Public Counsel

We appreciate the work of Emily Alpert Reyes to spotlight our efforts to combat racial and language disparities in services for children with disabilities! For years, Public Counsel’s Children’s Rights Project has highlighted the urgent need to address racial and language disparities in service delivery for children with developmental disabilities. Our 2022 report exposed California’s systemic failures in reducing these disparities, which continue to persist. A recent Los Angeles Times article highlights our efforts and the alarming issue of unspent funds at California’s regional centers—a network of state-funded but independently run agencies charged with providing services to Californians with developmental disabilities—which could have provided essential services to these children. This story underscores the critical importance of our advocacy and the need for continued action to ensure all children receive the support they deserve. https://lnkd.in/gr_CA_RW

So grateful for our collaboration with the Office for the Advancement of Early Care & Education, LA County Regional Planning, and various other County agencies to ensure we have Child Care for All! Check out our toolkits: https://lnkd.in/gthFz6cS

Sharon Balmer Cartagena, from Public Counsel, helped shape the law that led excluding poverty alone as a reason to report child welfare cases under “general neglect.” As Brandon Nichols, director of LA County DCFS notes in the article below, “There's better ways to handle situations where families are struggling, [where] families don't have access to economic supports.” The hard follow-up question is, how do you handle those situations? Great to see the effort to train people in ways to support the families. Sharon has also been hard at work since before the law's passage trying to put in place solutions to that question. For example, she is helping build the infrastructure needed to connect families with services like legal aid lawyers to address matters related to employment law, evictions, and family law. Its been incredible to witness first hand her tireless commitment to serving children and families impacted by the foster care system. Bet Tzedek Legal Services attorneys have been embedded in schools for over two years now in an effort to make it easier for families in need to connect with legal services. We are proud to play our role in ensuring the wellbeing of children, and we look forward to working with leaders like Sharon to support families and children in need. [And yes of course, I'm biased 😉 ]

Thank you, Rebecca Ellis, for shining a light on the housing crisis facing transition age youth in foster care! Public Counsel is proud to represent seven young people who are suing LA County and the State of California for failing to provide the safe housing and mental health services that young people in foster care are legally entitled to receive. Recently, a Judge ruled in our favor, affirming that the government’s responsibility to provide care and shelter to youth in foster care doesn’t end when they turn 18. The court held that transition age youth in foster care have a constitutional right to shelter, which includes emergency housing options. In addition, the court affirmed that youth with disabilities have the right to access services and placement free from discrimination on the basis of their disability. Together with our co-counsel Children's Rights; Alliance for Children's Rights; and Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP we are committed to ensuring that every young person aging out of the foster system has the support and services they need. https://lnkd.in/eMeQrNDp

Yes on SB 1103! Please help us get the bill to the governor's desk. We all have a role to play in supporting and preserving small businesses and small nonprofits, the backbone of our communities.

Public Counsel will be joining hundreds of education leaders, researchers, policy experts, and advocates at the #EdEquityForum2024 this September 23 to 25 in Oakland. Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/gijqNuTu.

Join us on August 12th for Barbie’s IP Journey to Movie Magic and learn how pro bono attorneys can help build power and economic opportunity in communities of color! Register here: https://lnkd.in/g9wCcn_A

We are thrilled to announce that Kathryn Eidmann has been named Public Counsel's new President and Chief Executive Officer and holder of the Helen & Morgan Chu CEO Distinguished Chair. Kathryn’s selection comes after an extensive national search, following the elevation of our former President and CEO, Mónica Ramírez Almadani, to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California as a federal judge. A leading civil rights lawyer, Kathryn has spent over a decade at Public Counsel leading innovative legal advocacy to advance justice for communities across the country. She has litigated major cases in the areas of education equity, children’s rights, gender discrimination, criminalization of poverty, immigrants’ rights, housing and homelessness, and the rights of low-wage workers. Most recently, she served as Public Counsel’s Vice President, Chief of Litigation and Legal Programs, where she oversaw a team of 120 attorneys, social workers, organizers, and administrative staff providing direct legal services, impact litigation, and policy advocacy. Kathryn has been recognized in the legal and advocacy communities for her creative litigation and advocacy. In 2019, she received the California Lawyer of the Year award for the victory she secured in People v. Duenas, a landmark California Court of Appeal opinion establishing for the first time that courts may not impose mandatory court fees on indigent criminal defendants. She was named as one of the “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40” in California by The Daily Journal in 2021. She is a frequent speaker on education equity, children’s rights, and racial and economic justice issues, and her work has been covered by national and local news media. Public Counsel is incredibly fortunate to have Kathryn at the helm during this critical time in our history. Her dedication to our mission and her unparalleled expertise will undoubtedly propel Public Counsel to new heights. Please join us in welcoming Kathryn Eidmann as the new President and CEO of Public Counsel! Visit our website for more info: https://lnkd.in/gmBjiiHd

Enjoyed talking with Kim Stephens about our landmark settlement directing $2 billion in grant funding to the California students most impacted by the pandemic. Public Counsel was honored to co-counsel with Morrison Foerster and partner with Lakisha Young, The Oakland REACH, Community Coalition, and UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools to fight for equal educational opportunity for all students in our State.

Small businesses and nonprofits are the backbone of our economy and the social fabric that knits communities together — providing jobs and essential goods and services for local families. But too many are being displaced from our communities here in LA and across California. We’re part of the coalition fighting for #SB1103, a bill that will bring commonsense lease protections to help small businesses and nonprofits obtain and retain commercial space. The bill passed through committee and will head to the Assembly floor for a vote! https://lnkd.in/gBtuD__8 #senatebill #assembly #california #losangeles #nonprofit #smallbusiness #localbusiness #community #inclusiveaction #coalitionwork #CBSnews #localeconomy Public Counsel Small Business Majority Bet Tzedek Legal Services CAMEO Network Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law