Leeor is supporting future justice heroes!

Removing barriers to justice takes a network. . . of law students and law schools!

OneJustice supports a network of 100+ nonprofit legal organizations, law firms, law schools, and businesses. Each year this network provides life-saving legal help to over 275,000 Californians facing legal barriers to basic life necessities and core civil rights. You – like everyone in our network – are an essential part of the solution to the fact that millions of our neighbors suffer needlessly from solvable legal problems.

In honor of the work that our network does, each month we feature an interview with a different participant in the network. This month we interviewed Leeor Neta, Director for Public Interest Programs at Golden Gate University School of Law.

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Leeor, you are involved in supporting and expanding law students’ interest in public services, pro bono and public interest work. How do you approach that work, and how does your approach also inform your work with OneJustice?

While I have numerous responsibilities at Golden Gate, I am thankful that I am not “expanding student interest in public services.” Every student at Golden Gate—whether they want to pursue a public interest career or prefer the private sector—cares about public service.

That is not my experience of most law students. Few of my law school classmates were committed to pursuing a public interest career and the Career Services Office offered little direction to us. We had to work harder than other students to find opportunities. After graduation, I worked at the Office of the State Public Defender, where I assisted in the direct appeal of death penalty convictions on behalf of indigent clients. Later, I founded the City of East Palo Alto’s first juvenile diversion program and served for two years as its Executive Director.

I came to Golden Gate because I wanted to have a stake in mentoring the next generation of public interest leaders. Golden Gate’s partnership with OneJustice has been invaluable. OneJustice helps me take our very passionate students and connect them with projects and programs, about which they might not otherwise hear. And we do that at the very beginning of their law school tenure. As a result, students more quickly identify what motivates them and are more likely to stay the course to a public interest career.

Please tell us a little bit about how Golden Gate University School of Law approaches public interest, public service, and pro bono.

Golden Gate is consistently ranked one of the best public interest law schools in the country. Golden Gate owes this reputation to several factors. Golden Gate’s curriculum—including many first-year offerings—extends to every area of public interest law. Golden Gate supports a formidable externship program (ranked third in the nation in a 2010 study by Professor James Backman of Brigham Young University). Most Golden Gate students participate in this program and obtain hands-on public interest law-related experience. Many of Golden Gate’s faculty are renowned public interest leaders. Likewise, Golden Gate’s clinics and centers all focus on public interest issues. Golden Gate is home to many student organizations that create a community deeply committed to public service. Golden Gate devotes an enormous amount of money to grants and scholarships for its students.

A Golden Gate law student voluteers at a Path to Citizenship Justice Bus clinic in Gilroy.

Golden Gate also has an abiding to commitment to pro bono and making pro bono opportunities easily available. In fact, Golden Gate was one of the first schools to forge a partnership with OneJustice. Annually, OneJustice counsels hundreds of our law students. Most of these students receive OneJustice’s newsletter and actively participate in the projects promoted by OneJustice. I cannot imagine Golden Gate keeping its commitment to its public interest students without its partnership with OneJustice.

What have you particularly enjoyed about working with OneJustice?

I really enjoy working with the OneJustice staff. Everyone—including Michael Winn, Linda Kim, Thieu Do, and of course, Julia Wilson—is not only hard working and committed, but also gracious and accommodating. This semester, a speaker for a public interest event cancelled on me at the last minute. I called Michael and asked him to fill in. He immediately agreed and ended up being a huge hit with the audience. At every event, OneJustice staff are arriving early, staying late, building relationships with employers and students. They are champions for social justice, and I am proud to call them my colleagues. [Editor’s note from the OneJustice team: Yes, we are all blushing now. Thank you Leeor! The feeling is completely mutual!]

Golden Gate law students volunteer with the Justice Bus Project to bring free legal help to Californians living in isolated areas of the state.

Which project with OneJustice is most exciting to you for 2013?

