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California ChangeLawyers
2020
ANNUAL REPORT
FIND YOUR RESILIENCE
That was our resounding theme in 2020.
Last year bore witness to the triple pandemic of COVID-19, the California wildfires, and the racial reckoning in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. They were defining events of this generation, maybe of our lifetimes. While sometimes it is better to leave the past in the past, we would do well to remember the stories of resilience that kept us inspired and grounded.

I draw inspiration from our tireless public interest fellows like Maddie and Princess, who rendered high-quality services to their clients all across the state, whether from inside prisons or at the U.S./Mexico Border. I think of our grantee partners, like the California Indian Law Association, who pivoted their work to the online space in order to meet the complex legal needs of the Native American community.

2020 showed us in stark terms that our country desperately needs courageous leaders who uphold the humanity of all. Our scholars, fellows, and grantee partners are those who we have been waiting for, and we are privileged to have played a role in empowering them on their journeys.

I’m proud of our team - the staff and board of ChangeLawyers - for weathering the storm. And thanks to the support of all of you, we moved one step closer to a better justice system for all Californians. ​

In partnership, ​

Christopher Punongbayan, Executive Director
2003 California ChangeLawyers Scholar
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Scholarships >
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Grants >
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Leaders Forum >
SCHOLARSHIPS
I dream of liberation for all people of color and all low income people.
Mary Carmen De La O
ChangeLawyers Scholar
Watch Mary's video
$ 380,000
Awards for First- and Third-year Law Students
Scholarship Recipients in 2020
Womxn and
Female-Identified
Born Outside US
Languages Spoken
Scholarships distributed since 1990
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2020 Scholars
GRANTS
As a lawyer, I have the ability to bring a little bit of humanity to a system that is so inhumane.
Maddie Flood
ChangeLawyers Fellow at UnCommon Law
Watch Maddie's video
$ 657,500
Across three grant areas
Fellowship Grants
  • ​CAIR- SF
  • For the People​
  • Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco
  • Root & Rebound 
  • UnCommon Law
Diversity Grants
  • ABA Section of Litigation (JIOP)
  • ​California Indian Law Association
  • Center for Youth Development through Law​
  • Centro Legal De La Raza
  • Imperial County and Quechan Tribal
  • LMU Young Lawyers Program
  • UCLA Law Fellows 
Legal Aid Grants
  • Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus
  • Affordable Housing Advocates
  • Aids Legal Referral Panel
  • Alameda County Homeless Action Center
  • Alliance for Children's Rights
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice- - Los Angeles
  • Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
  • Bay Area Legal Aid
  • Bet Tzedek Legal Services
  • California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform
  • California Indian Legal Services
  • California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation
  • California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.
  • California Women's Law Center
  • Casa Cornelia Law Center
  • Center for Gender and Refugee Studies - California
  • Center for Health Care Rights
  • Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law
  • Central California Legal Services
  • Centro Legal de la Raza
  • Chapman University Family Protection Clinic
  • Child Care Law Center
  • Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations
  • Community Legal Aid SoCal
  • Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto
  • Contra Costa Senior Legal Services
  • Disability Rights California
  • Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
  • Disability Rights Legal Center
  • East Bay Community Law Center
  • Elder Law & Advocacy
  • Family Legal Assistance at CHOC Children’s
  • Family Violence Appellate Project
  • Family Violence Law Center
  • Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance
  • Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law
  • Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
  • Immigrant Legal Resource Center
  • Impact Fund
  • Inland Counties Legal Services
  • Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association, Inc.
  • Inner City Law Center
  • Justice & Diversity Center of the Bar Association of San Francisco
  • Justice in Aging
  • La Raza Centro Legal
  • LACBA Counsel for Justice
  • Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
  • Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights
  • Learning Rights Law Center
  • Legal Access Alameda
  • Legal Aid at Work
  • Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
  • Legal Aid Foundation of Santa Barbara County
  • Legal Aid of Marin
  • Legal Aid of Sonoma County
  • Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino
  • Legal Aid Society of San Diego
  • Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
  • Legal Assistance for Seniors
  • Legal Assistance to the Elderly
  • Legal Services for Children
  • Legal Services for Prisoners with Children
  • Legal Services for Seniors
  • Legal Services of Northern California
  • Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice
  • McGeorge Community Legal Services
  • Mental Health Advocacy Services
  • National Center for Youth Law
  • National Health Law Program
  • National Housing Law Project
  • National Immigration Law Center
  • Neighborhood Legal Services
  • OneJustice
  • Prison Law Office
  • Public Advocates Inc.
  • Public Counsel
  • Public Interest Law Project
  • Public Law Center
  • Riverside Legal Aid
  • San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program
  • San Joaquin College of Law
  • San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation
  • Santa Clara County Asian Law Alliance
  • Santa Clara University Alexander Law Center
  • Senior Adults Legal Assistance
  • Senior Advocacy Network
  • Senior Citizens Legal Services
  • UC Davis School of Law Legal Clinics
  • USD School of Law Legal Clinics
  • Veterans Legal Institute
  • Voluntary Legal Services Program of Northern California
  • Wage Justice Center
  • Watsonville Law Center
  • Western Center on Law and Poverty
  • Worksafe, Inc.
  • Youth Law Center
  • Yuba-Sutter Legal Center for Seniors
LEADERS FORUM
There is a groundswell of women of color who are bringing a new voice to the halls of power.
This is the moment.
We have to seize it.
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch
Speaking with ChangeLawyers Fellow Maddie Flood
Total number of Leaders Forum attendees across 22+ events.
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Free content for lawyers and activists.
Imposter Syndrome.
Public Speaking.
Trans Allyship.
Financial Planning.
Mental Health 101.
Microaggressions.
​Criminal Justice 101.

Visit Leaders Forum >

GOALS FOR 2020 & BEYOND
$1.1 Million
Our 2021 next investment in the next generation of ChangeLawyers
1258 Lawyers
Number of ChangeLawyers we want to launch into positions of power and influence
Statewide Network
Imagine a multi-racial, gender and ability-inclusive network of progressive lawyers
FINANCIALS
Based on 2019 audited report
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Revenue
Foundations, Corporations, Annual Fund $803,739 39.9%
Affinity program* $564,723 28.1%
State Bar licensee donations $318,558 15.8%
Special Events $71,618 3.6%
In-kind $29,576 1.5%
Cy pres awards $216,960 10.8%
Other $7,844 0.3%
TOTAL $2,013,018
* In 2018, we successfully launched the for-profit subsidiary CalBar Connect to help increase revenue to legal service orgs. For more info, visit calbarconnect.com.
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Expenses
Programs $1,293,059 72.1%
Fundraising $256,718 14.3%
Management and General $242,897 13.5%
TOTAL $1,792,674
Assets
Change in net assets 509,485
Net assets, end of year $2,652,900
THANK YOU, DONORS!
$300,000
The Lemala Fund

$150,000
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

$50,000
WilmerHale

$40,000
Marci Rubin

$15,000-$39,999
Fenwick & West
Heather Rosing
Jeff Guthrie
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Van Loben Sels Rembe Rock Foundation
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The Bigglesworth Family Foundation