La Raza Centro Legal

La Raza Centro Legal is a nonprofit organization founded in 1973 by Chicano law students with a mission to provide high-quality, free legal representation to the Latino community and other low-income immigrant families, particularly in the San Francisco and San Mateo areas. The organization was established during the civil rights and Chicano movements of the 1960s and 1970s, addressing systemic barriers to accessing justice.

Mission

La Raza Centro Legal aims to advance civil and human rights, ensuring that factors such as poverty, immigration status, disability, language, sexual orientation, or gender identity do not impede access to justice. The organization strives to be the most trusted legal services provider in the San Francisco Bay Area, offering direct legal services through licensed attorneys and competent staff.

History

La Raza Centro Legal was created to meet the legal needs of the Bay Area's Latino, low-income, monolingual Spanish-speaking, and immigrant populations. Founded by leaders of the Civil Rights movement, the organization has its roots in the experiences of systemic racism, sexism, and classism faced by its founders. Over the years, La Raza Centro Legal has expanded its services to include:

• Immigration Law Programs: Providing legal representation in affirmative and defensive cases, addressing needs such as asylum, DACA, family petitions, and more.
• Workers’ Rights Program: Established in 1991, focusing on labor rights for low-income workers.
• Senior and Disability Law Program: Initiated in 1998, offering legal assistance for seniors and individuals with disabilities.
• Housing Law Program: Although currently in the process of revival, this program aims to address housing-related legal issues.

Values

La Raza Centro Legal emphasizes several core values:

• Cultural Competency: Ensuring that legal services are culturally sensitive and effective for diverse client backgrounds.
• Leadership: Developing future legal leaders from underrepresented communities, including first-generation lawyers and individuals from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color backgrounds.
• Inclusion: Fostering an environment where all individuals feel welcome and respected, working to overcome systemic barriers to justice.
• Integrity: Upholding trust and reliability in legal services, collaborating with clients to address community needs effectively.
• Social Justice: Protecting clients' civil and human rights through diligent legal representation.

La Raza Centro Legal continues to play a vital role in the Mission District of San Francisco, advocating for immigrant rights and community advancement alongside grassroots organizers.

[1] https://www.lrcl.org/mission-vision-values [2] https://www.lrcl.org/our-mission-history [3] https://onejustice.org/board-listing/la-raza-centro-legal-12-15-2024/ [4] https://sfilen.org/services/la-raza-centro-legal/ [5] https://www.larazalawyers.org/about-us