I personally enjoy coordinating the Northern California Public Interest / Public Sector Day. OneJustice does an outstanding job overseeing this event with its many component parts. I also love greeting nearly all of my public interest colleagues at the same time.

But the project that I think our students have most enjoyed is the Justice Bus trips. Being based in the San Francisco area, it’s not hard for our students to forget that there are many people facing dire legal problems in rural and more far-flung parts of the state. Joining a Justice Bus trip gives them the chance to shift their immediate world view and learn about problems and opportunities in places like Watsonville, Marysville, and others.

Thank you to Leeor and everyone at Golden Gate University of School of Law – including the many law students who volunteer their time to bring life-changing legal help to those in need. We are so honored and proud to have you in the OneJustice network!

Because justice extends beyond my zip code

How can we stretch to reach youth in rural areas?

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – or DACA – offers a promise of work authorization, a driver’s license, immigration relief, and economic self-sufficiency.

But only if we can get legal assistance to the youth who are eligible.

So, we learned recently that youth living in Humboldt County have nowhere to turn for legal advice about whether they are eligible and how to apply for the new federal immigration relief program called DACA (short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). There is no nonprofit legal organization that provides legal assistance in immigration in their county. There is nowhere for them to receive free legal help to understand the program and whether they should apply – even if they were able to travel as far away as Santa Rosa. And access to the DACA program is a very big deal – it offers access to work authorization, a driver’s license — basically the opportunity to have economic self-sufficiency and help provide for their families. But without the legal assistance to understand the program and apply – the promise of the DACA program simply rings hollow.

So how can we stretch – as a state, as a profession, simply as people who care – to reach these kids?

Earlier this month, a team of law students from University of San Francisco School of Law traveled over 600 miles round trip on the Justice Bus – with a wonderful immigration attorney from La Raza Centro Legal – to bring legal help to these amazing youth. Running two clinics over two days, the law students provided 29 youth with immigration and DACA assistance. Their testimonials above tell their personal stories about why they traveled all that way to use their skills to give back. We are so lucky to have such committed volunteers!

And it was heart-breaking to leave, knowing that unless the Justice Bus is able to return these kids and others like them will simply continue to go without any access to legal advice and assistance. We are so grateful to everyone who has donated to the Justice Bus Project and our Children’s Legal Aid Fund that makes these trips possible. We are 100% committed to raising the funds necessary to return to Humboldt again. We welcome you to join our efforts – as a donor, volunteer, or both!

Recently OneJustice also had the terrific experience of partnering with Legal Services for Children on the video below that engaged DREAMERs and youth leaders in San Francisco in explaining the DACA program to other teenagers. The video is being used as part of a public education and community awareness-raising campaign. We were honored to be involved in supporting Legal Service for Children’s work in this area – and we plan to use the video in reaching out to the more rural and isolated counties, as well.

Want more information about DACA? Check out the resources at Legal Services of Children’s page here.

Want to help support Justice Bus Trips doing DACA clinics? It’s easy to give online here.

Have suggestions and ideas about other ways our network can support these youth? Let us know! We welcome your ideas – comment here or on our facebook page!

We were one of the lucky ones

Paying It Forward: Creating Economic Opportunity for Immigrants

By Hanh Vo, Principal Contracts Attorney at LinkedIn

Hanh Vo is Principal Contracts Attorney at LinkedIn and a proud pro bono volunteer.

Imagine if you were transported to a foreign land, penniless, not knowing the native language, surrounded by foreigners who you’ve only seen in fatigues. With just one day’s warning, my mother packed up our meager belongings, my brothers and I who were 7, 3, and 2 years old at the time, and left behind her home and her third child. My parents struggled with the idea of leaving all they had, but they knew that the option of staying was not an option. My father, who was a helicopter pilot for the South Vietnamese Air Force, would be quarantined in a concentration camp if they had stayed.

