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• Federal Court Orders Legal Representation for Immigrant Detainees With Mental Disabilities
  Vulnerable Immigrants in Removal Proceedings Unable to Represent Themselves Must Get Counsel and a Hearing
• Class Action Lawsuit Forces Policy Change to Protect Detained Immigrants with Serious Mental Disabilities
  "After spending three years litigating against basic protections for immigrants with serious mental disabilities, the government has finally recognized that its prior policies were inadequate.”
• Judge's Order Protects $38 Million in City of Industry Funds for Affordable Housing
  A court has protected more than $38 million in funds for affordable homes in eastern Los Angeles County.
• Los Angeles Children's Groups Announce Nation's First 'Families Forever' Project to Help Adoptive Families Stay Together and Thrive
  As former foster youth and their new adoptive families celebrate National Adoption Day on November 16, Public Counsel and the Alliance for Children's Rights will announce a first-of-its-kind project to help newly formed Los Angeles families stay together and thrive.
• Lawsuit Says Failed Enforcement Means California's Farm Workers Face Daily Threat of Heat Illness and Death
  Farm workers and the United Farm Workers filed a lawsuit in state court against the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) for its "systematic failure" to enforce the regulation that requires farmers to provide water, shade and rest to their employees in order to prevent heat illness or death.
• Antelope Valley Residents and City of Lancaster Stand Together to Promote Fair Housing for Section 8 Participants
  The Community Action League and the California State Conference of the NAACP announced today they will move forward with the City of Lancaster to promote fair housing for all Lancaster residents.
• Public Counsel to Provide Legal Support to Oakland Parents and Students in New School Police Complaint Policy
  Public Counsel is providing legal support to The Black Organizing Project, a group of Oakland parents, teachers and students concerned about the role of policing in public schools.
• Irell & Manella Establishes First-Ever Endowed Chair at Public Counsel
  Irell & Manella LLP has established the first-ever endowed chair for Public Counsel, the nation's largest pro bono law firm. Paul Freese, vice president of Public Counsel, will serve as the Irell & Manella Chair in Public Interest Law.
• Parents, Students, Civil Rights Groups Say LAUSD 'Leading the Way for the State' to Reduce Suspensions
  Parents, students and civil rights groups representing the Dignity in Schools Campaign said California's largest school district is "leading the way for the state" after school board members voted unanimously on Thursday, June 28, to support statewide legislation to reduce the high number of out of school suspensions.
• Statement: Supreme Court Health Care Decision Protects Angelenos Struggling With Poverty and Homelessness
  Public Counsel's Director of Homelessness Prevention, Will Watts, says the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Patient is good news for millions of Americans struggling with homelessness or poverty who can't afford to buy health insurance.
• Statement: Governor's Plan Fails Californians Still Fighting Foreclosure
  Groups that assist homeowners said Governor Brown should restore money meant to hold banks accountable and prevent foreclosures.
• Public Counsel to Honor Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel and Celebrate Fight for Justice in Our Communities on April 22
  Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel will receive Public Counsel's William O. Douglas Award at our annual event on April 22, 2012.
• FixSchoolDiscipline.org Takes on California School Suspension Crisis
  Public Counsel has launched FixSchoolDiscipline.org to support common-sense solutions to California's school suspension epidemic. California students received more than 700,000 school suspensions or expulsions, many for minor behavioral issues that can be handled in school.
• Patient Dumped by Los Angeles Hospital and Lost in Skid Row Sues Over Negligence
  In the latest case of Southern California patient dumping, Public Counsel and attorney Steven D. Archer of Kiesel, Boucher & Larson LLP filed a lawsuit on Friday, February 3, against White Memorial Medical Center and Dr. Michael Hernandez. The lawsuit centers on Jesse Bravo, a married father of four who discharged him without his consent or his family's knowledge. He was lost on Los Angeles' Skid Row for two days.
• City of Palmdale Agrees to Resolve Lawsuit and Promote Fair Housing for Section 8 Participants
  Public Counsel announces an agreement between the City of Palmdale and residents, The Community Action League and the California State Conference of the NAACP that will prevent discrimination in its community. The agreement was approved by the Palmdale City Council on Feb. 1 and settles a lawsuit filed in June 2011 on behalf of families who are part of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program and faced harassment and intimidation in Antelope Valley cities for many years. The action comes a week after Los Angeles County Supervisors voted on Tuesday, Jan. 24, to institute new protocols for Section 8 program investigators and Sheriff’s Department personnel.
