justice

2012 Newsletter

Watsonville Law Center

WLC served over 3,300 individuals through direct legal services in 2012! Our programs reached thousands more through community education, engagement, and collaboration with

community partners.

With staff, volunteers, and

collaboration, WLC is

proud to connect low-

income injured workers to

health care, preserve

homeownership in

struggling families, break

down barriers to

employment, and provide

family financial stability

for vulnerable households.

Even in tough times,

WLC is expanding

services for low-income

families, sparking

innovation, and working

together with partners to

build the economic

recovery one family at a

time.

W at sonv i l l e Law Cen te r 315 M ai n S t r eet , S ui te 207 , W at sonv i l l e , CA 95076

www. wa t sonv i l l e l awc ent e r . or g | www. f acebook. c om / wat sonv i l l e l awc ent er

W L C i s ch an g i ng l i v e s in Sa nt a Cr u z , Mo nt e r e y, a nd Sa n Be n it o co unt ie s by p r o v id ing

f r e e lega l se r v ic e s , w o rk i n g t o g et h e r w it h co mmu n it y pa r t ne r s t o spar k co l la bo r a t io n

a nd inno va t io n, a nd p ro v i d i ng e qu a l ac c e s s t o j u s t i c e fo r t he mo st vu lne r a b le fa mi l ie s

o n t he C e nt r a l Co a s t .

Why I Support the Watsonville Law Center

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

The Watsonville Law Center

turns every cynical lawyer joke

you ever heard on its head.

WLC is not only about justice for the

disenfranchised, it's about educating

people and building collaborations

with other agencies to sustain a legal

safety net.

Our staff is the very best — smart,

dedicated, and compassionate. I am

so proud to support their work!

From WLC, our Board and

Staff, we wish you

wonderful holidays and a

Happy New Year!

Sheryl Ainsworth, Chair, WLC Board of Directors

Act now and the Good Times Community Fund will match your annual donation to WLC! Your gift to support equal access to justice will go

twice as far in 2013. Find out how inside.

Double Your Impact in 2013! WHAT’S INSIDE

Page 2

EMPLOYMENT focuses on wage and hour issues. WLC helps ensure workers are paid and treated fairly in the workplace to preserve the dignity of vulnerable workers and keep working families contributing to the local economy.

CONSUMER PROTECTION helps remedy consumer fraud, predatory lending, loan modification and foreclosure rescue scams, and other fraud taking money out of the pockets of working families. By returning money to clients and eliminating unlawful debt, WLC is helping to build economic recovery one family at a time.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION helps injured workers access health care and financial benefits. Caring for injured workers and getting people back to productive work helps the whole community.

BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT helps indi-viduals re-enter the workforce by clearing criminal records and reinstating driver and professional licenses. By returning low-income households to self-sufficiency, WLC empowers individuals and contributes to regional economic development.

WLC provides additional legal services to help participants in Santa Cruz County’s CalWORKs public benefits. WLC also provides referrals to other legal services and community resources.

WLC Practice Areas WLC Programs

WLC SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES

WLC’s programs in community outreach, educa-tion, and collaboration improve access to housing,

employment, health care, and economic justice.

The Agricultural Workers Access to Health Project con-nects injured workers to health care through workers’ compen-sation with partners California Rural Legal Assistance, Salud Para la Gente, and many others. When injured workers get the health care they need and return to productive work, it benefits working families and keeps the Central Coast economy moving. WLC’s partnership with the Santa Cruz Superior Court, Language Access to the Courts, helps alleviate court overload and increases access to justice by assisting unrepresent-ed litigants with legal infor-mation and assistance at the Self Help Center. Barriers to Employment fo-cuses on reentry services to in-dividuals returning to the work-force after crisis or incarcera-tion, helping households striv-ing for self-sufficiency.

