OneJustice

The work of OneJustice’s Healthy Nonprofits Program addresses the need for a coordinated system of highly effective civil legal aid nonprofit organizations. Our work with the staff and board leaders of these organizations – through our Executive Fellowship program, our consulting work with individual organizations, and our national advocacy efforts – aims to build skilled and creative managers and stewards of organizations that maximize staffing and financial resources, bring life-changing legal help to low-income clients, and ultimately, transform the civil legal aid sector.

The Nonprofit Management Resource Center and HNP’s consulting projects are the heart of OneJustice’s work providing training on nonprofit management for legal services nonprofits. We provide a range of training, resources, coaching, and consulting support to both IOLTA-funded and non-IOLTA-funded legal services nonprofits in California, which include webinars on topics like supervision, management, and reading financial statements, hosting a listserv on human resources topics, and connecting organizations with resources and expertise on technical questions. This work aims to improve how legal services organizations in California are run, so that they follow best practices set by leading experts within and outside the nonprofit sector, in order to deliver services more effectively and efficiently to low-income clients in need of civil legal aid.

OneJustice’s Executive Fellowship Program trains legal services leaders in management and leadership skills to expand the capacity of their organizations. This is an intensive 10-month course in nonprofit management. Some of the hallmarks of the program are regular in-person sessions, group work and group intersession "hot seat” calls, and a culminating capstone project applying what Fellows have learned. We’ve already seen the capacity of the Executive Fellowship program to transform leadership and legal services delivery in California – Fellows report increased knowledge, skills, and confidence in their ability to lead legal services nonprofits after completing the program. The Alumni Network has proven to be a strong resource for sharing best practices.

OneJustice coordinates and supports the Project Directors Association (PDA), which consists of the 11 legal services nonprofits in California that receive Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funding. In addition to convening PDA for meetings, OneJustice serves as the statewide communication and advocacy hub for the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA), and participates in federal advocacy efforts. This work aims to ensure adequate funding for the 11 largest legal services organizations in California, as well as advocating for other policies that support a strong, coordinated system of civil legal aid delivery.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of low-income Californians need legal services to stay in their homes, access health care, escape abuse, and provide for basic necessities. Because of inability to pay, many of these residents would go without legal assistance if not for high-quality pro bono legal aid programs funded in part by federal and state dollars.

Changes to the federal budget may completely eliminate federal funds to support legal aid services – a cut of over $40 million for California. If these changes go into effect, thousands of poor Californians will suffer the impact of serious legal problems, all of which are completely solvable with the help of a lawyer.

At OneJustice, we care deeply about maintaining access to high-quality legal assistance for all California residents, regardless of their ability to pay or their geographic location. But we can’t do this alone. We need the help of motivated, dedicated legal justice advocates such as yourself to stress the importance of these programs and maintain pressure on lawmakers.

Californians for Legal Aid maintains two strategies for protecting legal aid services:

Direct Lobbying
OneJustice works hard to send our team to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers and promote the important work of legal aid services groups. Backed by our statewide network of volunteers and concerned citizens, we can make a greater impact and preserve the funding for legal aid services for years to come.

Grassroots Advocacy
Through Californians for Legal Aid, OneJustice maintains a statewide network of people who believe that everyone deserves equal access to quality legal representation. Our advocates receive:

-Occasional policy alerts and press statements when an issue arises
-Calls to action to help preserve funding and access to legal aid programs
-Opportunities to advocate for those whose voices would otherwise go unheard