Helping More Families Through Pro Bono

When a young child faced the possibility of losing the only real home he'd ever known, our pro bono volunteer Yilan Bryant, from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP stepped in with help and expertise from Law Foundation attorneys.

Daniel* lived a happy and secure life with his grandmother, Charlotte*, who began taking care of him when his biological parents became absent while he was an infant. However, Daniel's safe and peaceful life was jeopardized when his biological parents, whose lives were still not very stable, threatened to take Daniel away from his home. Fearing losing her grandson to an unstable living situation and overwhelmed with the complicated legal process of guardianship, Charlotte turned to the Law Foundation.

Thanks to our team and pro bono attorney, Yilan, Daniel's grandmother was able to navigate a complicated legal system to ensure that Daniel's best interests were protected.
"It was immensely gratifying to help my client navigate the legal process and paperwork and ultimately get to a result that was in the best interest of the child. My client was able to secure guardianship of her grandson, receiving both temporary and general guardianship for the child. To help my client receive legal assurance that her grandchild will grow up in the security and comfort of her care gave me a great deal of satisfaction, both personally and professionally.  I look forward to handling additional family law matters." says Yilan, who succeeded in safeguarding Daniel's stable home life with his grandmother. 

We're grateful for our pro bono volunteers who allow us to serve even more families and individuals each year.

*Name changed to protect identity.

San Jose's New Google Development Advisory Group

Recently, the Law Foundation, along with 38 other organizations, was appointed to the newly created Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG) formed by San Jose City Council to provide input on the Google development project near the Diridon Station. The SAAG has representation from various parts of our community, including the business sector, school districts, neighborhood associations, and community groups.

The Law Foundation hopes our participation will lead to outcomes that prevent the displacement of low-income communities in San Jose from the place they call home. We will continue to be a leader in advocating for an inclusive Silicon Valley and to bring front and center the crisis of unmanaged gentrification and the displacement of low-income families in Silicon Valley.

In Case You Missed It

It's here! Law Foundation Supervising Attorney, Nadia Aziz, and Buena Vista Resident Association member, Maria Martinez, spoke to Silicon Valley Community Foundation Program Officer Vu-Bang Nguyen a few months ago about what it was like to save a small, low-income community in Palo Alto and what other communities can learn from the experience.

Click here to listen to SVCF Philanthropy Now's episode on Buena Vista Mobile Home Park.