Saigon fell to the Communists on April 30, 1975. On April 29, 1975, my father flew us out of Saigon while under fire from the Communists. Somehow, we made it in one piece to Thailand. From there, the Americans flew us to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.

My parents didn’t know how they were going to build their lives in this foreign country, but they did know that they had hope. Hope for a better future in the land of opportunity.

We were one of the lucky ones. Volunteers, complete strangers from Ramer, Tennessee came to us. Strangers who have never set eyes on Asians before opened up their hearts and gave us a chance — a chance to make a better life for ourselves in their back yard.

There were smiles all around after this youth received the legal assistance he needed from LinkedIn’s General Counsel Erika Rottenberg and Cooley’s Liz Stameshkin

With support and encouragement from my mother, my father enrolled into college at the age of 32. He received his Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Oklahoma at the age of 36. His education opened doors for all of us. My brothers are Chemical Engineers both with MBA’s; my third brother eventually made it to the States in 1990 and doubled majored in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. I was fortunate to go to law school, hoping that one day I could help others.

When our General Counsel, Erika Rottenberg, asked for volunteers to head up LinkedIn’s pro bono legal program, I jumped at the chance. This was my opportunity to use my legal education to serve the under-served, to give back, and to pay it forward.

A team of 23 volunteers from LinkedIn’s legal department and Cooley LLP traveled with the Justice Bus Project to Napa County to bring life-changing legal help to 28 immigrant youth.

On an overcast day in March, LinkedIn joined Cooley LLP and OneJustice on the Justice Bus and to work with the Legal Aid of Napa Valley in Napa, California. Our mission was to complete the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) forms so that youth immigrants could have an opportunity to become legally employed in the United States. We met 28 applicants, completed 28 applications, and created 28 opportunities for legal employment.

Just like the volunteers I met in 1975 who took it upon themselves to help an immigrant family start their lives over again in the United States, 23 volunteers took it upon themselves to help youth immigrants create economic opportunity for themselves and their families in the United States. I believe that we come to this great nation for economic opportunity and if we are fortunate enough, we may be able to help others become more productive and successful in their careers.

23 complete strangers opened up their hearts to 28 immigrants. At the end of the day, it was not the immigrants who truly benefited from our volunteer service, it was us.

(This post is also available at LinkedIn’s blog here.)

Veterans supporting veterans

Veterans come together to bring life-changing legal help to veterans in need

Last Friday, the Justice Bus Project traveled from downtown Los Angeles with eight volunteers from Southwestern Law School out to the Inland Empire to set up a free legal clinic for veterans.

Done in partnership with Inland Counties Legal Services and Inland Empire Veterans Stand Down, the clinic brought veterans together to support their fellow veterans. Two of the law student volunteers were veterans, as were three staff from Inland County Legal Services and two staff from Inland Empire Veterans Stand Down. The clinic took place at the local American Legion Post, and so local veterans showed up to help staff the clinic. And we are super proud that Monica Mar, our very own Senior Staff Attorney in charge of our SoCal office, is a veteran.

This Justice Bus trip brought life-changing legal assistance to 16 veterans, many of whom were facing multiple legal problems. Thank you to all of the amazing volunteers and local partner organizations for this inspiring collaboration.

The trip was made possible by support from the California Bar Foundation and many, many individual donors who support OneJustice’s Veterans Legal Aid Fund – including many donations made in honor of veterans and service members. Check out our online Wall of Honor for the names of those in whose honor and memory this Justice Bus trip took place. Want to be a part of future Justice Bus trips serving veterans? It is easy to give online – and we will be so moved to add the names of veterans and service members in your life to the Wall of Honor.

You all inspire us every day. Thank you for your support!

Are you a poet? And do you know it?

Are you a secret creative genius?

Do you have a favorite justice-related poem that keeps you going in tough times?

Does our name count as a one-word poem?

Please share those words of inspiration with the rest of the OneJustice network! The March “social media for social justice” contest asks for your justice-related poems!

