direct representation for temporary workers in Chelsea, Mass., including community legal education and administrative advocacy to enforce the newly enacted Temporary Worker Right to Know Act and other employment rights.
Direct representation of coal miners and their families in mine safety and black lung cases. Will also strengthen the network of attorneys who represent miners to identify cases for impact litigation.
Direct representation to veterans and formerly incarcerated persons to help them re-enter civilian society and obtain employment. Will engage in law reform efforts to remove barriers to employment for these groups, which are historically and currently marginalized from the labor market.
Direct representation and community education for domestic workers in New York City to vindicate their legal rights to be free of workplace exploitation and abuse on matters of fair employment and access to public benefits.
