2019 Annual Report (Final)
2019 Annual Report (Final)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About Us 3
Executive Message 4
Board of Directors 5
Our Offices & Special Programs 6-7
Case Statistics 8-9
Financials 10-11
Justice in Action 12-19
Housing Preservation 14
Healthcare Access 15
Economic Stability 16
Guiding Tomorrow’s Leaders 17
Special Programs 18-19
Our Grantors 21
Thank You 22-31
Donors 23-28
Volunteers 29-31
Special Events 32-37
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About Us
Our Mission
The mission of Legal Services of Northern California is to provide quality
legal services to empower the poor to identify and defeat the causes and
effects of poverty within our community, efficiently utilizing all available
resources.
Our Work
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2019
Executive Message
In 2019, LSNC marked its 63rd “Staff at every and deeply committed to the
year providing critical legal program’s mission and delivery
services to tens of thousands of level are deeply system...Despite having many
needy and vulnerable individuals, committed to offices separated by vast
while engaging in complex geographic areas, [the LSC
and sophisticated legal work-- LSNC’s mission...” evaluators] were very impressed
through litigation, legislative and with the uniformity of program
administrative advocacy, and “LSNC is a high quality legal policy implementation, the
community development--which services program with significant shared sense of vision, and the
had a significant positive impact strengths across all performance collective dedication to the
for our clients’ communities area criteria. Staff at every program’s mission evidenced by
in the areas of affordable level are deeply committed all staff.”
housing, public benefits, health, to LSNC’s mission, and all
education, and civil rights. At program operations and delivery
the year’s close, LSNC received mechanisms are strategically
a comprehensive report from designed to effectuate its Gary F. Smith
our largest funder--the federal implementation...Community Executive Director
Legal Services Corporation partners interviewed were
(LSC)--which, after a week-long uniform in their appreciation
visit to our organization and a and unqualified support for the
searching analysis of all aspects program and staff...Regardless of Kevin Johnson
of our performance, included experience level or job position, President of the Board
these comments in its superlative program staff are uniformly
conclusion:
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Board of Directors
OFFICERS
Kevin R. Johnson John F. Davis
President Treasurer
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Our Offices & 2
Special Programs
Offices
LSNC Executive Office Ukiah Regional Office Shasta Regional Office
517 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 421 North Oak Street, Ukiah, CA 95482 1370 West Street, Redding, CA 96001
916-551-2150 877-529-7700 530-241-3565
Serving Lake and Mendocino counties. Serving Lassen, Modoc, Shasta,
Sacramento County Office Siskiyou, and Tehama counties.
515 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 Mother Lode Regional Office
916-551-2150 190 Reamer Street, Auburn, CA 95603 Redwood Regional Office
530-823-7560 123 Third Street, Eureka, CA 95501
Solano County Office Serving Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, 707-445-0866
1810 Capitol Street, Vallejo, CA 94590 Nevada, Placer, and Sierra counties. Serving Del Norte, Humboldt, and
707-643-0054 Trinity counties.
Butte Regional Office
Yolo County Office 541 Normal Avenue, Chico, CA 95928
619 North Street, Woodland, CA 95695 530-345-9491
530-662-1065 Serving Butte, Colusa, Glenn, and
Plumas counties.
Special Programs
Senior Legal Hotline LSNC-Health Western States Pension Assistance
505 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 515 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 Program
800-222-1753 888-354-4474 505 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Independent assistance for healthcare 866-413-4911
Voluntary Legal Services Program consumers. Serves our 23 counties and Free pension counseling to anyone,
501 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 Alpine, Inyo, Mono, San Joaquin, Santa regardless of age or income, who
916-551-2102 Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sutter, Ventura, live(d) or work(ed) in Arizona,
and Yuba counties. California, Hawaii, and/or Nevada.
Health Insurance Counseling &
Advocacy Program (HICAP) Tommy Clinkenbeard Legal Clinic at Expanded Access Project (EAP)
505 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 Loaves & Fishes 517 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
916-376-8915 401 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95811 916-551-2194
Information and counseling services 916-446-0368 After-hours legal assistance.
for Medicare beneficiaries. Protecting the civil rights of the homeless.
A collaboration with Loaves and Fishes.