Everyone who submits a poem that somehow relates to justice, love, equality, activism – or whatever justice means to YOU – before March 8 will be entered to win a super cool OneJustice water bottle. And the justice connection can be loose – remember, this is all about poetry, so of course its open to YOUR interpretation!

Extra points for submitting a poem that you wrote. Extra EXTRA points for posting a video of you reading it aloud. (Yep, we’re throwing down the gauntlet now! Are you fired up yet?) Sadly, we’re not that creative, but we do have a favorite justice poem to share to start things off – “To Be of Use” by Marge Piercy. Check it out below.

You can post your poem(s) to any of our social media sites: facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, pinterest, or in the comments to this post. Happy poem posting!

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To Be of Use

by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

A cheeky spin on Presidents Day: Washington, Lincoln, charity, and a call to action

Apparently, there is considerable debate over whether today is Presidents Day, President’s Day, or Presidents’ Day.

Whether we are honoring Washington, Lincoln, the office of the President, or a much-needed day off – adding a bit of charity today will make you feel great! Donate today to OneJustice in honor of your favorite President.

So, most of us refer to today’s holiday as some variation on “Presidents Day” – but the federal holiday you’re celebrating (if you are one of the lucky ones to get the day off) is actually officially designated to celebrate Washington’s birthday (February 22nd, 1732).

“Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.”

Launched in 1879, the history of this holiday goes through some twists and turns starting in the 1950s – with the beginning of a press toward having a more generic “Presidents Day.” The whole thing was complicated by the fact that President Lincoln – who apparently gets only his own state holiday – was also born in February, creating the possible burden of celebrating Washington’s birthday, Lincoln’s birthday, and Presidents’ Day – all in the space of one month. To make it all even more confusing, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act (yep, there actually was legislation with that name!) passed in 1968 – thereby ensuring the holiday always falls on the 3rd Monday in February and therefore, by default, will never actually fall on either Washington’s or Lincoln’s birthday.

So – given the confusing status of this actual holiday – it could leave all of us wondering aloud, “What are we actually supposed to celebrate today?”

Well, we have a cheeky suggestion of one way to honor something Washington and Lincoln had in common – a belief in giving back to those in need.

Both Presidents Washington and Lincoln supported charity by individuals to help those facing hard times. As George Washington once wrote, “Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse.” In fact, after Philadelphia suffered a terrible attack of fever in the late 1790s, Washington apparently wrote the following to a clergyman based in the city about his desire to contribute his own funds to help those suffering: “It has been my intention ever since my return to the city, to contribute my mite towards the relief of the most needy inhabitants of it. I am at a loss, however, for whose benefit to apply the little I can give, and in whose hands to place it; whether for the use of the fatherless children and widows, made so by the late calamity, who may find it difficult, whilst provisions, wood, and other necessaries are so dear, to support themselves; or to other and better purposes, if any, I know not.”

“With malice toward none, with charity for all”

Everyone knows that President Lincoln came from humble beginnings, and it therefore comes as no surprise that Lincoln remained sensitive to the needs of the less fortunate throughout his time in political office. Indeed, Lincoln’s second Inaugural Address given on March 4, 1865, spoke so compellingly of the need for charity – in a time of strife and much-needed healing of the nation – in a way that echoes still today: “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.” (True confessions, we have to admit that some members of the OneJustice team cried a little during this part of the movie Lincoln.)

So – both Washington and Lincoln believed in personal charity – and charity for all. A lovely commonality! And what other commonality exists? Ok, fair warning – we know that this is (a) a stretch and (b) completely cheesy — but we just couldn’t resist. Here it is: their images are emblazoned on our country’s currency – Washington on the quarter and the $1 bill – and Lincoln on the penny and the $5 bill.

Washington and Lincoln’s shared belief in giving back plus their images on our currency must amount to a message from the universe that we should all celebrate today by making a small donation to a cause we belief in – and OneJustice is delighted to be that cause!