The Economic Justice Part-nership combines legal, finan-cial, and human and health ser-vices to combat poverty. With partners Community Bridges,

Santa Cruz Com-munity Ventures, SurePath, COPA, and others, EJP is strengthening the economy by start-ing with the local community. In 2012, WLC’s economic justice

legal services returned more than $430,000 to low-income families! WLC collaborative projects in-clude the Housing Counseling and Education project and the Central Coast Foreclosure Collaborative, both working to improve access to housing and home ownership on the Central Coast.

WLC projects help deliver more

services to more people, leveraging

resources with other agencies to make the most of limited resources.

Sparking Innovation to Help Injured Workers

In 2012, WLC collaborated with U.C. Berkeley's Labor Occupational Health Program to produce Providing Medical Services to Low-Wage Workers, Model Tools for Community Health Centers in California, promoted with partners California Department of Industrial Relations and the CA Division of Workers’ Compensation. Co-authored by WLC Executive Director Dori Rose Inda!

WLC’s direct legal services protect the working poor and help families overcome

language and cultural barriers to justice.

Client with WLC Staff Attorney Jenna Grambort (right)

Page 3

WLC Chosen for Good Times Community Fund

The Good Times Community Fund is generously matching your holiday gift to WLC! The Fund is matching gifts to five organizations chosen for

creating access to housing. To donate, see Page 8.

Housing is one of the most basic needs of any individual, and homeownership is one of the most important elements of a healthy regional economy.

WLC was chosen by the Good Times Community Fund as one of five leading community-based organizations addressing housing needs on the Central Coast. WLC services address foreclosure scams, foreclosure rescue fraud, predatory lending, and the many credit and debt issues that both lead to and result from foreclosure and loss of homeownership.

WLC was especially recognized for its innovative partnerships. The Central Coast Foreclosure Collaborative, coordinated by WLC, is a great example of nonprofit, private, and public partners working together. The CCFC is a working group of stakeholders who identify emerging issues, share best practices, and leverage regional resources to assist distressed

homeowners. Members include California Rural Legal Assistance, SurePath nonprofit housing counseling, Santa Cruz Community Ventures, COPA, District Attorneys of both Monterey and Santa Cruz counties, the Law Offices of Simmons and Purdy, the City of Watsonville, the County of Santa Cruz, the offices of State Assemblymembers Luis Alejo and Bill Monning, the office of U.S. Congressman Sam Farr, and many other partners working to address economic security on the Central Coast.

Thank you to the Good Times, the David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Santa Cruz County Bank, and the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, for supporting nonprofits on the Central Coast!

Why I Support the Watsonville Law Center

Attorney and member of WLC’s Board of Directors, Jane Wynn, is a worker's compensation spe-cialist with Rucka, O'Boyle, Lombardo & McKenna and Monterey County Bar member. Jane pro-

vides pro bono services at the WLC worker's compensation clinics and says,

"I see WLC as providing a safe legal refuge for those in need. The men and women who come into the clinic are usually too fearful to come to a law office or feel too overwhelmed with paperwork they don't understand. Through WLC, I can reach them in an atmosphere where they can be more comfortable."

Monterey County Bar Association members have staffing WLC's Worker's Com-pensation clinics since WLC was founded in 2002.

Jane Wynn, WLC

Board of Directors

WLC volunteers serve Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties, helping families across the Cen-tral Coast. Attorneys like WLC Board Member Jane Wynn help WLC provide free, individual confidential legal services to clients who would not otherwise have access to legal advice. Pro bono attorneys review cases with WLC staff attorneys, law students, and trained vol-unteers to provide legal advice and supervise direct ser-vices. WLC legal clinics served more than 410 cases in 2012!

Co-counsel William Kennedy worked with WLC staff attorney Jenna Grambort to win WLC’s first consumer arbitration. The case involved door-to-door

solicitation fraud and espe-cially egregious unlawful debt collection, obtaining a total award of more than $44,000. Such results are restorative for struggling families. The experience that results from working with expert co-counsel builds WLC’s capacity to serve the community.

