Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

Founded in 1968, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Areas (LCCR) was formed to advocate for civil rights had to be codified into law. Today, the organization partners with the private bar to protect civil rights in the courtroom and through the legislative process.

Leveraging the power of the private bar enables LCCR to engage in impact litigation, policy advocacy and direct legal services in three core areas:

• Community Empowerment/Economic Justice;
• Immigrant Justice; and
• Racial Justice.

The core of the Lawyers’ Committee is a group of dedicated volunteer attorneys who provide professional legal consultation and/or representation for clients with matters that would otherwise be jeopardized without professional help, due to lack of funds.

Every year, the Lawyers’ Committee mobilizes over 1,000 pro bono attorneys. The attorney contribute nearly 50,000 hours of free legal assistance which is valued at close to $20 million. Legal fellows, law students, interpreters and other legal professionals are also integral to making a difference in people’s lives.

Contact Information

Goals of the Lawyers’ Committee

The organization begins with the premise that equal access and treatment under law that must be vigilantly protected. The organizations advocates to protect civil rights and challenge racial and economic disparities that remain.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area works to promote, protect and advance the legal rights of communities of color, and low-income persons, immigrants, and refugees.

Assisted by hundreds of pro bono attorneys, LCCR provides free legal assistance and representation to individuals on civil legal matters through direct services, impact litigation and policy advocacy.

Many of the top civil rights attorneys in San Francisco voluteer their time for this organization. 

Pro Bono Opportunities for Attorneys on the Lawyers’ Committee

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay area provides opportunities for lawyers to volunteer their time through direct legal services programs and/or clinics. Attorneys who volunteer their time receive training and practice manuals.

The attorney volunteers have access to mentors and interpreters to make their job easier. Many law firms also partner with the Lawyers’ Committee. The Lawyers’ Committee has the following clinical services programs:

• Second Chance Legal Clinic - This reentry program helps people overcome barriers to employment and housing caused by prior contact with the criminal justice system. The “place-based” Clinic offers several different services in the following practice areas:
• Driver’s license suspensions;
• Employment;
• Public and private housing applications and denials;
• Criminal background reports;
• Occupational licensing; and
• Criminal record remedies.

• Legal Services for Entrepreneurs (LSE) - This economic justice project provides free business legal services to low-income entrepreneurs who are starting or have existing business. Services include business law basics, entity formation, intellectual property protection, real estate / lease negotiation, labor and employment law.

• Asylum pro bono Program - This program partners volunteers with refugees that need help to win asylum in the United States. Volunteers assist clients in preparing asylum applications and represent clients before the U.S. Asylum Office, in Immigration Court, and at the Board of Immigration Appeals and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Lawyers’ Committee offers comprehensive training on asylum law and procedure.

This article was last updated on Friday, January 17, 2020.