Hi Friends,

We believe that a state as diverse as California should have a justice system led by advocates of all ethnicities & races. That’s why for over 25 years, this organization has invested in bright, diverse scholars to ensure that they have the opportunity to become tomorrow’s legal changemakers. 

Perhaps you’ve heard of some of these changemakers?

Legal changemakers--we call them changelawyers—are the ones who work every day to right historical wrongs in our courtrooms, classrooms and beyond. Through them, this organization has been able to truly deliver the original American value: justice for all. 

There’s Sonja Tonnesen ('13 scholar) a criminal justice reformer and co-founder of Root & Rebound; Gina Amato Lough (‘01 scholar), an immigrants’ rights lawyer at Public Counsel; and Tamika L. Butler (‘09 scholar), a race and queer rights advocate and new ED of Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust.

ChangeLawyers Change the World. 

For the first time in a long time, the public has realized what the legal community has always known: lawyers, working from the inside out, can break down barriers in our justice system. But the power of lawyers to impact change has not been harnessed in a strategic and well-resourced way.

By changing our name, we’ve finally embraced who we’ve always been: a statewide foundation that empowers the next generation of lawyers, judges, and activists. Now’s the time for lawyers to seize the moment, and make good on our promise of justice for all.

Let’s get to work!

Chris Punongbayan 
Executive Director​

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Our Board

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