Pro Bono Making a Difference

WLC helps connect volunteer attorneys and law students to community service opportunities on the Cen-tral Coast, helping real families find real solutions to legal problems.

William Kennedy, consumer co-counsel.

WLC Goes Green!

WLC is now a California Green Certified nonprofit! In 2012,

WLC became Green Certified, meeting high California standards for an

environmentally responsible and sustainable

business. WLC achieved Green Certification with

the support of all staff, and especially Go Green

coordinator Edlin Valdez, AmeriCorps VISTA,

who said, “Helping WLC become Green certified

comes from the clients we serve. Equal access to

justice and economic prosperity for low-income

and vulnerable communities is inseparable from

environmental justice. I’m glad to help show our

commitment to environmental justice at every level of our client services.”

Edlin Valdez, AmeriCorps VISTA, Go Green Coordinator

In 2012, Attorney Beth Chance of Biggam Christensen & Minsloff, the Santa Cruz County Public Defender, re-ceived the Santa Cruz County Bar Association's Pro Bono Award for her volunteer work advising the WLC's record clearance clinics. The WLC was happy to present the award to Beth at an awards ceremony on May 18, 2012.

Biggam Christensen & Minsloff advises WLC’s Record Clearance Clinics, providing legal advice and record clear-ance services to families seeking to reenter the workforce after overcoming a criminal history.

(From left) Beth Chance and Larry Biggam, Biggam Christensen & Minsloff, with Jenna Grambort, WLC Staff Attorney, and Dori Rose Inda, WLC Executive Director.

Page 5

WLC Changing Lives

WLC SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME FAMILIES

Exhausted from working hours of unpaid overtime

every night, Mr. A wasn’t getting paid regularly

and his family was about to lose their apartment be-

cause they couldn’t pay rent. Mr. A worked hours of unpaid overtime every night and was rarely allowed meal or rest breaks. Mr. A's employer prom-

ised compensation but never paid. After almost a year, Mr.

A came to WLC exhausted and about to lose his apartment because he wasn't

getting a regular paycheck. WLC file

a wage claim for Mr. A and negoti-

ated a settlement of more than

$7,500 for unpaid wages, allowing

Mr. A and his family to keep their

apartment.

Mr. & Ms. M were facing fore-

closure when a man offered to

“rescue” them and save their

home… for $4,500. When they said they couldn’t pay, the

man stated that “attorneys had reviewed” their case and that the

couple should stop trying to pay their mortgage and give the mon-

ey to him instead. WLC helped Mr. & Ms. M get their money

back from this scam and file a consumer complaint with the

Santa Cruz County District Attorney and appropriate state

agencies. WLC also connected Mr. & Ms. M to a free certified

housing counselor who is helping them with the regular (free) pro-cess of seeking a loan modification.

Ms. C got what she though was a good job and was

happy to work full time, often 12 hours a day and 7

days a week, but she was still drowning in debt. Her

paychecks said “part time” and she was only paid for some

of the hours she worked. When asked about being paid, she

was fired. WLC obtained a $10,000 settlement, which

Ms. C used to stabilize her housing and

plan for her family's future.

Ms. G was working hard to support

herself and set a good example for

her children. She had a criminal record, but had served her brief time in jail years

ago, and completed all of her court-ordered

restitution and programs without ever hav-

ing any more problems. But she couldn’t find a job that paid more than minimum

wage. With the help of advising attorneys

from the Santa Cruz County Public Defender, WLC helped

her expunge (repair) her criminal record. Ms. G said:

“I just wanted to Thank You because I now have a job where I can actually take days off and it has benefits, I just wanted to thank you and your team for helping me. This is a blessing for me and my

family!”

WLC serves low-income households who would otherwise not have access to legal advice. WLC ser-vices improve access to housing, employment, health care, and economic justice.