It is easy to give online through our secure donation page.

All kidding aside, every donation – $1, $5, $25 or $100 – supports our network’s efforts to expand the legal assistance available to Californians in need. Every dollar contributed by our network removes needless suffering from solvable legal problems. And because our work relies on the involvement of our strong, dedicated, and passionate network – which is ALL OF YOU – it feels really good to get involved and give back! So if you are looking for bit of quirky fun today – give a little donation online today to OneJustice in honor of Washington, Lincoln – or YOUR favorite President! Thank you in advance for your support!

What do we all love? Committing our time and energy to helping people.

You can count on an amazing sleep the night after a Justice Bus trip.

Trips demand your full energy and constant attention. But, I promise you this: You will never regret the experience. Trust me.

I love the feeling I get at the end of a Justice Bus trip. I feel like I’ve run a marathon and finished first. But, I always feared others—especially clients and volunteers—wouldn’t feel the same way. I was wrong, of course.

Paul Hastings Associate Jeff Michalowski meets with a senior client at a Justice Bus clinic in Napa County

While writing a recently-published article about the Justice Bus Project for the Clearinghouse Review, a national public interest law journal, I was reminded of the time when it really hit me it wasn’t just me who loved squeezing every last bit of energy out of myself during trips. In June 2012, I joined 12 summer associates from the law firm Paul Hastings on a Justice Bus trip to Napa. The mission for the day was to work with Legal Aid of Napa Valley to provide seniors—all living in a low-income senior residence facility—with assistance creating advance health care directives and simple wills.

Each Paul Hastings summer associate was scheduled to meet one-on-one with clients. And we were expecting a lot of seniors that day. Trying to calm their non-existent nerves, I counseled them with adages like, “Take your time” and “Don’t rush.” How futile those sound in retrospect!

A Paul Hastings summer associate volunteered with the Justice Bus to bring free legal services to seniors in Napa

A Paul Hastings summer associate volunteered with the Justice Bus to bring free legal services to seniors living in an isolated area of Napa County.

The four hour clinic was a whirlwind. Seniors kept coming in, summer associates refused to take breaks, and I was worried sick that everyone was going to collapse! When all was said and done, 43 seniors were helped. That’s nearly one client per hour per summer associate. In other words, one advance health care directive completed and executed or one simple will drafted each 60 minutes by each volunteer. Amazing! But, for me, terrifying as well because I thought, for sure, the volunteers must be taxed beyond their liking. Or, even worse, the clients felt drained because of the busy scene.

I was wrong. Absolutely, unequivocally, and embarrassingly wrong. To one summer associate, I begged forgiveness: “Jen, I’m so sorry for the ridiculously busy afternoon!” To a client I pleaded for mercy: “I apologize for the hectic display, Mr. Beatty!” Both looked at me like I was crazy. They were grateful for the opportunity, and they didn’t want to hear me apologize for it again.

Some of the clients cried while telling me how they’d been praying for this day to come, having no real access to legal help. The summer associates gushed as they talked about the progress they’d made with clients and the feeling of pride the day had brought them. And I was left wondering how on earth I once believed that I, and I alone, was the only person happy to throw every last ounce of energy into a Justice Bus trip.

For many seniors, Justice Bus clinics provide their own access to vital legal help and assistance.

For many seniors, Justice Bus clinics provide their only access to vital legal help and assistance.

We all love committing our time and energy to helping people. And the Justice Bus Project gives us the chance to do just that. That’s what makes the program so amazing. Trips give us a wonderfully rare situation when all our interests align. When clients get the help they desperately need. When volunteers, like you, realize what a difference you can make.

And we all sleep better. Some out of exhaustion, others out of relief.

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Michael Winn leads OneJustice’s statewide Pro Bono Support Program.

