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.
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November 16
Lawyers' Committee
for Civil Rights (LCCR)
Reception 5:30 - 6:00pm
Program 6:00 - 7:00pm
Keynote Address:
Lateefah Simon
Former Executive Director LCCR and Current Board Member
Hosted by:
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw
Pittman LLP
50 Fremont Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
RSVP to:
rsimon@lccr.com
or 415-543-9444, x233
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Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice
October 27
2011 Social Justice Prize and Trailblazer Awards Ceremony
6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Oakland Museum of California
Eva Patterson of
Equal Justice Society
2011 Trailblazer Awardee
For more details, visit www.law.berkeley.edu
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November 3-5
Symposium: "Exposing Structural Racism from Within: The Power of Restorative Justice"
For more details, read article below and visit www.law.berkeley.edu |
"Injustice anywhere
is a threat to justice everywhere."
- - Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Justice in These "Trying Times"
Welcome! This month we address the continuing challenge of providing access to justice in these "trying times." As Courts' budgets are slashed, our ability to get a hearing or trial is severely diminished. Thomas Jefferson said that "trial by jury is the anchor of all our liberties." And so justice and Wall Street are having a major clash - it is imperative that we, as lawyers for the people, support the people and their right to seek redress. We need to occupy a place of principle, a place of compassion, a place of truth, and a place of resistance. In the words of Dr. King, "Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever." (Letter from the Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963.)
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Justice v. Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street: A New Revolution?
"Taxation without representation" got the Colonies of the Americas started on a path to revolution and independence. Is our experience some 230 years later a strange twist on this rallying cry?
"Occupy Wall Street" began as a movement in New York to protest the fact that the wealthiest 1% of Americans control 40% of the nation's wealth, and to argue that this 1% of our citizens are not paying their fair share in taxes.
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Protesters join the Occupy Wall Street rally in Oakland October 10 |
"Occupy Wall Street" arrived in San Francisco last week, and in Oakland on Monday, October 10th. Some 500 participants and observers gathered in City Center in a light rain to express their opinion that, in the end, public services must somehow be maintained, and the wealthy among us must do their part to ensure these services remain for all citizens.
The impact to justice? In the legal world, we have witnessed the dangerous impact of budget shortages and cutbacks: courts throughout the state of California have been forced to reduce services, lay off employees, and ultimately, limit access to justice for the citizens of our communities. The justice system is supposed to serve all citizens, not the select few. While we acknowledge that it is an imperfect system, and that true justice is yet to be won for many of our citizens, the cuts have further reduced access to justice for the people who need it most.
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Occupy Wall Street protesters declare they are now awake to injustice and are "not going back to sleep" |
In San Francisco alone, 75 staff members were laid off from the Superior Court; the Court itself has declared that a civil case will now take five years from the date of filing to the date of conclusion. This cannot be justice. The systems that have helped serve the poor, those in need of pro bono legal assistance or even basic legal guidance, have also been cut back. In particular two programs which offer free legal assistance, ACCESS (Assisting Court Customers With Educational and Self-Help Services), and The Family Law Self-Help Center (SHC), have been forced to reduce their hours due to the budget cuts. This further reduces access to justice for those with little means, including many in immigrant communities who turn to ACCESS and its multi-lingual staff for assistance.
So the question is, in a time of contracting revenues, in a time of great economic turmoil and corporate greed, when the wealthy have increased their net worth significantly while the average American sees her real wages decline, is it time that fair taxation extend to those who benefit the most from the capitalist system, the wealthiest among us? We bailed out the banks - when will we "bail out" the people? Occupy Wall Street asks these questions. The answers may help afford our federal, and state, and local governments the investment that will one day make access to healthcare, education, and justice a reality for all Americans. |
Family Violence Law Center "Stand for Peace"
 "We stand with them as they walk into the future"-that was the message conveyed by Shannon Ellis, Interim Executive Director of the Family Violence Law Center (FVLC), at the FVLC annual fundraiser held on Thursday, October 6, 2011 at Scott's Seafood Restaurant in Jack London Square.
 | | FVLC Interim Executive Director Shannon Ellis and Pamela |
The event, entitled "Stand for Peace," was held in celebration of FVLC's work to end domestic violence in Alameda County. Price And Associates supported FVLC by sponsoring a table for the silent auction held during the annual event that helps to raise much needed funds for their cause.
The clients FVLC serves are victims of domestic violence, who have taken the decisive step of seeking help to address the violence visited upon them. Ms. Ellis described the courage and determination it takes for victims of domestic abuse to stand up for themselves and make changes in their lives.
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Silent Auction table sponsored
by Price And Associates |
She is proud that FVLC is there to walk with them along this journey.
