Click here if you're having trouble viewing this email.

Spring 2006 News & Events

• Program Highlight: Guardianship
• Pro Bono Highlight: Kathyrn Ringgold
• LSC Words, Wine and Wit Event May 4th, 2006
• LSC Board Member James Bell Contributes to Bestselling Book
• Staff News

Spotlight On: Guardianship

Through our Guardianship Project, LSC prevents children who can no longer safely live with a parent from unnecessarily entering the overburdened foster care system, by establishing a legal guardianship with a relative or caring adult with whom the child has an existing stable and trusting relationship. Staff social workers assist in creating safety plans, provide crisis intervention, make appropriate referrals to other social service agencies in the community, and provide direct counseling.

LSC's panel of pro bono attorneys represents these children or their caretakers in petitioning the Probate Court for a legal guardianship. The process includes meeting with the child and caregiver, preparing legal documents and appearing at a court hearing.

Back to Top

Spotlight on: Education

Legal Services for Children's Education Project improves the educational experiences and opportunities of low-income, San Francisco Bay Area youth by preventing unnecessary exclusion from school and advocating form more positive strategies to deal with school discipline. We help marginalized, at-risk youth stay in school and receive the educational opportunities and services necessary to make a successful transition to adulthood.

LSC's panel of pro bono attorneys represents students who are facing expulsion from school. After meeting with the student and investigating the case, the attorney represents the student at a hearing before a school administrative panel and ensures that the student's voice is heard. Often, the attorney's involvement prevents an expulsion and ensures the student continues to receive a meaningful education. The vast majority of students we represent are able to return to school and access more comprehensive services to affirmatively address their individual needs.

• Last year, LSC provided consultation, advice and referrals to 342 youth and concerned adults on education issues; represented 101 youth in school discipline proceedings; and referred 26 education cases to our pro bono panel.
• On average, school discipline cases are resolved within 2 months.
• The average pro bono school discipline case takes approximately 30 hours.
• Most of our education clients live in San Francisco or Alameda County.
• 90% of LSC's education clients are male, 95% are youth of color (54% African-American, 23% Latino, 9% Asian/Pacific Islander, 9% Multi-racial or Other)

Back to Top

Pro Bono Highlight:

Aileen Aponte of Morrison and Foerster

Aileen Aponte is an associate in the San Francisco office of Morrison & Foerster, in the firm's Litigation Department and its Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and White-Collar Defense Practice Group. Her practice focuses primarily on representing issuers and related parties in federal securities litigation, including shareholder class actions and derivative actions. Aileen has also done extensive pro bono work for LSC and other organizations, involving political asylum, juvenile rights, and wrongful evictions.

"I've been on LSC's pro bono panel since 2003. My first LSC-referred client was, at the time, a sixteen-year-old from El Salvador who had been orphaned as a child and whose only remaining relative had recently passed away. He had traveled alone to the States and was stopped at the border. I represented him in guardianship proceedings and later, prepared his petition for special immigrant juvenile status and represented him during his US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) interview. Unfortunately, the USCIS denied his petition. I filed an appeal with the administrative appeals office but the officer's findings were upheld. Asylum was our last hope for relief. Luckily, my client's first attorney in San Diego had filed an asylum petition shortly after my client had entered the country, so the year deadline was not a concern. We filed a pre-merit hearing brief and supporting documents. In August 2005, after a hearing, the immigration judge granted the petition. Since that time, I've assisted my client with the happy tasks of obtaining employment authorization, a social security number and, in a couple of weeks (and after a successful driving test), a California Driver's License!"

"Knowing my client will be able to remain in this country where, for the first time in a very long time, he has a family that supports and loves him and the opportunity to attend school is tremendously gratifying. I've also thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my client and watching him grow over the past few years. Through the many twists and turns of the case, LSC was an invaluable resource and I am grateful for the time, knowledge and expertise of those who work there. I look forward to my next case!"

Back to Top

LSC's 30th Anniversary Children's Advocate Awards Luncheon March 3rd, 2006

LSC is pleased to announce its inaugural Children's Advocate Awards Luncheon honoring Chief Justice Ronald M. George of the California Supreme Court. LSC's Children's Advocate Awards Luncheon is an event for our key community supporters, providing an opportunity for Bay Area law firms, attorneys, community leaders, members of LSC's Board of Directors, and other individuals to come together in support for one of the oldest childrens' legal organizations.

The event will be held on Friday, March 3rd, 2006 from 12:00 - 1:30pm at the San Francisco City Club. Individual tickets and sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information or to RSVP contact Kelli Nakayama, Development Director at (415) 863-2762 ext. 318, or kelli@lsc-sf.org.

Back to Top

Law Firm Highlight:

Mustaches for Kids SF 2006 Commemorative Calendar Now Available!

Mustaches for Kids is a fundraising organization that raises support and awareness in a unique way: through an annual mustache-growing contest! Participants start clean-shaven, and grow their facial hair for a four-week period. Each grower collects pledges from friends and family to raise money for Legal Services for Children. Through the 2005 event, the San Francisco chapter raised over $12,000. Thank you to all the mustache growers and supporters who made this possible, and a special thank you to Jon Wolanske and Alex Estrovitz for organizing the event.

Mustaches for Kids:SF recently launched its 2006 calendar to commemorate this wildly successful growing season. The calendar is packed with mustache trivia and history, grower photos, and lots of crazy mustache humor. The cost is $17, with all profits benefiting LSC. You can view the calendar here. To order your copy, contact Kelli Nakayama at (415) 863-3762 ext. 318 or kelli@lsc-sf.org.

Back to Top

• Donate Now
• Learn About LSC's Programs
• Join LSC's Pro Bono Panel
• Visit LSC's Website

You have received this email because your email is on the Legal Services for Children mailing list.

Copyright © 2005 Legal Services for Children. All Rights Reserved. Click here to unsubscribe.

1254 Market Street, 3rd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94102. Tel. (415) 863-3762