The Law Foundation mourns the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Tony McDade, and every other person killed by police brutality, state-sanctioned violence, and structural racism. We stand in solidarity with our community and call for systemic change that results in us re-imagining and then building a better world. We need equity, and we must permanently end anti-blackness and violence perpetrated against the Black community.
Our communities do not need a return to "normal." We need long-term, meaningful change of our systems, institutions, policies, and standards of accountability. As allies and advocates, we must engage with and push forward an anti-racist lens to all areas of our society, including housing, health, education, criminal justice, and more.
As a social justice organization, we're committed to increasing access to justice for low-income families and communities of color. As lawyers and legal advocates, we understand that laws are not colorblind. Racist laws are the foundation on which our country was built and they continue to perpetuate racial disparities to this day. This is why race equity is at the core of the Law Foundation's vision.
Racial equity is the fight of our lifetime. And we must hold ourselves accountable first. We'll be looking at ourselves in the mirror and working to do better.
We demand that local, state, and federal institutions do the same. Because Black Lives Matter. And our laws, policies, and practices must reflect this value.
In solidarity,
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
NEWS
#AffordableHousingMonth & Keeping Families Housed During the Pandemic
Affordable Housing Month is over, but the Law Foundation wants to keep the conversation about housing equity going. Law Foundation attorneys and community workers have been working non-stop to prevent the displacement of low-income families and communities of color as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
Last week, Law Foundation attorneys, together with community partners, advocated for the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to address the continued, disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on communities of color. The county extended the eviction moratorium until August 31, and tenants now have one year to pay back rent. The Law Foundation continues to fight for protections and advocate for rent cancellation to ensure that low-income families do not bear the unfair consequences that have come from the public health crisis and economic devastation of COVID-19.
In May, the Law Foundation's Housing program hosted a series of multilingual Virtual Town Halls to inform tenants about the extended eviction moratorium. Together with Silicon Valley At Home, the Law Foundation hosted a panel as part of #AffordableHousingMonth that discussed eviction moratoriums and what's next for the tenants' rights movement.
Recently, Law Foundation attorney Michael Trujillo was quoted in the Mercury News and San Jose Spotlight.
"This protection is the only thing keeping many families in their homes during this unprecedented pandemic because many cities have not taken up the invitation to pass their own moratoria. Santa Clara County has been slower to reopen than other places in the state and tenants haven't had a chance to earn an income to resume their regular rent payments on June 1." - Michael Trujillo, Law Foundation attorney, in the Mercury News.
"These families are in this situation because they can't earn an income because of the county health order. So, it's really unreasonable to expect them to be able to pay off that debt at the same time that they're resuming their normal rent payments as the moratorium lifts." - Michael Trujillo, Law Foundation attorney, in San Jose Spotlight.
Stock Photo
Fighting For a Family Against All Odds
There's no place like home. But sometimes, your home is where your heart is, and that could be a thousand miles away in another country. When Jasmin*, 19, found out her grandmother was ill with cancer in Honduras, she decided that borders would not prevent her from being with the person that had raised her. However, Jasmin had received Special Immigrant Juvenile Status and was in the process of obtaining her green card. Leaving the country was not allowed. Visiting her sick grandmother meant putting her immigration status at risk, but, in a panic, she felt she had no other choice.
As soon as Kate Manning, Law Foundation attorney, and Lucy Carlos, social worker, found out about Jasmin's tenuous situation, they jumped into action. They researched what legal avenues were available and communicated with Jasmin about her options. They filed for humanitarian parole with several government agencies and worked with Jasmin's mother to collect letters of support from her family, her high school, and her employer. Despite the unlikely odds, a few months later, Jasmin received parole, allowing her to return back to her home in the United States. Even better news, Jasmin recently received her green card! She will no longer have to worry about her status and can visit her family members abroad.
*Name has been changed for privacy
Supporting the Affordable Care Act & Advocating for Automatic Stimulus Payments for Everyone
As the United States struggles to overcome the most significant health crisis in a century, the Law Foundation, the National Health Law Program, and its partners filed an amicus brief with #SCOTUS in California v. Texas, a case that will decide the fate of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Learn more.
The Law Foundation also joined a national advocacy effort in support of making economic stimulus payments automatic for recipients of Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplemental Security Income, and certain Veterans benefits. The efforts were largely successful, with only a limited number of benefits recipients now required to register for the stimulus payment.
We continue to reach out to nonprofit partners, clients, and government agencies to educate the community about the requirements for the stimulus payments and we're available to community members without access to the internet to help them request the funds.
ADVOCACY
Credit - Ray Chavez - Bay Area News Group
Respecting the Rights of Protestors
After the first weekend of protests about George Floyd's murder, the Law Foundation advocated by letter for the San Jose City Council to end "the continued imposition of an unnecessary, unjust and inflammatory curfew." Andrew Cain, Law Foundation directing attorney for the Children & Youth program, also spoke during the City Council meeting to reinforce the importance of respecting the rights of protestors.
"The acts that precipitated Sunday's imposition of a citywide curfew resulted from failed leadership, poor decision-making, and inflammatory conduct from officers in response to largely peaceful protests from thousands of community members," Cain said. "San José's leadership should not continue to allow these failures to beget bad policy and harm our residents." Read the full letter here.
As a result of strong community feedback, including from the Law Foundation, San Jose City Council voted to end the curfew. Read more in the San Jose Spotlight and The Mercury News.
In Case You Missed It
Thank You!
It's been a month since our #COJVirtual Edition, and we're still smiling at all the support we received. Everyone who supported us made a huge difference for the thousands of people we serve! Missed it the first time? The full event is posted on our YouTube page! And it's not too late to make a donation.
'Equity in the COVID-19 World' Panel
This year's Activate Your Summit will be virtual! Alison Brunner, CEO of the Law Foundation, will join Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits' "Seeking Equity in the COVID-19 World" panel on June 18. Don't miss it! Register today.
Living with HIV & COVID-19
Get the facts and stay informed! Join Law Foundation attorney Marlene Bennett at the Santa Clara County Public Health Virtual Town Hall: Living with HIV & COVID-19 on June 11 at 6 p.m. People who are fighting HIV and people who work with them can get informed about medical aspects related to COVID-19 and HIV and community resources available for them. Learn more.
PRO BONO SPOTLIGHT
The Law Foundation's Pro Bono Program started the Small Business Pro Bono Program to advise small businesses about Santa Clara County's COVID-19 eviction moratorium for commercial tenants. We created an MCLE training for volunteer attorneys and match small businesses with pro bono lawyers for counsel and advice. We also provide resource lists and referrals.
In some cases, law firms provide more robust advice to small businesses based on their own expertise, like assistance with applying for loans or other COVID-19 relief programs (including tax relief), and assistance with insurance coverage issues (under property insurance policies, force majeure clauses supply contracts, etc.). We're thrilled to have pro bono volunteers staffing such an important program for our community.
Small businesses can contact the Law Foundation for help by:
Phone: (408) 280-2426 (English) (408) 280-2417 (Español) (408) 280-2424 (Tiếng Việt).
Email: smallbusinesshelp@lawfoundation.org.
Online Contact Form: www.lawfoundation.org/smallbusinesshelp
The Pro Bono Program is in the process of turning all its pro bono work into remote pro bono opportunities including our Name and Gender Marker Change Program, Special Education Program, Identify Theft Program and our new Small Claims Court Program. We are recording our substantive legal training sessions for interested volunteers. We will then match volunteers to clients in each of our pro bono programs so they can "meet" virtually, and the clients can receive the legal assistance they need. We are also actively listening and creating new pro bono programs to meet the community's changing needs.