The luncheon included many "thank you's" to staff members, volunteers, and the supporters of the organization-as Ms. Ellis said, "Everyone is a messenger for this cause."
Price And Associates is proud to continue to support the critical work of FVLC against domestic violence in Alameda County.
For more information, please visit www.fvlc.org.
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Cherri N. Allison, Esq., former Executive Director of the FVLC and current Executive Director of its partner organization, the Alameda County Family Justice Center (ACFJC), and Pamela |
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Burris-Price Annual Staff Appreciation BBQ
On Saturday, September 10, 2011, Price And Associates joined with the Law Offices of John L. Burris to celebrate another successful year, at their annual Staff Appreciation Party. Held at the home of Mr. Burris, the party gathered employees past and present, as well as friends of the Firms, in order to express gratitude for another year of the difficult, yet rewarding work of advocating for justice in this community.
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Price And Associates' Rick Thorne and his wife Pat enjoy the day |
Pamela and John took the opportunity to thank staff members for their efforts and business associates for their support. A beautiful late summer Oakland sun graced the proceedings, allowing friends to relax together and new acquaintances to get to know one another.
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(Left to right) Richard Freeman, Pamela, Price And Associates Attorney Terina Williams, and Pamela's husband Vernon Crawley |
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Martha Berndt v. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDC)
In April 2000, Officer Deanna Freitag drove down from Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City and hired Price And Associates to sue CDC for sexual harassment. Officer Freitag described how female officers at Pelican Bay were being used as sex objects to placate the inmates and how the inmates would regularly and openly masturbate whenever a female officer was assigned to watch them. She also described the retaliation that she had been subjected to after she complained about the situation. Officer Freitag had reported this problem to the State Legislature, the Office of the Inspector General, the Director of the Department and everyone in her chain of command. No one had done anything about it. Then she hired us.
Our investigation revealed that dozens of other women, if not hundreds, had experienced the same kind of humiliating sexual harassment that was directed at Officer Freitag. Many of these women came to court to testify at her trial. And in April 2003, a federal jury found CDC liable for sex discrimination and issued a verdict of punitive damages against the Warden and two Associate Wardens for retaliation. (For more information on the courageous women who supported Officer Freitag, go to "The 10 Women Campaign" page on our website.)
In November 2003, we filed a second class action lawsuit in the federal court on behalf of the thousands of women who work for CDC and experience sexual harassment by the inmates on a regular basis. Martha Berndt, the lead Plaintiff, also worked at Pelican Bay, and the current class representatives include ten (10) female officers and employees assigned to CDC institutions around the State, including Pelican Bay, Corcoran, CMF-Vacaville, CSP-Solano and CSP-Sacramento.
On October 14, 2011, Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton heard argument on our motion to certify the class. If granted, our Firm, along with John Burris and Charles Stephen Ralston, will represent over 11,000 female CDC employees. And the brave women who have hung in there for years
trying to eliminate inmate exhibitionist masturbation will finally see some of the changes that they have fought for come to pass.
For a more complete list of Price And Associates cases, verdicts and settlements, visit the Case Gallery, or Attorney Pamela Price's Super Lawyer Profile.
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 Thelton E. Henderson Center for
Social Justice Symposium November 3-5, 2011
UC Berkeley law school's Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice has a mission to realize a more just and equitable society. It seeks to address issues of social justice and the law while training law students in theory and practice to advocate for the underserved. This November 3rd through 5th, the Henderson Center presents its annual fall symposium, "Exposing Structural Racism from Within: The Power of Restorative Justice." The three day event is open to the public and thrives on community participation.
NOVEMBER 3-5, 2011:
Day One: 11/3 - 12:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., Goldberg Room, Boalt Hall
Day Two: 11/4 - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Multicultural Center, Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Union, UC Berkeley
Day Three: 11/5 - 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Preservation Park, Oakland
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Wilda White is the Center's Executive Director
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Centered around lectures to be presented by attorneys and Restorative Justice advocates Cheryl Graves and David Anderson Hooker, the symposium will focus on Restorative Justice as a means to penetrate the intractable monolith that is punitive justice. Rather than simply mete out punishment for wrongs committed, Restorative Justice attempts to add healing and understanding to the process of taking responsibility for one's actions. Akin to Restorative Justice's own methods of using a circle as a medium for conflict resolution, the symposium will involve brainstorming and discussion circles to explore methods for problem solving in schools, neighborhoods, the juvenile justice system, and the adult criminal justice system.
For information, visit www.law.berkeley.edu/HendersonCenter.htm.
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 Price 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. |
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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. |
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