July 2016
LAAC In Action
Featured LAAC Member Story    
Elder Law & Advocacy (EL&A) in San Diego
meets the needs of seniors, devoting all of its resources to helping both rural and urban seniors through a community-based delivery system. EL&A seeks to help those in greatest need, from those who are unable to travel due to illness or frailty, to those who are isolated, homebound or institutionalized.

Recently, EL&A implemented a Virtual Legal Services (VLS) program. The program is an innovative way to reach older individuals who are in need of legal services, who do not have or use computer technology, and who would benefit from legal services provided remotely through technology and the Internet. 
Read more about EL&A's thoughtful new program and recent client success stories.
Summer 2016 Law Clerk, Student, & Legal Advocate Events

Join LAAC, along with many other Bay Area legal aid orgs  for our summer THIRSTY FOR JUSTICE: Legal Aid Happy Hour events this July and August!  Tell your summer law clerks and come join us for a drink!
 
Check out the Thirsty for Justice Happy Hours  on Facebook:
  Thursday, July 28 @ 5:30 p.m.  -  111 Minna Gallery  in SF
  Tuesday, August 2 @ 5 p.m.  -  Make Westing  in Oakland
  Tuesday, August 9 @ 4:30 p.m. Blanc et Rouge Wine Bar  in SF

Check out the rest of our Summer Law Clerk happy hour, brown bag lunch, and lecture events  on our public calendar!

These events are open to the public for law students and clerks. 
Make sure you let your summer law clerks and interns know about these events!


Mark Your Calendars - We've Got Tons of  Trainings Coming Up: 

Summer '16 Community Development Series
 
Tuesday, August 2 from noon to 1 p.m.
Presenter:
Prescott Cole,  California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform
1 hour of general MCLE credit. Register now!

Tuesday, August 9 from noon to 1 p.m.
Presenters:
Laurie Furstenfeld, Child Care Law Center
Jacqueline Wong, National Center for Youth Law
1 hour of general MCLE credit. 
Register now!

Tuesday, August 16 from noon to 1 p.m.
Presenter:
Christina Teixeira, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.
Brian Augusta, California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
1 hour of general MCLE credit.  Register now!

Benefits Training Series

Thursday, August 18 from noon to 1 p.m.
Presenter:
Maureen Siedor, Swords to Plowshares
1 hour of general MCLE credit.  Register now!

2016 Armchair Trainings: Disability Rights Law Webinar Series

Wednesday, August 17 from noon to 1 p.m.
Presenters:
Antionette Dozier,  Western Center on Law & Poverty
1 hour of general MCLE credit. Register now!

Monday, September 26 from noon to 1 p.m.
Presenters:
Navneet Grewal,  Western Center on Law & Poverty
Deborah Thrope,  National Housing Law Project
1 hour of general MCLE credit.  Register now!

Tell Us YOUR Trainings! 
You can now add your trainings to  LAAC's public Google Calendar 
by sharing your event with trainings@laaconline.org

Once the event is accepted, it will appear on our website's 
trainings calendar.  Stay up to date on online and in-person trainings, 
and share your own training events with our large community!

More of the webinar trainings are announced regularly.  
Legislative Updates

When you last heard from us in June, we reported that we were waiting for the final California budget. We have fantastic news to report for your funding! The final budget included the $5 million in one-time funding for Equal Access Fund and about $8-9 million a year in filing fees for support of the Shriver Pilot Projects.

LAAC asks that your organization, if allowed, support  AB 2192 (Salas), a bill which would extend the  Transcript Reimbursement Fund. We know many of your programs use the $300,000 allocated to this fund every year to reimburse your expenses and free up funds to better serve your clients. The bill will be heard in Senate Appropriations on  Monday, August 1, so please use this template letter and send it to staffer Brendan McCarthy at  Brendan.McCarthy@sen.ca.gov if your organization's leadership supports the bill. 

  • SB 1257 (Block) Pro Bono
  • AB 2878 (Judiciary) State Bar Dues
  • SB 881 (Hertzberg) Driver License Suspension
Hungry for Justice: Monthly Legal Aid Lunch
  

Join us NOON at  Golden Lotus Vegetarian  in Downtown Oakland, next to the 12th St. Bart station.

Every first Wednesday of the month! Please invite your friends and coworkers - All friends to legal aid are welcome! RSVP appreciated, so we know to save you a seat!
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