We protect and empower
Through our work in communities and court rooms, we identify injustices that affect the client in front of us, and so many others like them.
We advocate for policies to protect and empower immigrants and people of color in city halls, the California State Capitol, and Congress.
We draft legislation, participate in and lead coalitions, and advocate with elected officials, to ensure the voices of communities of color, immigrants, and low-paid workers are centered in local, state, and national policymaking.
Working with 50+ social justice organizations in 2017, we helped draft and pass California’s state sanctuary law, the Values Act, and vigorously fought the Trump administration’s lawsuit challenging it. A similar multi-level approach can be seen in many of our victories over the decades, from our landmark victory in Korematsu v. US coram nobis (1984), to our national advocacy to repeal the Muslim and African Bans (2021).
With partners across California, we work to pass policy in Sacramento on issues from immigration to workers' rights to housing. Recently, our community-centered policy advocacy has ensured Californians with limited English proficiency can access critical unemployment insurance, established more humane criminal legal and immigration systems in the state, and secured historic statewide investments in restorative justice and violence prevention.
Fired by An App: The Toll of Secret Algorithms and Unchecked Discrimination on California Rideshare Drivers
Rideshare Drivers United (RDU) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus (ALC) surveyed 810 current and former Uber and Lyft drivers in California to better understand their experiences as workers in a transportation industry in flux.
Learn moreReport: Statewide Investigation on Voting Rights and Language Access
The report explores four key aspects of language access in California elections: the voting experience, federal and state laws, the importance of in-language materials, and data limitations for identifying populations in California who use non-English languages.
Learn moreBroken Stems: A Story of How California Prisons and ICE Tear Families Apart
This comic project, Broken Stems, is a story about how California prisons tear apart families by voluntarily colluding with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The story is told through the voice of Vyseth, a California immigrant who grew up with his family in Long Beach, not unlike so many of our clients.
Learn moreNews & Recent Cases
Learn more about our policy news and campaign updates.
Community Safety Resources for Bay Area Residents
July 1, 2024
The No Fly List and its Alarming Civil Rights Concerns
June 27, 2024
Immigrant Workers Win $60K Settlement from Lee’s Deli Restaurants
June 6, 2024