January 2020
LAAC IN ACTION

LAAC's Third Annual Civil Legal Aid Day in Sacramento is  March 9, 2020!

Come tell legislators about why your work is so critical to low-income Californians! Sign up today.

LAAC's Day in Sacramento will build on the success of previous events in ensuring lawmakers in Sacramento hear the legal aid community's collective voice. LAAC is mobilizing volunteers from legal aid organizations across California to meet with legislators and explain how legal aid is part of a safety net of services. 

Date: March 9, 2020
LocationState Capitol in Sacramento

LAAC staff will prepare absolutely everything you need for an easy and effective day of communicating the value of legal aid.  

Please direct any questions to Zach Newman at  znewman@laaconline.org.

CalATJ Housing Policy Paper:

As the third part of the Rural Justice Policy Paper Series, the California Commission on Access to Justice (CalATJ) published "California's Rural Housing Crisis: The Access to Justice Implications." The paper contends that "attorney deserts" (places where there are just too few lawyers) and the rural housing crisis are interrelated problems, bringing together research from an array of sources, including Princeton's Eviction Lab, UC Irvine Professor Jim Meeker's data on attorney distribution, and Shriver Civil Counsel Act data. 

Ultimately, the paper argues that one crucial part of fighting the housing crisis is ensuring that low- and moderate-income Californians have access to the legal information, advice, and representation they need to stay housed, including in rural parts of the state. Check it out here !

Collaboration with UC Davis:

Building on the longer housing policy paper with CalATJ, LAAC collaborated with CalATJ, UC Davis, and the Rural Sociological Society to produce an abbreviated two-pager discussing the housing crisis and access to legal services in rural areas. Available here
LAAC Membership:

We're kicking off 2020 to a great start!

So far this year, we have added three new exciting membership benefits: discounts to 
ClassPass, 24 Hour Fitness, and the Daily Journal (SF). 

To find out more information about your benefits, contact Harmony at  hking@laaconline.org.

2020 Tech Summit

This year's summit will be on  Wednesday, Marc h 25th  at the State Bar of California in San Francisco. In an effort to make sure the topics of the sessions meet  your organization's needs, we are asking for your input.

We would love to hear what your organization's current technology interests are. Please fill out this survey by  February 4th . As a thank you for completing the survey, you will be entered to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

In addition, we are also looking for facilitators for breakout discussions during the Tech Summit. If you are interested in facilitating a breakout discussion, please indicate so on the survey or email Theo Ser-Ramin ( tser-ramin@laaconline.org ).
Sexual Harassment Law Conference

LAAC is happy to announce that we are partnering with Berkeley Law to provide a full-day CLE program on  Sexual Harassment on Friday, February 7, 2020. As a LAAC member, your organization is eligible for a discounted ticket of  $225.

Here is the direct link to register with the discount.

Registration is filling up, so if you are interested please register as soon as possible. Please note that while LAAC is a partner, we are not managing registration or the event, so please contact the Berkeley Program Administrator and Events & Projects Specialist Caroline Cheng if you have any questions (Tel: 510-642-9919 Email: ccheng@law.berkeley.edu)
Self-Care Corner

Love acupuncture, but feel like regular treatments are out of reach for your budget? Never tried it, but heard good things? 

Then check out a local community acupuncture clinic in your area.  Community Acupuncture is a nationwide movement to create affordable access to acupuncture and chinese medicine (i.e. herbology, cupping, massage, and more) where people are treated in a community setting. 

Acupuncture is a proven method of healthcare established thousands of years ago and can help with pain management, depression, sleep, anxiety, chronic illness, colds and flu, and so much more. 

Community acupuncture clinics offer sliding scales of typically $15-40 a session, depending on the clinic. There are 100+ clinics in California and some even accept insurance and/or HSA accounts. To find a clinic near you check out
POCA  (People's Organization of Community Acupuncture). 
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