In 2012 WLC opened more

than 410 legal cases, serving

families who have no other

access to justice. WLC

services can restore dignity,

stop a family’s slide into

poverty, or help preserve faith

in the justice system.

WLC services are made possible by donors, volunteer attorneys and law

students, and creative partnerships.

All of WLC services are language- and culturally-appropriate. All of our clients are low-income and most are Spanish-speaking. Most of our clients are from very low-wage earning working households. Most state that they have never had any experience with the legal system and would have no other access to legal information or advice without WLC services. All of WLC’s legal services start with a clinic appointment where we provide individual, confidential legal advice and referral information. If WLC has the capacity available, clients may receive additional legal services and individual representation. WLC has the ability to bring class action cases where appropriate.

W e b e l i e v e a l l

l i v e s a r e b e t t e r

w h e n t h e m o s t

v u l n e r a b l e

a m o n g u s t h r i ve .

In 2012, WLC services

returned a benefit of more

than $425,000 to clients, in

money returned and

unlawful debt avoided.

Clinic Coordinator Adriana Melgoza (left) with WLC Staff Attorney Samantha Zenack (standing) with client.

Page 6

Thank you!

WLC couldn’t do it without you! WLC volunteers, community partners, government and foundation supporters, and donors make our work possible!

Volunteer Attorneys Jeff Alford Margarita Alvarez Maria Asturias Beth Chance Liliana Diaz Jim Fitzpatrick Jack Jacobson Keith Lesar Balám Letona Todd McFarren Jamyrson Pittori Anthony Robinson Sandra Rocca Heather Rogers Zach Schwartzback Dirk Stemerman Gil Stein Tirien Steinbach David Spini Randi Stebbins Charles Swanston Bob Taren Jora Trang Jerry Vinluan Ben Waller Bill Weigel Bonnie Binder Wilson Carmela Woll Jane Wynn Samantha Zenack Jerry Vinluan Bill Weigel Volunteer Law Students Sean Bothamley Allegra Gabbert Siena Kautz Blayne Kercher Robert Kuhn Kimberly Sesay …and dozens of students from Stanford University and Golden Gate University Law Schools who volunteered with OneJustice’s Justice Bus project Volunteer Interviewers Gary Alvarez Fénix Bedoya Javier Chavez Susan Flores Joe Garcia Shannon Gleeson Adilene Guzman Oliver Inda Rose Brian Knight Claudia Leonor Elizabeth Ortiz-Contreras Alma Palacios

Camila Perez Gian Michael Sarabia Illhuitl Yohualli Soto Donors Sheryl Ainsworth Jeffrey Alford Joann Allen Hon. Jeff Almquist Saul Alweiss Lora Anderson Charlene Atack Hon. Robert Atack Eugene Auerbach Terry L. Baker Caleb Baskin Patricia A. Beckwith Richard Berg Larry Biggam Edwin Blue Madeline Boriss Bonnie Borton Myrna Britton Harriet Brown Neil Brown Kathleen Burnham Rosalba Calderon Alex Calvo Sandra Caruba Jose Chibras Sara Clarenbach Elena N. Cohen Greg Cohen Austin Comstock Anthony Condotti Chris Cottle Carol Cumming Michael Curtis Richard Damon James Danaher Nancy De La Pena Daniel Dodge Miles Dolinger Susan Dorn James W. Duffy Luz Maria Fausto Alma Figueroa Jim Fitzpatrick Laura Jo Foo Margaret Rose Gallagher Don Gartner George Gigarjian Mary Lou Goeke Hon. Denine Guy Terry Hancock Lesley Harris Dr. Wendell M. Harry Olof K. Hellen Sandra Hill

