Latinojustice Prldef

LATINOJUSTICE PRLDEF PROTECTS THE CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF ALL LATINOS IN THE U.S.

LITIGATION:LATINOJUSTICE ORGANIZES ITS LEGAL PROGRAMMATIC WORK ALONG FIVE PRIMARY LEGAL PILLARSCRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND POLICING, ECONOMIC JUSTICE, IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS, VOTING RIGHTS, AND PUERTO RICOENGAGING IN HIGH-IMPACT LAW REFORM LITIGATION AND ADVOCACY TO ADDRESS SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES AND PRACTICES BY GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ON THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL, AS WELL AS PRIVATE ENTITIES, THAT ADVERSELY IMPACT THE GREATER PAN-LATINX COMMUNITY. IN FY21 ON THE ECONOMIC JUSTICE FRONT, LATINOJUSTICE BEGAN ASSISTING LATINX UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS TO APPLY FOR NYS EXCLUDED WORKER FUND STIPENDS FOR LOST WAGES CAUSED BY THE PANDEMIC. ULTIMATELY, OUR EFFORTS HELPED OBTAIN MORE THAN $800,000 FOR MORE THAN 80 INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE INELIGIBLE FOR ANY FEDERAL OR STATE UNEMPLOYMENT SERVICES DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY WERE DE FACTO ESSENTIAL FRONT-LINE WORKERS. WE CONTINUE TO PROSECUTE OUR PUTATIVE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT CHALLENGING THE SUFFOLK COUNTY SHERIFF'S PRACTICE OF ILLEGALLY DETAINING IMMIGRANTS WITHOUT JUDICIAL AUTHORIZATION IN THE GUISE OF "HONORING" IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) ADMINISTRATIVE DETAINERS. AND WE HAD A MAJOR WIN IN OUR ONGOING CHALLENGE TO ILLEGAL RACIAL PROFILING PRACTICES OF THE SUFFOLK COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT WHEN A FEDERAL JUDGE CERTIFIED A CLASS OF PLAINTIFFS ACCUSING THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGAGING IN WIDESPREAD BIASED-BASED TRAFFIC STOP POLICING AGAINST LATINOS. WE FILED AN AMICUS BRIEF WITH SCOTUS IN THE CENSUS CITIZENSHIP CASE, AND IN THE VAELLO-MADERO CASE INVOLVING DENIAL OF SSI BENEFITS TO A PUERTO RICAN ISLAND RESIDENT.

COMMUNICATIONS AND ADVOCACY:AFTER HELPING TO ALLAY FEARS AND EDUCATE COMMUNITIES ABOUT THE DELAYED 2020 CENSUS PROCESS FOLLOWING MONTHS OF FEARMONGERING ABOUT THE POSSIBLE RELEASE OF INFORMATION ON UNDOCUMENTED AND MIXED-STATUS FAMILIES, LATINOJUSTICE WORKED WITH ALLIES ON THE GROUND IN MULTIPLE STATESINCLUDING NY, PA, FL, AND VATO ADVOCATE FOR AND ENSURE THAT LATINXS ARE AMPLY REPRESENTED AND PROTECTED IN THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, AND THAT THE LATINX ELECTORATE IS NOT DILUTED OR MINIMIZED BY THE DRAWING OF NEW DISTRICT LINES. WE ALSO JOINED ALLIED LATINX AND AAPPI ORGANIZATIONS IN A LANGUAGE ACCESS COMMITTEE ADVOCATING TO REDUCE LANGUAGE BARRIERS AT THE BALLOT BOX. WITH LATINOS FOR A FAIR JUDICIARY, WE URGED PRESIDENT BIDEN TO INCREASE LATINX REPRESENTATION IN JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS TO THE FEDERAL BENCH.THIS PAST YEAR, LATINOJUSTICE DIRECTLY TRAINED DOZENS OF FORMERLY INCARCERATED PERSONS TO UNDERSTAND THE POLICIES IMPACTING THEM AND THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TO REACH ACROSS ISSUE AREAS TO BUILD EFFECTIVE COALITIONS. WITH ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS, WE ALSO CO-HOSTED A NATIONAL VIRTUAL CONVENING ON LATINXS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE TITLED "ACTIVATING JUSTICE THROUGH A LATINX LENS." MORE THAN 200 PARTICIPANTS JOINED WORKSHOPS AND COLLABORATED ON` A BLUEPRINT AND ACTION PLAN FOR ADDRESSING CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES HARMING LATINX COMMUNITIES.

LEGAL EDUCATION - CAP LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE:OUR CAP LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE PROVIDED CRITICAL SERVICES FOR NUMEROUS PRELAW STUDENTS, INCLUDING OUR ANNUAL LAW DAY FAIR, ATTRACTING MORE THAN 80 LAW SCHOOLS AND SCORES OF ASPIRING LATINO LAWYERS TO VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS. OUR LAWBOUND PROGRAM SERVED OVER 50 ASPIRING LAW STUDENTS THROUGH TWO INTENSIVE ONE-WEEK PREPARATION AND MENTORING SESSIONS, AND OUR NEXT GENERATION LDERES (NGL) PROGRAM FOR ASPIRING LAW STUDENTS, PROVIDED MENTORS AND PROGRAMMING FOR OVER 40 PRELAW STUDENTS. OUR CORPORATE/LAW FIRM ALLIANCE SUMMER PROGRAM (CLASP) PROVIDED SUMMER INTERNSHIPS FOR NINE LAW STUDENTS WITH PARTNERING LAW FIRM AND CORPORATE PARTNERS. THREE FORMER CLASP FELLOWS WERE OFFERED POST-GRADUATION POSITIONS AT THEIR RESPECTIVE LAW FIRMS - TO DATE, THE PROGRAM HAS A 100% POST-FELLOWSHIP EMPLOYMENT RATE. AND TWO FORMER LEGAL INTERNS WERE ALSO AWARDED 2-YEAR EQUAL JUSTICE WORKS LEGAL FELLOWSHIPS. CAP PROGRAMS ARE ACTIVELY SUPPORTED BY THE LATINOJUSTICE LDERES YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BOARD, COMPRISED OF 30 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS IN VARIOUS FIELDS INCLUDING LAW, FINANCE, AND TECH. THE LDERES BOARD ORGANIZES EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES AND TO RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS FOR OUR PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. AS THE PANDEMIC UNFOLDED, PROGRAM OFFERINGS AND MENTOR/MENTEE MEETINGS MOVED TO VIRTUAL PLATFORMS, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS AND EXPANDING THE GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE OF OUR PROGRAMS.