| Dear Friends,
Happy Women’s History Month this March from Bet Tzedek! We salute the instrumental women who have made an impact on society, both historically and in modern times, fighting for women’s rights, civil rights, and overall equality and progress. Our Bet Tzedek social media pages, which can be found on the bottom of this news digest, spotlight some of these incredible women. Please take a look and follow our accounts!
For example, there’s Gloria Felt, a pioneer of women’s reproductive healthcare and rights. She was the CEO and President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America from 1996 to 2005 and is the architect of contraceptive coverage by insurance. There’s also Alice Walker, American novelist, short story author, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for her novel, “The Color Purple.”
At Bet Tzedek, we aim to help women across all communities access justice. Whether you are a female small business owner, need assistance with issues related to child tax credit, are facing eviction, need help with legal name and gender marker change, and much more, we can provide FREE legal help. Learn more here.
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Join Our 2023 Annual Dinner Gala on April 4th
Please join us on April 4th for Bet Tzedek’s 2023 Annual Dinner Gala. Prior to the pandemic, more than 1,000 attorneys, community leaders, Bet Tzedek staff and Board members, banking and financial services professionals, and philanthropists gathered to remind us of what is possible when we combine our efforts and commit to something greater than ourselves. In 2022, we were so glad to be able to gather together again with more than 500 attendees.
At the 2023 Dinner Gala, we are proud to be honoring longtime Board member and immediate past Board Chair, David J. Schindler, Esq., with Bet Tzedek’s Luis Lainer Founder’s Award. We are thrilled for our honoree Chief Justice of the State of California (ret) Tani Cantil-Sakauye who will receive the 2023 Rose L. Schiff Commitment to Justice Award. And the Bet Tzedek staff will honor our colleague, Elder Justice attorney Dominique Sanz-David, Esq., with the Jack H. Skirball Community Justice Award. You can read more about Dominique below.
Proceeds from the event provide general operating support for the organization, ensuring our ability to provide programmatic services to upwards of 100,0000 low-income Angelenos each year.
We hope that you will be a part of this very special evening.
5:30-6:30pm – Reception
6:45pm – Dinner and Program
Location: Fairmont Century Plaza
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Dominique Sanz-David’s Invaluable Contributions to Bet Tzedek
Earning her degrees from Pomona College and UC Hastings College of the Law, Dominique Sanz-David has been an elder justice attorney with Bet Tzedek for 14 years. Dominique provides direct and self-help services to low-income, elderly, and vulnerable clients and their caregivers in the areas of elder abuse, estate planning, conservatorships, and probate.
Through legal and legislative advocacy, community partnerships, and education, Dominique develops and promotes policies that protect these vulnerable Angelinos while preserving their self-determination.
In her pursuit to promote equal access to justice, Dominique co-created Bet Tzedek’s Elder Abuse Restraining Order Clinic and the agency’s Decedents Estate Clinic in partnership with the Los Angeles Superior Court. Prior to Bet Tzedek, Dominique worked for the San Francisco Superior Court.
Thank you, Dominique, for your amazing work. We can’t wait to celebrate you at the Gala on April 4th!
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Pro Bono Opportunity: Help an Elderly Woman Protect Her Family's Property and Prepare Estate Planning Documents
Case Description: Ms. S is an 80-year-old Black woman whose husband died in 2019. She has four sons and several grandchildren. Ms. S and her husband owned a house as community property. She has a healthcare power of attorney, but it names her deceased husband as agent. Ms. S would like to create a will or trust to protect her property and secure her family’s financial future.
Work Required & Deadlines: (1) Transfer the title to the house to Ms. S' name (can be transferred without administration). (2) Prepare estate planning documents for Ms. S.
Staffing: This case is best suited for an attorney with estate planning and real estate experience.
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Pro Bono Program: Help Undocumented Foster Kids Rescind Their Outstanding Deportation Orders
In 2019, Bet Tzedek established a unique partnership with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to represent undocumented foster children in their immigration matters. Bet Tzedek’s clients qualify for Special Immigrant Juvenile status by virtue of having been abused, abandoned, or neglected by their parents. Sadly, for many of our clients, their parents' neglect extended to their immigration matters. As a result, many children received deportation orders in absentia for having failed to attend their immigration hearings. With a deportation order, they are unable to pursue lawful status and obtain the safety and stability they so desperately need. Bet Tzedek currently represents over 30 foster children with removal orders.
Pro bono attorneys who take on a case will advocate for the child in securing government consent to file a Joint Motion to Reopen immigration proceedings, and ultimately work to have the deportation case dismissed. If government consent cannot be secured, the pro bono attorney should be prepared to move forward with a more detailed Motion to Reopen. We welcome attorneys with any background and level of experience to join us in this project. Many of our clients speak fluent English, but Spanish fluency (or ability to secure an interpreter) is also helpful. Bet Tzedek's team of immigration lawyers will provide mentorship, support, and sample materials.
Sample Case:
Kendra is a seventeen-year-old girl from El Salvador who, along with her mother, was stopped at the U.S. border as a young child. They were issued a notice to appear and placed in removal proceedings. While in the U.S., Kendra’s mother began dating an abusive man. They fled his violence, living in a car for about a year. Kendra’s mother failed to attend a removal hearing and they were ordered removed in absentia.
Kendra was eventually placed with her aunt through foster care. She was then able to re-enroll in school, start therapy, and even started a crochet club, knitting hats for the unhoused.
Working with Bet Tzedek, Kendra qualified for and has been granted Special Immigrant Juvenile Status. She is not eligible to adjust to lawful permanent residence because of her outstanding removal order. She is also at risk of deportation.
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