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APRIL  2011

 Celebrating 20 Years Advocating For Justice

IN THIS ISSUE
Title IX Complaint Against Yale Then and Now
Heman Sweatt Awards
Case Highlights: Fobbs
How the Law Treats You When You Turn 18

About Price And Associates

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Attorney Pamela Y. Price founded Price And Associates in June 1991 with a vision to establish a minority- and woman-owned litigation Firm in Oakland, California. In the 20 years since its inception, the Firm has evolved into a premier civil rights practice with a wealth of experience in federal court litigation.

 

For more information, visit our website at www.pypesq.com.

 

To submit a Potential Client Questionnaire, go to Contact Us.

UPCOMING

May 12th  Panel : 

 "Keys to Success" 

 

On May 12, 2011, Pamela will participate in the Black Women Lawyers of Northern California's panel on "Keys to Success: Advancing Your Career and Achieving Excellence" at the law offices of Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe, LLP in San Francisco.  The event, from 11:30a.m. to 2:00p.m., will begin with lunch and follow with the panel discussion at 12:30p.m.  For more information, please visit www.bwlnc.com.

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Open House
Photo Gallery 
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Thank you to Katy Cameron for her gorgeous and delicious Red Velvet Cake donated to the Open House.
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"At Risk" Youth
  
Welcome!  This month's issue focuses on our youth. There was a time that the term "at risk" youth was used to label certain children in our communities. I think our perception has changed to recognize that with the prevalence of violence and guns in our society, all youth are "at risk."  Whether riding on a BART train on New Year's Eve celebrating the holiday with friends, or waiting at a bus stop to go to school in Union City, all of our children are "at risk." I grew up in a time when "to be young, gifted and black" was "where it's at."  Our elders seemed to recognize that we all had a gift to share--that we were the gift. I tell people never give up on a child.  As the child who went from dropping out of high school to arguing a case in the United States Supreme Court, my life is a testament that you should never give up on a child. Reach out wherever you are and however you can, to encourage and lift up a child. Who knows where that child will go!!
  

Best wishes,

 

Pamela

MONTHLY FEATURE

TITLE IX Complaint Against Yale
Then and Now: 1977 v. 2011
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  Yales's Old Campus (Photo: Wikipedia)  

Progress in American civil rights can be a difficult thing to measure: depending on which community one lives in, or which profession one chooses, fairness and equality of opportunity can still be much more the dream than the reality. The world of education is no different, as battles for equal education are being fought today in school districts from Dayton, Ohio to Union City, California. But Yale University? In 2011?  Shouldn't at least the "top tier" universities have already achieved a level of fairness commensurate with their stature?

On
March 15, 2011, sixteen current and former Yale students filed a Title IX complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights, alleging that the university fails to allow women equal access to educational opportunities by allowing "a hostile environment" to exist.  The complaint notes numerous particular instances of harassment going back seven (7) years.  It addresses a reality that has persisted at Yale for decades, since even before the admission of women to the university in 1969.

The young complainants have stated that they were inspired by a landmark lawsuit filed against Yale in 1977, by a group of women students and one male assistant professor charging that the university condoned the sexual harassment of its women students. It was the first sexual harassment lawsuit ever brought under Title IX and, despite the case ultimately being lost in 1980, it was the impetus for the establishment of sexual harassment grievance procedures on every college and university campus in
America, large and small.

 

Pamela Y. Price was one of the young women plaintiffs in that landmark case, Alexander (Price) v. Yale, 459 F.Supp. 1 (D.Conn. 1979), 631 F.2d 178 (2nd Cir. 1980).  When she was a sophomore, one of her professors offered to give her an "A" in exchange for sexual favors and gave her a "C" when she said "No." She lodged a complaint with her residential college dean and ultimately, Yale told her nothing could be done. And so she joined the Alexander case, which had already been filed by the other plaintiffs after their entreaties for Yale to investigate their charges also went unaddressed.


In the end, the other five plaintiffs were dismissed on technical grounds, and Pamela was the only plaintiff to proceed to trial. Though she lost in court, the case solidified the right to equal education for women under Title IX. Since the case was concluded in 1980, one would think that with the passage of over thirty years, the climate at Yale would reflect real movement both in policy and culture, to ensure the rights of all to equal opportunity for education. The current Title IX complaint unfortunately reflects the sometimes slow road to progress when it comes to civil rights in this country. Nevertheless, the plaintiffs in 1977, and the complainants today, answer a question that Martin Luther King Jr. so eloquently asked in a Letter From Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963: If not me, who?  And if not now, when?

