Just 4 more days to drink and dine for rural justice

As Credo Restaurant gives back 

For the next four days, you can indulge – without guilt.

Well, okay.  Maybe not without guilt . . . but at least while also feeling great. Because for every cocktail and appetizer you order, you’ll be bringing life-changing legal help to rural communities.

That’s right!  For just four more days – through the end of July – every time  you order a OneJustice appetizer or cocktail at Credo Restaurant in downtown San Francisco, they will donate $2 to OneJustice’s Rural Justice Initiative.  So we know you will enjoy the:

• OneJustice cocktail – the “Kentucky Buck” – Strawberry Infused Bourbon, Lemon juice, Simple Syrup and Ginger Beer

• OneJustice appetizer – Oven Roasted Mussels with Spicy Tomato-Shrimp Brodo and Ciabatta Toast

At Credo, community involvement is not a peripheral action; it’s a central element of their business model. They actively seek to reinvest in their community through direct action, charitable giving and long-term partnerships with organizations whose goals and aspirations they share.

With the “Credo Community Partners” program, they reach out to groups they believe in, organizations that have matched the strength of their convictions with energy and action. Each month, Credo highlights a specific issue that they care about – and in July 2014, they chose the issue of Rural Justice – and OneJustice as the beneficiary of this terrific program.

(And you can find out even more about Credo‘s steadfast support for OneJustice through our January 2014 interview with Sales Manager Jason Eriksen posted on this blog here).

So take advantage of this absolute permission to indulge – and feel justified while doing it!  (At least for four more days . . . )  Don’t miss out!

Credo Restaurant  |   360 Pine Street, San Francisco, CA 94610
Monday to Friday: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Saturday: 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm
info@credosf.com
415.693.0360

Really, there just aren’t any other words for what you did.

You are a justice hero.

Ok, so I understand that might seem a little over the top.  Or even silly.  But here’s the thing – I think what you did was exceptional.

We know that there are millions of poor Californians living in rural areas who are facing pressing legal problems – all alone.  Why?  Because there are no attorneys in their communities to help. So they suffer – needlessly – from solvable legal problems.

And you all are changing that.  In my book, that makes you all heroes – justice heroes!

You see, last Thursday night, the OneJustice network raised over $335,000 for rural justice projects.

That just takes my breath away!

Generous law firms, corporations, law schools, and others donated over $195,000 in sponsorships for the event – bringing life-changing legal help to rural veterans, seniors and families.

And a group of over 125 amazing individuals ensured that the OneJustice network raised $60,000 for the Rural Justice Challenge. And because you achieved that goal, the law firm Cooley LLP provided a $65,000 matching donation.  Folks who participated in our live and silent auctions contributed over $20,000.  Working together, these justice heroes raised over $140,000 for those in need.

And my personal promise to all of you is that these donations will support 75 mobile legal clinics reaching at least 1,000 rural Californians. Your support will bring teams of volunteers to serve these communities and will supply hours of free legal help for those facing legal barriers to basic necessities.

So you see, I’m pretty sure that makes everyone involved a hero!  I believe that the individuals involved in the OneJustice network are pretty special, and my heart is full to overflowing with gratitude.  I wish I could thank each and every one of you in-person.

Thank you all so much for your generosity.  Your dedication to rural justice, pro bono, and legal services for those in need was palpable throughout the evening.  You can see it in all the photos from the event below!

I look forward very much to keeping you all posted – on this blog and elsewhere – on our progress as we implement the rural justice clinics made possible by the OneJustice network’s commitment, passion, and support.  Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

Rural. Justice.

(Ooops, we lied – one more word: Challenge)

Q: What is a Rural Justice Challenge?

A: A time-limited opportunity to double your donation and bring more legal services to over 1,000 rural Californians.

Rural Californians face terrible legal barriers to basic necessities – all alone. Why? Because there are simply not enough attorneys in their communities to help them. So they suffer – needlessly – from solvable legal problems.

You can bring them the legal help they need! Your support brings attorney volunteers right to these communities.

The law firm Cooley LLP has made an amazing gift commitment to bring more mobile legal clinics to rural communities.  They have challenged the OneJustice network to raise $60,000 at our Opening Doors to Justice event tomorrow night – and they will match every single donation, dollar-for-dollar, up to $60,000.