John Hubner Sharon Isenhour Jack Jacobson Michelle Johnston Robert J. Katz Syda Kosofsky Myra Latkin Keith Lesar Reginald Lormon Robert Ludlow Veronica Madriz John Maraldo Hermelinda Mares Rascon Hon. Paul Marigonda Linda Martin Elisa Martinez Jose Martinez Pamela Mathiesen Scott Maurer Hon. Richard McAdams Sherri McFarlane Todd McFarren Bruce McGuire Gary McNeil Creighton Mendivil Dan Morgali Hon. Heather D. Morse Brian Murtha Ellen F. Murtha Lan Nguyen Henry Niles Maya Nordberg Gina A. Occhipinti Mitchell A. Page Charles Philips William Purdy Dr. Isidro Quiroga Maura Rees Benjamin Rice Tamyra Rice Menko Rose Robert Sanders Sophia Sandoval Peter Sanford Donald Schwartz Megan Scott Laura Segura Larry Shallberg Louis Shallberg Marsha B. Shanle Thomas Shanle Eleanor Southers Richard Speigleman Michelle Spencer Gil Stein Dirk Stemerman Margaret Stevenson

Thank You! Continued from Page 5

Page 7

Nancy G. Stevenson Mark Talamantes Jay Tufano Loretta Turnipseed Hon. Lydia Villarreal Thomas Wallraff Laura Walther Phyllis Wasserstrom Ronald Wilcox Renee C. Winter Eric Wright Nancy Wright Hon. Robert Yonts

Businesses & Corporations Developmental Learning Solutions Inc. Far West Design and Landscaping Santa Cruz Community Ventures Self Help for the Elderly Foundations Blue Shield of California Foundation California Bar Foundation California Consumer Protection Foundation Driscoll's Charitable Fund East Bay Community Foundation Monterey County Bar Association Morrison and Foerster Foundation The Bigglesworth Family Foundation The California Wellness Foundation Community Foundation for Monterey

County Community Foundation Santa Cruz County The James Irvine Foundation The Marcled Foundation The Rose Foundation The S.H. Cowell Foundation van Löben Sels/Rembe Rock Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation Government & Non-Profit Agencies Bay Area Legal Aid California Department of Real Estate California Rural Legal Assistance City of Watsonville, Police Department Community Bridges Consumer Action Consumers for Auto Reliability & Safety Corporation for National and Community

Service Jewish Community Federation &

Endowment Katharine and George Alexander

Community Law Center Legal Services of Northern California Monterey College of Law

National Association of Consumer Advocates

National Consumer Law Center National Health Law Program OneJustice Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student

Assistance Protection and Advocacy, Inc. Santa Clara University, School of Law Santa Cruz County Immigration Project Santa Cruz County Public Law Library Senior Citizens Legal Services The California Bar Association, Labor &

Employment Section Western Center of Law and Poverty Government & Public Agencies California Public Utilities Commission City of Watsonville County of Santa Cruz Monterey County District Attorney's Office Monterey County Public Defender's Office Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office Santa Cruz County Public Defender's Office The State Bar of California, Legal Services

Trust Fund Law Firms Anderson, Ogilvie and Brewer, LLP Atack & Penrose, LLP Atchison, Barisone, Condotti & Kovacevich Baskin & Grant, LLP Beck & Mathiesen, APC Berliner Cohen Biggam, Christensen & Minsloff LLP Bosso Williams, APC Bramson, Plutzik, Mahler & Birkhaeuser

LLP Burton, Schmal & DiBenedetto, LLP Cartwright, Scruggs, Fulton & Walther Chavez & Gertler, LLP Comstock, Thompson, Kontz & Brenner

Attorneys at Law DLA Piper Global Law Firm Fenton & Keller, APC Grunsky, Ebey, Farrar & Howell Law Office of Lesley Harris Law Office of Simmons & Purdy Law Offices of Renee Winter Lombardi, Loper & Conant LLP Madeleine Boriss Law Offices Rucka, O'Boyle, Lombardo & McKenna Law Firm of Amos, Dittrich & Ushana Law Office of Balam Letona Law Office of Sandra L. Caruba

