A radically conservative Supreme Court has shaken the country by stripping away long-settled rights and overturning legal precedent. This didn’t happen overnight. What is happening is the result of a decades-long campaign by the conservative legal movement to build a well-resourced network of lawyers, law professors, and judges. And now they are reaping the fruits of their labor. Can the conservative legal movement be stopped?
It is possible, but only if philanthropy’s efforts elevate legal activists working on the frontlines of change, fund innovative models of lawyering that empower directly impacted communities, and promote BIPOC attorneys into positions of power. There is no single-point solution to the legal crisis our country is facing. But what is crystal clear is that solutions need to be generated for the long-term and must be rooted in the lived experiences of directly impacted communities, including women, BIPOC, youth, LGBTQ+ communities, and so many others outside the seat of power.
California ChangeLawyers (formerly the California Bar Foundation) has launched a new Legal Empowerment Fund in December 2021 that is tackling these issues head-on. With priorities on movement lawyering, capacity building, and leadership pathways, the Fund is a starting point for further investigation into models of social change through the law.
If your foundation has never funded legal issues before, this program will introduce some new innovations that may align with your strategy. If you do currently fund legal issues, come learn about the latest trends including why it’s important to support BIPOC communities in law.
Northern California Grantmakers, Van Loben Sels/Rembe Rock Foundation, and ChangeLawyers are pleased to invite you to an informational session on the Fund and other California-focused efforts aimed at building confidence that the legal system can truly be fair and just for all. The session will center on an expert panel made up of Gail Howard, Director of the Judicial Internship Opportunity Program of the American Bar Association; Jennifer Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Youth Law Center; and will be facilitated by Christopher Punongbayan, Executive Director of ChangeLawyers.
Speakers
Before turning her focus to writing, Irma spent three decades as a public-interest lawyer advocating on behalf of marginalized communities. At MALDEF, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund she was a Staff Attorney and later the Director of Educational Programs. The proud feminist was privileged to serve for 15 years as the Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates, advancing the interests of women and girls. Prior to moving to the Bay Area, the South Texas native spent two years in rural Washington State representing Spanish-speaking farmworkers. Irma has also worked as a journalist and has written about race, class, gender, and culture. Her articles have appeared in publications that include the NY Times, Washington Post, and Ms. Magazine.
She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Distinction Award. This is given by the American Bar Association’s Commission of Women in the Profession. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Oakland-based Public Interest Law Project (PILP), and the Board of Trustees of the van Löben Sels/RembeRock Foundation.
A native of Massachusetts and the son of immigrants from the Philippines, Chris graduated cum laude from Brown University with a degree in Asian American Studies and UCLA School of Law. He completed the Critical Race Studies concentration and the Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. He was formerly the Vice-Chair of the California Asian & Pacific Islanders Affairs Commission and the San Francisco Immigrant Rights Commission. He is also an avid runner and a yoga teacher.
In 2003, Chris received a law student scholarship from ChangeLawyers, which first set him on his social justice path in California and he has never looked back. His accomplishments have since earned him recognition from the Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (2022 Trailblazer), California Asian Pacific American Bar Association (2020 Attorney of the Year), Ford Foundation New Voices Fellowship, the Gerbode Foundation, and the Levi Strauss Foundation, which named him a Pioneer in Justice.