Michael Winn, Senior Staff Attorney, leads OneJustice’s statewide Pro Bono Support Program. Based in the San Francisco office, Michael is responsible for developing and stewarding OneJustice’s innovative pro bono programs, including the Justice Bus Project, which connects urban pro bono resources to isolated and rural communities in California, and the Law Student Pro Bono Project, which links law student volunteers to pro bono opportunities at local legal services organizations. In his work, Michael often advises legal services nonprofits, law firms, law schools, and in-house counsel on how to improve current pro bono partnerships and create effective new pro bono programs. Before joining OneJustice, Michael served as interim executive director at Start Small. Think Big., a nonprofit providing financial development services and civil legal assistance to low-income communities in the South Bronx, and spent several years as a litigation associate at Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York.

Check out your justice playlist!

We’ve been dancing and singing around the office all week here at OneJustice.

Thank you for the amazing song suggestions!

You all are so inspiring! What a fantastic collection of songs – from Billie Holiday to the Clash, and from Pete Seeger to Green Day – you filled up our week with rousing melodies and inspiring lyrics. What a treat – and we just had to share them back with all of you. Check out the list below, in alphabetical order by song title, of the 32 suggestions. Enjoy building your playlist!

And the winner is . . . (drum roll please . . .) Ok, wait, first we have to say that we know the winner is a perhaps a bit predictable – but so many of you included it in your submissions – it was the most frequently posted song across all our social media sites. And maybe it’s because we’re feeling a bit mushy so close to Valentine’s Day, but we thought the lyrics really speak to exactly what makes OneJustice so unique.

“You, you may say
I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will live as one.”

OneJustice only exists because we are a network of people who all believe that by working together we can bring more justice into the world. OneJustice is truly just a container for the work done by all of you – the network of individuals who join together as volunteers, supporters, and donors because you believe that no one should suffer from solvable legal problems – that no one should lack basic access to legal advice and assistance. We’re all dreamers – dreamers for a better day, when low-income Californians no longer face legal barriers to basic life necessities. OneJustice’s entire job is to bring us all together to imagine that day – and then put our feet on the ground to make it a reality. So how could we not choose John Lennon’s “Imagine” as the winning song?

Congratulations to Claire Axelrad (blog), Cynthia Luna (facebook), Tam Ma (facebook), and Tanya Cobb (facebook via board member Diego Cartagena), who all posted “Imagine.” They will each get a super cool OneJustice water bottle – kudos!

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The OneJustice 2013 Change, Love, Power and Justice Playlist – Created by the OneJustice Network!

“A Change is Going to Come” by Sam Cooke

“American Idiot” by Green Day

“Behind the Wall” by Tracy Chapman

“Blowin’ in the Wind” by Bob Dylan

“Change the World” by Eric Clapton

“Equal Rights” by Peter Tosh

“Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman

“Get Up, Stand Up” by Bob Marley

“Give a Little Bit” by Supertramp (Roger Hodgson)

“Help Save the Youth of America” by Billy Bragg

“Hurricane” by Bob Dylan

“I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy

“Imagine” by John Lennon

“It Takes Time To Build” by Beastie Boys

“Johnny 99” by Bruce Springsteen

“Justice” by Cassandra Wilson

“Know Your Rights” by The Clash

“Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder

“Look for the Union Label” produced by the International Ladies Garment Workers’ Union

“The Mercy Seat” by Johnny Cash

“Natural Woman” by Carole King

“One” by U2

“Ooh Child (Things are Gonna Get Easier)” by The Five Stairsteps

“People Get Ready” written by Curtis Mayfield, particularly as performed by Aretha Franklin

“Redemption Song” by Bob Marley

“Strange Fruit” performed by Billie Holiday and written by Abel Meeropol

“Sunday Bloody Sunday” by U2

“There is Power in The Union” by Billy Bragg

“Truth” by Ruthie Foster

“Wake Up” by Rage Against the Machine

“We Shall Overcome” by Pete Seeger

“What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye

Justice Karaoke!

Do you sing in public – or only in the shower?