Law Offices of Fitzpatrick, Spini & Swanston

The Sturdevant Law Firm Thoits, Love, Herchberger & McLean Walsh & Roach, LLP Witzig Hannah Sanders & Reagan, LLP Central Coast Foreclosure Collaborative California Rural Legal Assistance City of Watsonville Communities Organized for Relational

Power in Action (COPA) Law Offices of Simmons & Purdy Monterey County District Attorney's Office Monterey County Housing Alliance Neighborhood Housing Services of Silicon

Valley Office of Assemblymember Bill Monning Office of US Congressman Sam Farr Superior Court of California, Santa Cruz

County, Self Help Center SurePath Financial Solutions Watsonville/Aptos Adult Education Workers' Compensation Enforcement

Collaborative Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating

Bureau California Applicants' Attorney Association California Commission on Health and

Safety and Workers' Compensation California Department of Industrial

Relations, Uninsured Employers Benefits Trust Fund

California Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation

California Department of Insurance, Fraud Assessment Commission

California Department of Insurance, Fraud Division

Division of Labor Standards Enforcement Kaiser Permanente Monterey County District Attorney's Office Salud Para La Gente Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office U.C. Berkeley Institute for Research on

Labor and Employment Worksafe

Page 8

Make checks payable to Community Foundation Santa Cruz County. You will receive a tax acknowledgement.

Community Foundation Santa Cruz County

OR donate

online!

Watsonville Law Center, 315 Main St. #315, Watsonville, CA 95076 (envelope enclosed)

Help us to keep changing lives! Make your tax-deductible gift to WLC using this form OR online at cfscc.org/GiveGTCommunityFund and let the Good Times Community Fund double your impact this holiday season!

I have the privilege of being a new member of WLC’s Board of Directors. It is one small way that I can support this fabulous and innovative organi-zation which serves the un-derrepresented folks in our com-munity. Because of the Watsonville Law Center, access to justice is availa-ble to those most in need. From the Wat-sonville Law Cen-ter Board and

Staff, we wish you Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Why I Support WLC

Tamyra Rice, WLC Board of Directors

WLC Board of Directors

Sheryl Ainsworth, Law Office of

Sheryl Ainsworth | Prof. Richard

Berg, Santa Clara University, School

of Law | Vilma Guerrero, Hamlyn &

Guerrero | Jack Jacobson, Law

Office of Jack Jacobson |

Bob Katz, Katz and Lapides | Tamyra

Rice, Office of County Counsel,

Santa Cruz | Renee Winter, Law

Office of Renee C. Winter | Prof. Eric

Wright, Santa Clara University

School of Law | Jane Wynn, O'Boyle,

Lombardo & McKenna

WLC staff from the left, Edlin Valdez (LAC paralegal), Dori Rose Inda (Executive Director), Henry Martin (Senior Attorney), Jenna Grambort (Staff Attorney), Monica Pereira (Office Manager), Angelica Gonzalez (Administrative Assistant), Laura Alcantar (AmeriCorps VISTA), Nicholas Webber (Equal Justice Works Legal Attorney Fellow sponsored by Morrison and Foerster Foundation), Katie Duran (LAC Paralegal), Adriana Melgoza (Clinic Coordinator & Paralegal), and Cecilia Martin del Campo (AmeriCorps VISTA). Not pictured, Ana Garcia (Administrative Assistant), and Samantha Zenack (Staff Attorney).

W e c o u l d n ’ t d o i t w i t h o u t y o u ! F r o m W LC s ta f f a nd t he c l i e n t s we

se r ve , t h a n k y o u t o o ur vo l u n te er s , d on o rs , a n d p ar t ne r s wh o ma ke i t

p o ss i b l e fo r W L C to wo r k e ver yda y t o p r o v i d e e q ua l acce ss t o ju s t i ce fo r th e

mo s t vu l ne ra b l e f a mi l i es on t he Cen t r a l Coa s t !