EVENTS RECAP

Heman Marion Sweatt Awards Reception

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Pamela Y. Price (center) receives the Heman Marion Sweatt Award from NBA President Demetrius D. Shelton (left) and Phyllis A. Marshall (right)

In recognition of her outstanding contribution to the advancement of civil rights through her law practice, Pamela was awarded the National Bar Association's (NBA) Heman Marion Sweatt Award on Friday, April 8th in Berkeley, CA.  Alongside co-honoree and good friend Attorney John Burris, Ms. Price was feted for years of dedicated service as well as her work on high impact civil rights cases.
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Pamela (2nd from right) is joined by Cheryl Amana Burris, John Burris (Award co-recipient), Nedra Shawler, and Pamela's husband Vernon Crawley

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HR Manager Dianne Andrews (left) with new Price And Associates attorney Jacquelyn Lindsey

 

Price And Associates Open House 901Clay_Old_Town_Square_96dpi

Having settled into our new office space at 901 Clay Street, Price And Associates welcomed clients, friends and neighbors to our Open House on Sunday, March 27th.  Pamela and Staff were delighted to visit with clients past and present, friends old and new, and our neighbors in the Old Oakland neighborhood that we now call home. 

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Oakland Running and Fitness Expo

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Pamela at the helm of the Price And Associates booth

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Price And Associates HR Manager Dianne Andrews

On Saturday March 26th, Price And Associates had a booth at the Oakland Running and Fitness Expo, held at the downtown Oakland Marriott in conjunction with the Oakland Marathon. We had a great time meeting runners and non-runners alike, and plan to continue to connect with the community through events such as this one!

CASE  H IGHLIGHTS
Fobbs Case: Injustice in Union City

 

Adolescence can seem like a time between two worlds. Childhood has passed, yet the responsibilities and privileges of adulthood have not yet arrived.  It is family, school, church and the community, that give our youth the guidance and experiences that will help them become productive, and more importantly, happy adults. Without even considering the legal requirements, our schools ought to provide a safe environment in which young people can receive what is a fundamental right: an education, and the tools to become contributing members of the community.  And we entrust our police with the responsibility to safeguard our community, and the homes, the schools, and the churches within it.

On December 21, 2007, Vernon Eddins, a 14-year-old African-American middle school student and resident of Union City, was shot and killed on school grounds by a group of Latino gang members. He was killed because of the color of his skin. To this day, the Union City Police have not identified nor arrested Eddins' killer. To this day, African-American youth in the New Haven Unified School District face the very real danger posed by the seeming impunity with which the gang, known as the Decotos, harasses and attempts to terrorize them, because the school district and the police charged with their protection fail to fulfill their legal and societal responsibilities.

Price And Associates represents a group of African-American youth and their families who have joined together to fight for changes in the school district and in the conduct of the police department. In Fobbs v. New Haven Unified School District and Fobbs v. Union City Police, our clients are attempting to change a culture that has been complacent for too long, with disastrous consequences. In addition to the murder of Eddins, there have been numerous other shootings and assaults of African-American youth, and the perpetrators will continue their assault unless the school district and the police fulfill their legal responsibilities. We are confident that the law will be honored as we fight these cases.  We are hopeful that the community, its police and its schools will support the right of all youth, regardless of color, to live without harassment, both in their day to day lives and in their education.

COMMUNITY SERVICE

How the Law Treats You Differently

When You Turn 18
 

The National Bar Association (NBA) is the oldest and largest national association of African American lawyers and judges. From April 7-10th, members gathered for their annual mid-year conference at the Claremont Resort in Berkeley. Amidst a full weekend of events, on Saturday April 9th, and in collaboration with the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, the NBA presented a symposium on "How the Law Treats You Differently When You Turn 18." Covering topics from "Civic Responsibility" and "Contracts" to "School Records" and "Privacy Issues," the NBA has created a publication which addresses the aspects of the law central to the daily lives of young adults, who take on new rights and responsibilities upon turning 18. The symposium attracted more than a hundred local youth and in addition to teaching them about the law, it allowed them to interact with lawyers and judges--the kind of experience that just might inspire a young person to consider a career in the law.

 

As citizens of this country, we are required to know the laws under which we live--we cannot claim ignorance when we see the lights and hear the siren and the police officer asks for our driver's license.  Yet who among us can say she never heard of a law she did not know about?  Young people, in these challenging times as always, will certainly benefit from a greater understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

 

The NBA's desire to "foster a relationship with the youth of America, to encourage good citizenship" is a need being met in the community through this effort to inform.  To learn more about the NBA and the publication "How the Law Treats You Differently When You Turn 18" (Part 1 of their "Lifting As We Climb" series), please visit www.nationalbar.org.

PYP-Single_P_Sword_logo_cropped_jpgPYP-Single_P_Sword_logo_cropped_jpgPrice And Associates

901 Clay Street

Oakland, California 94607

(510) 452-0292

(510) 452-5625 (Fax)

  
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
 -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

 This eNewsletter is designed for general information only. The information presented in this email should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. This is Attorney Advertising.