• Los Angeles Civil Rights Organizations Applaud Adoption of School Attendance Reform Recommendations by Education Coordinating Council
  Public Counsel and other groups release a statement of support as Los Angeles County law enforcement, agencies, courts and others call for significant reforms to every county agency that interacts with youth who struggle with attendance, including courts, police, and schools.
• Los Angeles County Agrees to Take Major Step to Combat Section 8 Discrimination in the Antelope Valley
  For years, Antelope Valley families who are part of the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program faced harassment in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. Now Los Angeles County has sent a powerful message to these and other cities: County programs and departments will no longer be used as tools for intimidation and discrimination. County Supervisors approved an agreement late Tuesday with attorneys representing Antelope Valley residents and the NAACP that takes away many of the tools that have been used to inspire fear in the more than 11,000 Section 8 participants in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale who moved to the area seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
• Los Angeles Juvenile Courts Will Dismiss Curfew Tickets for Students on Their Way to School and Direct Students to Supportive Services
  Los Angeles’ top judge for juvenile courts has released new guidelines to eliminate fines and unnecessary court time for students who were late to school and for other minor offenses. The court will also direct students who miss school to school- and community-based resources that are shown to improve academic achievement and get struggling students back on track. It’s the latest step forward to reforming Los Angeles daytime curfew rules and truancy ticketing.
• Federal Court Grants Class-Action Status to Unrepresented Immigration Detainees With Mental Disabilities
  A federal court in California granted class-action status to a group of unrepresented immigration detainees with mental disabilities, an important step in helping ensure they get access to legal counsel.
• Federal Transit Report on Metro Service Cuts Shows Disturbing Evidence of Discrimination
  MTA service cuts and fare increases shows serious concerns about how they have affected riders, particularly people of color. Read our statement.
• Public Counsel Launches Major Initiative to Help Hollywood's Homeless Veterans
  Public Counsel announces a major initiative to assist homeless veterans with legal issues preventing them from finding a home or a job. The three-year project is funded through generous support from Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, Aileen Getty, and the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of California.
• U.S. 9th Circuit Court Rules in Favor of Former Foster Youth in Immigration Court
  The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Nov. 2, 2011, in favor of a former foster youth who was brought to the United States as a young child and became a legal U.S. resident but was later deported. The decision in Garcia v. Holder is the first to define when legal status starts for immigrant youth who qualify for special rules meant to protect those who suffer abuse or neglect.
• Statement: Report Shows Time Is Now for Los Angeles to End Discrimination in School Discipline
  A report released on Oct. 25, 2011, shows Los Angeles schools falling far behind on implementing a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support policy to reduce out of school suspensions, particularly of students of color, and improve graduation rates, student performance and school culture. Here are steps the school board can take to support students.
• Civil Rights Groups Announce Los Angeles School Police Department Plan to Reduce Curfew Tickets That Have Targeted Students of Color
  The Los Angeles School Police Department has unveiled protocols intended to reduce the number of daytime curfew tickets written to students. The revised procedures are a result of collaboration and discussions between Public Counsel, the Community Rights Campaign, the ACLU of Southern California, Children’s Defense Fund, CADRE, and Youth Justice Coalition -- groups that work to keep students in school -- and Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) leaders.
• Los Angeles Civil Rights Organizations Respond to City Councilman Tony Cardenas' Motion to Fix the Daytime Curfew Law
  Los Angeles civil rights groups released a statement as city councilman proposes to fix student curfew law that hurts students and fails to prevent crime.
• Garden Grove Residents Act to Stop Eviction Over Proposed Water Park
  Facing the loss of their homes, longtime Garden Grove residents are fighting the City of Garden Grove's plans to evict them while using taxpayer money for a hotel and water park project that is still seeking outside financing - and may not break ground for years.
• Venice Residents Announce Major Agreement to Protect Affordable Homes and a Diverse Neighborhood
  Venice residents announced and agreement that extends affordable housing protections for 20 years at Holiday Venice, the largest federally-subsidized housing development on Los Angeles' Westside.
• Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Action Is an Important Step Toward Justice for Antelope Valley Residents
  The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has voted to halt enhanced inspections of Antelope Valley families participating in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program after residents alleged racial discrimination by the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale. In a statement, attorneys for residents called it "an important step toward justice in the Antelope Valley."
• Public Counsel Salutes Our Team of Top Volunteers at 2011 Pro Bono Awards
  Public Counsel host a reception for attorneys and professionals who helped us provide free legal help valued at $88 million in 2011. "Public Counsel's team is making a difference for more than 32,000 people and small businesses every year," said Public Counsel President and CEO Hernan Vera.
