Onejustice

ONEJUSTICE BRINGS LIFE-CHANGING LEGAL HELP TO THOSE IN NEED BY TRANSFORMING THE LEGAL AID SYSTEM.

PRO BONO JUSTICE PROGRAM: ONEJUSTICE'S PRO BONO JUSTICE PROGRAM EXPANDS VOLUNTEERISM IN THE LEGAL COMMUNITY, PROVIDING STRATEGIC PLANNING, TRAINING, COACHING, AND RESOURCES TO LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS, LAW FIRMS, LAW SCHOOLS, AND CORPORATIONS ON HOW TO DESIGN AND ADMINISTER HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL VOLUNTEER LEGAL PROJECTS. ONEJUSTICE ALSO DEVELOPS AND TESTS INNOVATIVE PRO BONO SERVICE DELIVERY MODELS, FOCUSING ON THE NEEDS OF RURAL AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN CALIFORNIA. DURING FY 20-21, THE PRO BONO JUSTICE PROGRAM BROUGHT TOGETHER PRO BONO LEADERS FROM THE NONPROFIT AND PRIVATE SECTORS AT THE 2021 VIRTUAL CALIFORNIA PRO BONO CONFERENCE, CONVENING 156 INDIVIDUALS FROM LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS, LAW FIRMS, CORPORATIONS, BAR ASSOCIATIONS, COURTS, AND OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. ONEJUSTICE ALSO HOSTED WEBINARS FOR THE CALIFORNIA JOINT PRO BONO MANAGER FORUM, A QUARTERLY PROGRAM ADDRESSING EMERGING NEEDS IN PRO BONO AND FEATURING HIGHLIGHTED PRO BONO PROJECTS FROM AROUND THE STATE AND COUNTRY. THROUGHOUT FY 20-21, ONEJUSTICE CONVENED AND FACILITATED MEETINGS FOR THE BAY AREA AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PRO BONO MANAGERS GROUPS. GIVEN THE EVOLVING CHALLENGES AND NEEDS STEMMING FROM THE COVID PANDEMIC AND SHIFT TO REMOTE SERVICES, ONEJUSTICE PROVIDED INCREASED SUPPORT FOR THE REGIONAL GROUPS, WHICH INVOLVED MORE FREQUENT MEETINGS, ADDITIONAL AVENUES FOR COMMUNICATION AND SHARED RESOURCES. DURING THIS PERIOD, WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE PROVIDED SERVICES THROUGH OUR REDESIGNED REMOTE LEGAL CLINICS MODEL. WE STAFFED 32 FREE LEGAL CLINICS WITH PRO BONO VOLUNTEERS THROUGH THE JUSTICE BUS NETWORK, IMPACT LA, RURAL JUSTICE COLLABORATIVE, JUSTICE BUS, JUSTICE PLANE, INLAND EMPIRE, AND ACCESS TO ASYLUM PROJECTS, SERVING 234 INDIVIDUALS. WE ALSO SHARED OUR REMOTE CLINIC TOOLKIT, WHICH WE DEVELOPED IN 2020 TO HELP LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS PIVOT TO A REMOTE SERVICE MODEL; THE TOOLKIT HAS NOW BEEN SHARED WITH OVER 120 ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS 25 STATES. ONEJUSTICE ALSO CONTINUED ITS WORK IN THE COLLABORATIVE PRO BONO TRAINING INSTITUTE. THE PRO BONO TRAINING INSTITUTE CREATED 19 NEW DISASTER RELIEF TRAINING MODULES, 2 COMMERCIAL LEASE TRAINING MODULES, AND 3 SMALL CLAIMS TRAINING MODULES IN FY 20-21.

HEALTHY NONPROFITS PROGRAM: ONEJUSTICE'S HEALTHY NONPROFITS PROGRAM PROVIDES TRAINING, COACHING, AND CONSULTING TO BOARDS, EXECUTIVES, AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT OF LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA TO BUILD THE LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT SKILLS THEY NEED TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN THE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX NONPROFIT SECTOR. DURING FISCAL YEAR ("FY") 20-21, ONEJUSTICE PROVIDED BRIEF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT TO 52 UNIQUE LEGAL SERVICES NONPROFITS, AND PROVIDED IN-DEPTH CONSULTING TO 11 UNIQUE ORGANIZATIONS. ONEJUSTICE ALSO CONDUCTED 16 TRAININGS FOR OVER 355 ATTENDEES FROM ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. ONEJUSTICE COMPLETED THE ELEVENTH YEAR OF THE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP, AN INTENSIVE 10-MONTH PROGRAM ON NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT, WITH 30 FELLOWS GRADUATING IN JUNE 2021. THE HEALTHY NONPROFITS PROGRAM OFFERED ITS ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE ACCELERATORS IN FY 20-21, WHICH IS A CAPACITY-BUILDING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES TRAINING AND COACHING CRITICAL TO INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS. DURING FY 20-21, ONEJUSTICE HELPED 15 STAFF FROM 11 ORGANIZATIONS IMPROVE THEIR PROGRAM CAPACITIES IN TWO KEY AREAS: (1) PRO BONO PROGRAM DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT; AND (2) PROGRAM EVALUATION IN LEGAL AID. ADDITIONALLY, FY 20-21 SAW AN EXPANSION OF THE CAPACITY BUILDING ACADEMY, WHICH AIMS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF LEGAL SERVICES ORGANIZATIONS SERVING RURAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES THROUGH AN ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM. ONEJUSTICE ENROLLED AND TAUGHT 2 COHORTS COMPRISING MORE THAN 35 OF CALIFORNIA'S EMERGING LEGAL AID LEADERS ON: (1) NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING NONPROFIT BUDGETING, TEAM AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, INNOVATION PRINCIPLES, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION; AND (2) PRO BONO MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT, TRAINING, SUPERVISION, AND CULTURAL HUMILITY. IN FY 20-21, THE HEALTHY NONPROFITS PROGRAM'S CALIFORNIANS FOR LEGAL AID PROJECT SUPPORTED PUBLIC POLICIES THAT INCREASE ACCESS TO LEGAL SERVICES FOR LOW-INCOME CALIFORNIANS IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS: STAFF CONTACTED ALL OFFICES OF CALIFORNIA'S FEDERAL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN WASHINGTON, DC, TO EDUCATE THEM ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT LEGAL AID PROGRAMS PROVIDE TO CONSTITUENTS IN THEIR DISTRICTS AND URGED THEIR SUPPORT FOR INCREASED FEDERAL FUNDING FOR LEGAL AID; MOBILIZED THE CALIFORNIANS FOR LEGAL AID NETWORK ON THE FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS FOR LEGAL SERVICES CORPORATION FUNDING, AND AUTHORED MULTIPLE POLICY ADVOCACY LETTERS ON STATE AND FEDERAL ISSUES. IN ADDITION TO CONTACTING IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE OFFICES, STAFF MET WITH EIGHT FEDERAL OFFICES, FOUR STATE OFFICES, AND ONE LOCAL OFFICE TO FURTHER EDUCATE THEM ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ROBUST FUNDING FOR LEGAL SERVICES IN CALIFORNIA.