Law Foundation of Silicon Valley

For Pride Month, Wilson Sonsini attorneys partnered with Legal team members from Lyft to participate in a gender marker and name change virtual clinic hosted by the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley.   The clinic helped to guide trans and non-binary people in completing the necessary court documents so they can legally change their name and/or gender marker to align with their gender identity. Name and gender marker changes can be an incredible aid for people in the trans and non-binary community to reduce the risk of discrimination, improve access to essential services, and ensure smoother interactions in various aspects of life.   Thank you to the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley for hosting this clinic, our collaborators at Lyft Legal, and Wilson Sonsini attorneys Julia Anderson, Adrian Barker, Ph.D., J.D., Sasha Bobrowicz, Davelyn Couch, Alison Dietze, Savannah Grant, Min Jung “MJ” Han, Kaleigh Hawkins-Schulz, Laura Hernandez, Qifan H., Kimberly Parry, Amanda Urquiza, and Melissa Wright.

Did you get a name and/or gender marker change? Planning to file for one in the future? A name and/or gender marker change deserves to be recognized and celebrated! Come enjoy light refreshments, receive a ceremonial certificate signed by a Judge, and get free information on how to use your court order to change your identity documents! When: Wedendsay, August 28, 2024 Time: 11:45AM - 1PM Where: The Old Courthouse, 161 N. 1st St. San Jose RSVP: tinyurl.com/NGMCelebration #genderaffirming #socialjustice #LGBTQRights #transrights

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court released its devastating opinion in Johnson v. Grants Pass and held that the 8th Amendment does not prohibit governments from punishing people for living outside even when they have no option to live inside. In short, governments may criminalize homelessness and the protections of Martin v. Boise have ended. We all know that arresting or ticketing people for being unhoused is harmful, expensive, and does nothing to correct the systems that push people from housing and onto the streets. And we anticipate that local and state governments will respond to this decision with increased enforcement actions against our unhoused community members. In a regional affordable housing crisis where hundreds of evictions are filed each month and family homelessness is up by nearly 37% in a single year, these enforcement actions will take us much further away from the systemic solutions our community needs. Indeed, this decision has dark implications for us all. As famously stated by civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” If governments can constitutionally criminalize universal activities like sleeping or using a blanket, what else will be punished as crimes? Our nation has a long and brutal history of weaponizing law against people of color, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, and other marginalized groups – people who not coincidentally comprise the majority of our unhoused community members. We must be prepared to fight back. The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley has advocated for our region’s unhoused and at-risk residents for 50 years, and we condemn the criminalization of homelessness in all of its forms. Join us in the fight to protect the rights of our unhoused neighbors and dismantle the barriers unhoused people face in securing adequate housing and health services. #supremecourt #johnsonvgrantspass #humanrights #unhousedadvocacy

📣 This Wednesday, June 26th, we’re excited to offer a free Gender Marker & Name Change Virtual Clinic with our pro bono partner Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. If you’re a Santa Clara County resident and need help affirming your name and gender marker on legal documents, sign up today to get free help completing the necessary court forms (including a fee waiver*). Appointments can be made by calling 408-280-2420. Today’s the last day to make an appointment, please share with anyone that may be interested! *Some people may need to pay a filing fee with the Court. #genderaffirming #socialjustice #siliconvalleynonprofit #legalaid #bayareaprobono

Save the date for the Law Foundation's LACY Honors Awards & Luncheon! Join over 300 business, legal, and community leaders to support the Law Foundation's Children & Youth program (Legal Advocates for Children & Youth), which aids children facing serious issues like abuse, navigating the foster care system, and education challenges like expulsion. 📅 Event Details: Date: Friday, October 11, 2024 Location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Palo Alto Time: 11:30am - 1:00pm For more information or to learn about partnership opportunities, email [email protected]. #socialjustice #siliconvalleynonprofit #legalaid #youthjustice #childadvocacy

Our Pro Bono Program leverages the talent of attorneys and staff from law firms and corporate legal departments to help us serve more people in our community. The program helps couples like Sarah and Michael whose landlord made unfair deductions from their security deposit upon moving out. They quickly reached out to the Law Foundation for help and received an experienced pro bono attorney with expertise in renters' rights to represent their case. Learn more about this and other successes with our talented pro bono volunteers in our latest annual report: https://lnkd.in/gX-KN4Nk #socialjustice #siliconvalleynonprofit #legalaid #bayareaprobono 

The Law Foundation’s Health program ensures those living with health and mental health issues can receive free legal advice and representation. Appealing an unfair denial of health benefits can be frustrating and complicated. We stepped in when 57-year-old Christopher contacted the Law Foundation after being denied Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Read more about how the Health team advocates alongside our disabled neighbors and check out other key highlights from the team: https://lnkd.in/gX-KN4Nk #socialjustice #siliconvalleynonprofit #legalaid #mentalhealth #healthjustice

The Law Foundation provides free legal services to low-income families and individuals at risk of eviction and homelessness with the goal of helping them maintain safe and healthy housing within our community Neighbors like Alex, a senior living with a disability, who was facing imminent eviction from his home. A notice from the sheriff had been posted on Alex’s door: next week he and his wife would be forced to leave. Learn more about how our attorneys and advocates helped Alex and other Housing program highlights from the last year at https://lnkd.in/gcAfgt54. #socialjustice #siliconvalleynonprofit #legalaid #housingjustice #housingcrisis

Our Children & Youth program advances the legal rights of children and youth, empowering them to lead healthy and productive lives. When Rachel was just five, she needed someone to stand up for her. There were worries about possible abuse and she needed someone to move quickly to ensure she was safe and protected. Her legal case was complicated because she was not born in the United States. Did she, legally, have to go back to her home country? Read more about this story and other highlights from the Law Foundation’s Children & Youth program at https://lnkd.in/gcAfgt54. #socialjustice #siliconvalleynonprofit #legalaid #youthjustice #childadvocacy

As we reflect on the past year, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley is thrilled to share the transformative impact achieved through your continued support. We are excited to share our latest annual report with you at https://lnkd.in/gX-KN4Nk. youtu.be/5_kmd06y4Dk #socialjustice #siliconvalleynonprofit #legalaid