Executive Summary

JustCause helps individuals in Monroe County get justice when facing a serious legal problem affecting the essentials of life. JustCause mobilizes volunteer attorneys to provide legal assistance to individuals who cannot afford to hire an attorney when facing eviction, domestic abuse, lack of child support, unemployment, bankruptcy, undocumented immigration status, foreclosure, and many other civil (non-criminal) legal problems. By connecting local attorneys with individuals in need, JustCause raises awareness of the extreme wealth and racial disparity in our community. JustCause is mobilizing lawyers to provide direct assistance to clients, as well as advocate for structural change. JustCause has been led by an attorney who is also a person of color for the past 20 years. Over 40% of JustCause staff members identify as diverse by racial, ethnic, gender or sexual identity. In addition to English, JustCause staff is fluent in four different languages spoken by our client community. Out of the 20 elected members of the Board, 14 of them (70%) are female. A quarter (25%) of the elected board members identify as diverse in the following ways: African American (3), Latinx(1), and LGBTQ (1). An award to JustCause at this time would not only improve justice and equity in our community, but simultaneously create opportunities for individuals with lived experience to become attorneys, advocates or other leaders in our community. JustCause is well-placed to administer this program given its deep connections to local attorneys and firms, as well as community members.

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