The Race Equity track at the 2007 NLADA substantive law conference was a resounding success thanks to the efforts of the presenters, the NLADA staff, the track organizers, and the many track participants. It was truly a pleasure to see so many legal services advocates, academics, and other professionals committed to furthering the goal of race equity.One question looms in our minds after the conference, “Great conference, what’s next?” We believe that there is only one answer to this question: develop our ability to apply GIS analysis, social cognition theory, and community lawyering in practice to better serve our clients. How? Persistence, patience, and a willingness to experiment.

Here’s what’s currently on the REP’a plate. For starters, we’re working on several issues brought to us by staff attorneys at Legal Services of Northern California including inclusionary zoning, disparities in the quality of care received by MediCal beneficiaries of color and fair housing obligations attached to CDBG monies. The REP will also be teaching/supervising an externship at UC Davis Law School this fall. We feel privileged to again be afforded the opportunity to connect with future public-interest attorneys and involve them in the goal of achieving equitable results for low-income persons of color. Lastly, the REP is continuing to work to improve relationships and communications with the public interest community and low-income communities of color in Northern California.

We would love to learn how other advocates and organizations are working to achieve more equitable results for low-income clients of color. Why not drop us a line?
The next e-newsletter will mark a return to our practice of focusing the e-newsletter on one substantive issue or area of practice. The e-newsletter will focus on Language Access, LEP, and how language discrimination can be a proxy for race discrimination. If you have any suggestions or thoughts on this topic or if you would like to contribute to the e-newsletter please contact us.