If you donate today – right now – Cooley will double your donation.  Can’t attend tomorrow night’s event?  We’ll miss you – and you can still be part of this challenge! Cooley will count all donations through our secure online site at www.one-justice.org/RuralChallenge.

Right now, millions of rural Californians are suffering – needlessly – from simple and solvable legal problems. They face legal barriers to basic necessities – like a home, medical care, freedom from violence, and even food and clean water. All because there are simply no lawyers in their community to help them. And yet the solution is so easy – often it just takes one hour of legal advice to right these wrongs and solve their problems.

You can change this!

You can bring life-changing legal help to those who are suffering. Your kind gift brings teams of volunteer attorneys to help these rural communities. Each donation means hours of free legal help for those facing pressing legal problems.

Because of you, a veteran will access medical care.

A child with disabilities will get the speech therapy she needs but is currently denied.

You can keep a family safe from their abuser and help a senior stay in her home.

Working together, we can make sure that every single rural veteran, senior, family and child has the legal help they need to end needless suffering from solvable legal problems.

Your generous contribution means so much! Thank you!

California Rural Justice Collaborative discussed in DC!

APBCo Representatives went to Washington D.C. for a Second Meeting with Vice President Joe Biden

This Rural Justice Clinic Volunteer knows that just a little bit of our time makes all the difference for those in need!

Wow, we can’t believe this – but May 17, 2014 marked the one year anniversary of the Rural Justice Collaborative, San Francisco Bay Area’s IMPACT (Involving More Pro bono Attorneys in our Communities Together) Project!

That’s right – the Rural Justice Collaborative has been working to increase free legal assistance to isolated and underserved regions of the greater Bay Area for a full year. And, we couldn’t be more thankful to our legal services and law firm partners for making each and every Rural Justice clinic possible and the first year of the project such a success.

Since its launch, the Rural Justice Collaborative has held 37 limited scope legal clinics in six regions – South Santa Clara, West Marin, Napa, East Contra Costa, El Dorado, and coastside San Mateo Counties. The Rural Justice volunteers have assisted 256 clients with immigration, housing, special education, and other civil legal matters. We are so grateful to our amazing legal services partners – including Asian Law Alliance, Bay Area Legal Aid, Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, International Institute of the Bay Area, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Legal Aid of Marin, Legal Aid of Napa Valley, and Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County.  They provide skilled expertise and training to ensure our pro bono attorneys are well-prepared to provide legal assistance to low-income Californians in our target communities.

Rural Justice Collaborative by numbers:

Rural Justice volunteers frequently staff clinics helping immigrant youth who are eligible for the federal DACA program.

• 37 clinics
• 6 different regions
• 70 pro bono attorneys
• 14 law firms and 3 corporations
• 256 clients assisted

In addition to the one year Rural Justice Collaborative anniversary, we are excited to report that on June 5, 2014, Vice President Joe Biden met with the Board of Directors of the Association of Pro Bono Counsel (“APBCo”), and senior management leaders from board members’ law firms, in the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington D.C.  This was the second occasion on which the Vice President met with APBCo to focus on access to justice issues and the significant role that pro bono counsel at law firms play in the delivery of legal services to the poor. The Rural Justice Collaborative, and other IMPACT Projects across the country, were developed in direct response to the first meeting with Vice President Joe Biden in 2012.

The Rural Justice Collaborative was the first APBCo IMPACT project to launch. Other projects followed quickly throughout the country, including IMPACT LA, another IMPACT project housed at OneJustice which brings legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence in Los Angeles through limited scope legal clinics. We look forward to another great year of bringing free legal assistance to underserved communities through the Rural Justice Collaborative with our wonderful legal services partners and our amazing law firm partners:

Thank you to all the Rural Justice volunteers and legal services attorneys who made our first year such a success!

• Baker & McKenzie LLP
• Bingham McCutchen LLP
• Cooley LLP
• Covington & Burling LLP
• DLA Piper
• Fenwick & West LLP
• Hewlett-Packard Company
• Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP
• Latham & Watkins LLP
• LinkedIn
• Morgan Lewis & Bockius
• Morrison & Foerster LLP
• Nixon Peabody LLP
• O’Melveny & Myers LLP
• Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
• Perkins Coie
• Prudential Financial, Inc.

Do you want to help tackle rural justice?  We’d love to have you involved!

For more information about the Rural Justice Collaborative, please contact Lauren Roberts at lroberts@one-justice.org.