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2019
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2019
Case Statistics
PRIORITY LSC Cases1 Non-LSC Cases2 Total Cases
Consumer/Finance 805 332 1,137
Education 70 13 83
Employment 105 13 118
Family 449 270 719
Juvenile 104 55 159
Health 905 931 1,836
Housing 5,876 698 6,574
Income Maintenance 1,333 566 1,899
Individual Rights 542 114 656
Miscellaneous 306 356 662
LSNC Totals 10,495 3,348 13,843
1
Cases funded under our LSC field grant.
2
Cases funded through sources other than our LSC grant.
3
Voluntary Legal Services Program (VLSP) is a subsidiary organization of LSNC.
8 /
/ 9
Financials
Statement of Financial Position
ASSETS
Cash $ 530,580
Grants and contracts receivable 622,204
Other receivables 22,862
Prepaid expenses and deposits 321,914
Investments 1,976,264
Property and equipment 1,957,716
TOTAL ASSETS $ 5,431,540
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2019
Statement of Activities
EXPENSES
Management
and general
15% EXPENSES
Fundraising Program services $ 9,915,831
2%
Fundraising 174,844
Management and general 1,821,886
TOTAL EXPENSES $11,912,561
Program services
83%
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2019
12 \
Justice in
ACTION / 13
Housing
Preservation
In response to ever increasing
rents and many evictions,
the California State Legislature
to evictions and displacement.
When the Act passed, Legal
Services of Northern California
passed the Tenant Protection Act immediately began educating
of 2019 in the fall of 2019. The its community partners and
law established anti-rent gouging communities about the legal
JUSTICE IN ACTION protections and just cause
protections against evictions for
protections, and assisting
tenants in asserting these new
many California tenants. Until protections. The new law is an
6,574
housing preservation
the Tenant Protection Act of
2019 took effect, tenants in the
23 counties that LSNC serves
had no protections against rent
important tool in LSNC’s work to
preserve stable and affordable
housing opportunities for our
clients.
increases and many faced drastic
cases in 2019 rent increases, which often led
Helping Tenants
After the California Legislature passed the Tenant Protection
Act of 2019 in September 2019, one of LSNC’s field offices was
contacted by a group of tenants who were being evicted from
their long time homes. All of the tenants were people with
disabilities or had a family member with disabilities, and some
had lived in their homes for nearly 20 years. Two of the tenants
were single moms, and some were seniors. They rented from
the same management company and received notices telling
them they must move out by December 31, 2019. The notices
did not allege our clients violated their leases in any way and
appeared designed to force the tenants out of their homes
before January 1, 2020 when each of the families would have just cause protection against eviction
due to the new Tenant Protection Act. LSNC attorneys represented the group and were able to
negotiate a rescission of all of the notices. As a result, each of these tenants remain in their long
time homes and now have just cause protections against eviction for the first time.
14 /
Healthcare
was referred for specialty care
120 miles away from his home.
The client had had to bear
the transportation costs out-
Access
of-pocket, or forgo care when
he could not afford to pay for
transportation. The health plan
was ordered to reimburse LSNC’s
client for past out-of-pocket
transportation expenses and
LSNC advocates opened
1,836 new health
cases for clients in 2019. These
few years has been access
to transportation to medical
appointments for Medi-Cal
agreed to provide transportation
assistance going forward. LSNC
continues to monitor this issue to
cases involved a broad range beneficiaries. This is a particularly ensure that low-income Medi-Cal
of health insurance systems, important issue for LSNC’s rural beneficiaries have meaningful
including Medi-Cal, Denti-Cal, clients, who are often unable to access to medical care.
Medicare, Covered California, and access medical care, especially
private employer insurance, as specialty medical care, without JUSTICE IN ACTION
well as a broad range of issues, transportation assistance due to
such as program eligibility and geographic distance and limited
termination, Advance Premium
Tax Credit reconciliation, denials
of medically necessary care,
medical debt, and access to
resources. In 2019, LSNC was
successful in litigation against
the state and one of its Medi-
Cal health plans, which had
1,836
healthcare access
services problems. One area denied transportation assistance
of focus for LSNC over the past to one of our rural clients who cases in 2019
Helping Joshua*
Joshua contacted LSNC for assistance because he was about
to be turned over to collections for a medical bill for his infant
son, who was enrolled in Medi-Cal with Anthem Blue Cross. The
baby had gotten suddenly very ill while the family was out of
town in southern California, forcing them to take the baby to the
emergency room. Though the emergency room visit was fully
covered, the family continued to receive bills from the pathology
group that had run tests during the ER visit. The family had
contacted the pathology group to explain that the baby was on
Medi-Cal and had also filed a grievance with their Medi-Cal health
plan. However, the pathology group continued to bill the family
and threatened to send them to collections, causing a lot of stress and anxiety. LSNC assisted the
family by contacting the pathology group directly and following up with a formal letter outlining the
group’s illegal collection practices. The pathology group immediately pulled the bill from collections
and set the family’s amount owed balance to zero.
