Immigrants Rights
Centro Legal’s immigration practice is focused on serving the needs of our most vulnerable community members, including families living in poverty, long residing undocumented immigrants and families, youth, victims of violent crimes, asylum seekers, and detained individuals in removal proceedings.
Our removal defense practice specializes in cases that are urgent and often involve novel legal issues. Centro Legal’s immigration team has expertise in complex detained cases, including individuals deemed mentally incompetent by the court and appointed counsel.
Tenants’ Rights
Centro Legal’s Workers’ Rights Program regularly joins in State and local policy advocacy efforts to improve legal protections and address systemic problems faced by low-wage workers. We engage in this advocacy through media events, amicus briefs, letters of support, and in-person meetings with State legislators and local city councilmembers. Centro has an important dual role to play in this advocacy both by sharing our significant substantive expertise on legal issues and in ensuring that the voices and concerns of low-wage workers inform policy decisions.
Worker’s Rights
Alameda County Housing Secure prevents displacement in Alameda County by providing free legal services and emergency financial assistance to low-income tenants and homeowners. These services enable county residents who are vulnerable to displacement to stabilize their housing.
Litigation
Centro Legal de la Raza’s Litigation team works with all our legal programs to represent low-income and immigrant workers, tenants, and other clients and communities in affirmative and impact lawsuits to protect their rights and improve conditions more broadly. Often, litigation in state and federal courts is the only way our clients can protect their rights and communities. Centro Legal also co-counsels these cases with other highly respected nonprofit organizations, local government, and law firm partners.
Youth Law Academy
The Youth Law Academy is a three year program for Oakland high school students designed to build confidence and understanding of the path to college. Recognizing the need for more diversity in the legal profession we ultimately hope to inspire our students to seek a career in the law for the betterment of our community.