• Mentally Disabled Immigrant Wins Battle to Obtain Legal Representation
  Public Counsel and The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California announced that a federal court in Los Angeles ordered the Department of Homeland Security to find legal representation - whether paid or pro bono - for a man suffering from a serious mental illness held in immigration detention. The court's order, which was unsealed today, defined the procedures that the government must follow to protect the rights of immigrants with severe mental disabilities held in detention.
• Federal Lawsuit Aims to End Antelope Valley 'War' on African American and Latino Residents
  Antelope Valley residents are going to court on Tuesday, June 7, to stop racial discrimination against people seeking a better life for their families in Lancaster and Palmdale. The lawsuit challenges the two cities' policies and practices that have targeted more than 3,600 black and Latino families using federal housing subsidies in the historically white area.
• South Los Angeles Schools Set Historic Goals to Keep Youth in School and Decrease Disproportionate Discipline for African-American Students
  South Los Angeles schools are leading the way to support students with behavioral issues so they stay in school. They are setting ambitious goals to reduce suspensions and implement a research-based policy with proven results.
• Los Angeles Legal Groups Receive $8.4 Million to Assist Individuals and Families in Housing Cases
  Public Counsel is one of four prominent legal aid groups today awarded $8.4 million over three years to provide legal representation and other assistance to 15,000 people facing eviction in some of Los Angeles' poorest neighborhoods. The unprecedented program is one of seven pilot projects awarded funding today by the Judicial Council of California in a statewide effort to provide representation to individuals and families in high-stakes civil cases.
• Students and Civil Rights Groups Announce Revised LAPD Protocol to Reduce Curfew Tickets That Have Targeted Students of Color
  Parents, students and civil rights groups announce revised Los Angeles Police Department procedures aimed to reduce the number of daytime curfew tickets written to students, particularly African American and Latino students.
• Court Denies Request to Delay Implementation of Historic Settlement Protecting Students at 45 LAUSD Schools
  Students at 45 schools in Los Angeles will be protected from the impact of teacher layoffs after the Court of Appeal denied a request by United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) to stop the implementation of a groundbreaking settlement agreement.
• Statement: Affordable Housing Is Working for All Californians
  Public Counsel released a statement calling for the California Legislature to protect affordable housing for all Californians.
• Youth Advocate Wins California Lawyer of the Year Award for Work Transforming Education in Broken Los Angeles County Probation System
  LOS ANGELES -- Last year, Laura Faer was part of a team that tackled one of the nation's most troubled education systems: the Challenger probation camp in Los Angeles County. Teachers at the county's largest probation camp missed classes, punished students who asked for instruction, and awarded a high school diploma to a student who was illiterate. Today Faer, directing attorney for the Children's Rights Project at Public Counsel, was named California Lawyer of the Year for her work to help thousands of youth in the juvenile justice system.
• Educationally-Related Mental Health Services Restored
  A federal court in Los Angeles today approved a stipulated injunction which will temporarily restore educationally-related mental health services to California and Los Angeles County students who require the services to stay in school.
• Landmark Environmental Justice Nonprofit and Mitigation Fund, Up to $50 Million, Approved Unanimously by Board of Harbor Commissioners
  Public Counsel plays lead role in establishing up to $50 Million Community Fund and a Nonprofit to Alleviate L.A. Port Pollution.
• Lawsuit On Behalf of Detained Immigrants with Mental Disabilities Filed
  The nation's first class action lawsuit on behalf of immigrant detainees with severe mental disabilities -- detainees who are defenseless in a system they cannot comprehend -- was filed late Monday by a coalition of legal organizations led by Public Counsel.
• Public Counsel President & CEO Hernan D. Vera Confirmed by Senate
  Hernan D. Vera, President & CEO of Public Counsel, was confirmed to the Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute.
• PondelWilkinson to Provide Strategic Media Advice to Public Counsel
  PondelWilkinson Inc., an investor relations and strategic public relations consultancy, announced a pro bono partnership with Public Counsel Law Center
• Human Rights Report Reveals Non-Compliance in Schools
  Primary findings released from their report, Redefining Dignity in Our Schools: A Shadow Report on School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Implementation in South Los Angeles, 2007-2010.
