JUSTICE AND DIVERSITY CENTER OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO
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Mission Statement
The Justice & Diversity Center advances fairness and equality by providing pro bono legal services to low-income people and educational programs that foster diversity in the legal profession.
About This Cause
The work of the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) of The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) is focused through three programs: Pro Bono Legal Services, the Homeless Advocacy Project, and the Diversity Educational Programs. The Pro Bono Legal Services Program provides free legal advice and representation to low-income San Francisco residents facing legal issues including eviction, credit problems, child custody and child support, divorces and dissolution, domestic violence, and tax liabilities. JDC recruits, trains and supports hundreds of volunteers annually to provide these services. Our volunteers are partners and associates at law firms of all sizes, attorneys from in-house legal departments of major corporations and government offices, solo attorneys, and law school students. The Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP) provides free legal and related social services to individuals and families who are homeless or at serious risk of becoming homeless. HAP excels at helping people address immediate legal crises that affect their ability to keep their housing or prevent them from obtaining stable housing, but our work does not stop there. HAP is a pioneer in providing holistic legal services. HAP identifies all aspects of an individual or family’s life that have led to the crisis, and then provides social services to stabilize their lives. The most common legal issues addressed at HAP are federal disability benefits advocacy, eviction defense and immigration documentation. JDC’s Diversity Educational Programs are provided in partnership with BASF to increase the diversity of the legal profession. The programs are designed to inspire minority students to pursue a career in law by removing barriers to college and law school attendance. Program outcomes for high school students include: nearly doubling the likelihood of attending a four-year college; summer internship opportunities in law firms, legal departments, and government offices with paid stipends; hands-on courtroom experience through Mock Trial, tutoring, and college tours. Program outcomes for undergraduates include: access to information and resources about the legal profession; knowledge about how to increase the likelihood of being admitted to law school; scholarships and discounts for LSAT prep courses. For minority law school students, JDC offers three-year scholarships to Bay Area law schools as well as mentoring and networking opportunities. More than 85 students have received scholarships, totaling over $1,600,000 in support. BASF further extends the reach of this program by providing support and networking to minority attorneys with an emphasis on mentoring.