Ready for our February social media for social justice contest?

You can win this nifty OneJustice water bottle!

Yep, it’s the beginning of the month again – Happy February! And you know what that means, right? It’s time for our next OneJustice contest. (January was all about your favorite justice movies – did you miss the list of all “must watch” justice flicks? No worries, you can still get it on the blog here.)

This month we’re asking you to post your favorite song relating to equality, fairness, peace, love – however YOU interpret the concept of justice. Everyone who posts is entered in a drawing to win a super awesome OneJustice water bottle. Extra points if you post a video of YOU singing the song! You can post your favorite justice-related song on any of our social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneJustice

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/onejustice

Or by commenting on this blog post.

Post now, post often – the contest closes at midnight of February 8th. Happy Singing, all!

We’ll start the list by posting “One Day” by Matisyahu. (Sorry, no video of any OneJustice staff singing, yet. Maybe we’ll have a brave soul volunteer next week!)

Who knew that my first legal job would include early am bus rides and kippered salmon?

On my first Justice Bus trip, I found out that our volunteers – and the communities we serve – are willing to go the distance.

Four months into my position as an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow at OneJustice, I found myself boarding a bus at 6:30 a.m. on an early January morning.

Law Students from USF School of Law traveled over 600 miles round trip to bring free legal clinics to veterans. Here they are in front of the Yurok Tribal Center in Klamath.

My Fellowship focuses on running the Justice Bus Project in Northern California, so there I was, embarking on our most ambitious Justice Bus trip to date – a two-day trip to Humboldt and Del Norte Counties. This was the farthest distance the Justice Bus Project has ever gone – more than 600 miles round trip – and we were heading out, with thirteen law students and three legal services attorneys in tow.

Our goal? To provide legal assistance to Native American veterans by staffing three legal clinics, in two days, in three different locations. Ambitious, right? And to boot, this was my first Justice Bus trip! Now, the Justice Bus Project prides itself on being flexible and modeling trips and clinics in a way that best allows our pro bono efforts to meet the needs of the community we work with. Still, after months of delicate planning, I must admit I had some butterflies: Was the distance too far? Logistically, could we execute such a complicated trip? Would veterans show up?

The discussion of a Justice Bus trip to serve Native American veterans in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties began before I started my Fellowship. Judge Abby Abinanti, Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribal Court, first contacted John Unruh, the Pro Bono Coordinator at Swords to Plowshares in San Francisco. Judge Abinanti was seeking help to address legal barriers to veteran benefits, pensions, and discharge upgrades that were being experience by the Native American community in California’s northernmost regions. Many veterans were traveling hours to San Francisco to visit a medical center. Others had never applied for benefits, or had gotten so frustrated with the system and the long processing times that they had given up, untrusting of the system.

One of the volunteers meets with a client at the Hoopa clinic on Day Two.

John reached out to OneJustice, knowing the Justice Bus Project allows pro bono lawyers and law students in urban areas to put their skills to use in rural and isolated parts of the state. Additionally, when needed, our flexible model enables us to bring the legal services attorneys with the legal expertise needed with us, on the bus. Together, OneJustice, Swords to Plowshares, and the Yurok Tribal Court decided the Justice Bus model was the appropriate vehicle to assist this community.

Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge on that January morning, silhouette of the City behind us, students alert and excited, I felt confident the trip would be a success. Months of planning with our partners ensured a solid foundation for two days of legal clinics. After a winding five-hour drive along Highway 101, through the Redwoods and small towns like Hopland and Cloverdale, we arrived in Bayside, CA. Like clockwork, we set up the clinic and began meeting with clients. Students conducted intake interviews and consulted with supervising attorneys from Swords to Plowshares to discuss each case, deliver legal advice, and fill out appropriate paperwork. We were joined by other volunteers from veterans’ organizations in the area, available to help with employment training, record clearance, family law issues and SSI.