• Court Orders Reinstatement of Treatment for Children with Autism
  The Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday issued a preliminary injunction in the class action lawsuit filed on behalf of children with autism
• Veteran's Advocacy Project Works to Stem the Tide of Homelessness
  It is estimated that on any given night there are approximately 154,000 homeless veterans living in the streets of America
• Residents Sue To Prevent City's Planned Destruction of Affordable Housing
  Group Alleges City Violated State Law by Failing to Provide Replacement Housing Plan or Adequate Relocation Benefits in connection with Plan To Destroy 100 Homes for Hotel and Water Park Development
• Major L.A. Firms Unite to Help Bridge Gap
  With a deficit and a proposed elimination of day care for 142,000 low-income California children, the need to ensure an adequate quantity of child care centers is an urgent and compelling issue.
• Settlement Announced: Los Angeles County to Increase Juvenile Hall Safety for Youth with Developmental Disabilities
  Los Angeles, CA - On December 14, 2010, after an investigation showed that youth with disabilities are often in danger while housed in juvenile hall and that youth with developmental disabilities were detained 6 to18 months longer than others because of the lack of available community placements, a settlement with Los Angeles County has been reached that will launch critical reforms. The investigation was carried out by Disability Rights California, Public Counsel, Disability Rights Legal Center, Hunton & Williams, and Traber & Voorhees because of serious problems that had been reported to the advocacy groups.
• Attorneys Announce "Objectives Are Met": Mental Health Services Flow to California Children After Lawsuit
  March 22, 2011 - Today, Public Counsel Law Center, Disability Rights California, Disability Rights Legal Center, Mental Health Advocacy Services, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher announced that they have achieved their immediate objectives in the federal lawsuit they filed regarding termination of state funding for educationally related mental health services for California special education students, and have filed a notice of voluntary dismissal without prejudice, except as to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and its director which fully settled the case with the named plaintiffs and is being dismissed with prejudice.
• Class Notice in Landmark Settlement with Los Angeles County Office of Education and Probation Department
  You can view the Spanish and English class notices in the Casey A. v. Gundry, et al. matter here. The class action settlement involves Camp Challenger in Lancaster, County, which refers to the following six camps in Lancaster, California: Camp Jarvis, Camp McNair, Camp Onizuka, Camp Resnick, Camp Scobee, and Camp Smith.
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• CONSUMER ALERTS
  
• Affordable Care Act Information Gathering Scam
  If you get a call asking for your information for a national medical card, hang up. It's a scam. Government organizations and the legitimate groups you do business with have the information they need. They'll never call to ask you for it.
• Forged and Fraudulent Deeds
  In the current economic climate, criminal fraud related to real property deeds appears to be on the rise.
• Banking Information Request Scam
  Consumers should be extremely wary of telephone calls requesting sensitive banking information. These "robo-calls" asks call recipients to verify sensitive account information. Criminals use this information to take over victims' bank accounts, apply for credit cards or obtain cash.
• Property Reassessment Solicitations
  Consumers in Los Angeles County are warned to be on the alert for mail solicitations from private companies offering to "assist" homeowners with the filing of property tax reassessment forms for substantial fees of $179 or more. This is a service the County Assessor's Office provides for free.
• Foreclosure Rescue Scams
  Many consumers are faced with a mortgage they can no longer afford and are facing foreclosure. Unscrupulous opportunists are profiting from this crisis. They promise quick results for a fee but actually provide nothing.
• Home Rental Fraud
  Many houses have been vacated by homeowners facing foreclosure. Con artists are profiting from this crisis by posing as landlords and renting vacant homes to unsuspecting renters. They offer enticing properties at below-market rental rates. In reality, they are stealing your money and leaving you homeless.
• >> Consumer Alerts Archive
  
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• PRESS RELEASES
  
• Click, Call To Learn About Keep Your Home California
  Keep Your Home California is a state-run program with almost $2 billion in federal funds to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.
• Statement: Governor's Plan Fails Californians Still Fighting Foreclosure
  Groups that assist homeowners said Governor Brown should restore money meant to hold banks accountable and prevent foreclosures.
• Update on Countrywide Fair Lending Settlement
  The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice wants to update you on the process to distribute proceeds from the $335 million victim fund created as part of the Department of Justice’s December 2011 lending discrimination settlement with Countrywide.
• Justice Department Reaches $335 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination by Countrywide Financial Corporation
  The Department of Justice today filed its largest residential fair lending settlement in history to resolve allegations that Countrywide Financial Corporation and its subsidiaries engaged in a widespread pattern or practice of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers in their mortgage lending from 2004 through 2008.
• >> Press Releases Archive