One our clients helped out by driving us to the Hoopa Clinic on Day 2

On Day Two, our Justice Bus team split into two groups in order to reach as many clients as possible – half heading off to Klamath, the other half to Hoopa. Thus, my second day began with another windy drive, this time in the back of a client’s truck along the beautiful Trinity River listening to stories about Bigfoot sightings and fishing. This particular client picked us up last minute when our original ride fell through, an example of the kindness we were met with throughout the trip. Another example is the lunches that were donated by the community during the second day of clinics – large spreads of homemade sandwiches, soups, cakes and snacks kept us energized as we met with clients.

Over the course of the two-day Justice Bus trip, we assisted thirty-six clients. Many of the clients stayed to visit with their friends and fellow veterans after we finished assisting them. As a result, each clinic felt more like a community gathering – and we were welcomed into that community, with gifts of homemade kippered salmon and Yurok Tribe t-shirts. And the clients honored us by sharing their personal histories and struggles. I remember one veteran in particular who visited the clinic to get assistance with his claims for benefits only because of repeated insistence and pressure from his family to get help. It took a lot for him to be there. His story alone made the long trip feel well worth the distance traveled.

Many of our clients stayed to visit with friends after their clinic appointments and welcomed us into their community.

As we departed, there were thank you’s all around. Our team was thankful to be there and offer legal assistance, and we were thanked profusely for coming – and most importantly, we were asked to return.

Because here is the tough part: This trip really stretched our capacity – traveling farther than the Justice Bus project ever has before. It took a strong partnership with University of San Francisco Law School and a group of truly dedicated donors to make the trip possible. And, at the same time, it is clear from our trip and subsequent conversations with the Yurok Tribal Court, that there is still a lot of work to be done in the Humboldt and Del Norte areas. We were able to help some veterans, but it was not enough. My hope is that this trip helped pave the way for future trips so that we can continue to chip away at the need for legal assistance among low-income and otherwise underserved communities in the region. After being there and starting to build community with these veterans, I feel so deeply that we cannot simply walk away – one Justice Bus trip alone was simply not enough.

Clients and community members welcomed us – and we are planning to return to bring even more services to this area.

And I’m so proud that the OneJustice team is stepping up! We are in the process of planning future Justice Bus trips that will not only focus on the Native American veteran population in the area, but may include providing legal assistance for Yurok Tribe families with children with special education needs. At the same time, we’ve learned that there is a substantial need for help for immigrant youth who are eligible for the new federal immigration relief program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival). I have vowed to myself that we will return – because we are now in community with this tribe and this underserved region, which faces so many barriers to legal assistance on critically important issues.

And finally, this trip was a successful expansion of the Justice Bus Project. We’ve always wondered what the outer boundaries of these trips might be. How long are people willing to ride on a bus to deliver free legal assistance? How willing are truly distant community to receive that help? How far are our volunteers really willing to go? I learned so much during this first overnight Justice Bus trip – the importance of careful planning, the delicate work of building trust in a new community – and the fact that our volunteers are, quite literally, willing to go the distance to reach a community in need.

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Lauren will be leading Justice Bus trips all over Northern California, bringing free legal services to rural areas!

Lauren Roberts is one of OneJustice’s Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellows and runs the Justice Bus Project in Northern California. A Berkeley native, Lauren was raised with an eye and ear toward social justice work. Before law school she worked as a field organizer with MoveOnPAC, then moved to Japan where she taught English in the prefecture where her great-grandmother was born. She also worked as a paralegal at Disability Rights Advocates, which ultimately propelled her to go to law school. During law school, Lauren spent one summer working with refugees in Cairo and her second summer working on behalf of death row inmates in California. Lauren is thoroughly enjoying running the Justice Bus Project and learning more about the needs of low-income communities in rural areas of the state. Additionally, organizing the Justice Bus Project has allowed her to put her varied experiences – teaching, organizing, and travel – to use in a legal setting.