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Economic
Stability
Helping Carly*
We helped Carly* challenge her denial of Unemployment
Insurance based on misconduct. The store Carly worked for
alleged that she broke a company rule by buying an item on sale
from the store because a family member bought an item from
the store on sale for their use. Carly had not been told about
a recent rule change regarding family members buying items
from the store on sale. LSNC represented Carly in a hearing,
and the judge ruled that a family member buying something
for themselves did not violate the rule, and in any event Carly
did not commit misconduct because she was not told about the
rule.
In 2019 LSNC
continued
to achieve great results for clients
Supplemental Security Income
(SSI), winning decisions that
allowed our clients to get and
overissuances, and supportive
services for people participating
in welfare-to-work. Overall, LSNC
in local and statewide public keep the subsistence benefits provided assistance in more than
benefits advocacy. One example they rely upon. Advocates also 1900 cases involving non health
includes negotiating reforms participated extensively in public benefits in 2019.
to a county General Assistance state program workgroups that
Program that increased the proactively identify and resolve
number of people on the issues that arise in benefit
program from under 10 to 100+. programs, avoiding the need for
time consuming appeals and
JUSTICE IN ACTION
LSNC advocates represented litigation. Additionally, LSNC
clients in administrative
hearings in a variety of public
benefit programs, including
CalWORKs, CalFresh, In-Home
negotiated changes in county
and state policies in several areas
including CalWorks welfare-
to-work policies, CalWORKs
3,154
economic stability
Supportive Services (IHSS), and eligibility, collection of CalFresh
cases in 2019
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Guiding Tomorrow’s
Leaders
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Special Projects
Health Insurance Counseling
& Advocacy Project
LSNC’s Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Project (HICAP)
serves nine counties and counseled more than 4,000 Medicare
beneficiaries during 2019. HICAP’s 38 highly-trained volunteers and ten
staff members provided advice on issues ranging from prescription
Helping Janna* drug plan selections to ambulance bill payment denials, providing
SLH Client services locally at senior centers and other service providers in our
clients’ neighborhoods. In 2019, this resulted in savings of $2,006,510 to
Janna* is a senior who called LSNC Medicare beneficiaries.
after receiving notice that increased
her rent more than 10 percent. Due
to her low fixed income, Janna is a
participant of the Housing Choice
Voucher Program, meaning the
local public housing authority
(“PHA”) pays most of Janna’s rent
to her landlord, and Janna pays the
Senior Legal Hotline (SLH)
remainder. The PHA approved the In 2019, LSNC’s Senior Legal Hotline (SLH) provided legal aid to more
landlord’s rent increase. A LSNC than 600 older adult (ages 60+) households. SLH staff and volunteers
attorney advised Janna that the conducted client interviews via telephone, in the office and during
landlord’s rent increase violated the regular intake appointments at senior centers. For limited English
new California Tenant Protection proficient clients, LSNC used language interpretation services during
Act of 2019, which prohibits many intake. Advocates worked on cases involving preservation of housing,
landlords from raising rent above consumer law, estate planning, income maintenance, and elder abuse
a specified “cap” annually. The concerns. LSNC also provided community legal education to hundreds
attorney sent a letter demanding
of seniors throughout northern California.
the landlord and PHA to comply
with the new law. In response, the
landlord rescinded the notice, and
increased Janna’s rent by a smaller,
permissible amount. Janna
remained in her home.
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Western States Pensions
Assistance Program
Since 2007, LSNC’s Western States Pensions Assistance Program has
recovered more than $27 million in retirement benefits for our clients
--over $2.7 million in 2019 alone. Project staff and volunteers provide
critical legal advice and assistance to hundreds of clients each year,
many of whom were unable to resolve their matters on their own, or find
other legal assistance. The pension project prevents senior poverty by
ensuring the availability, access and accuracy of hard-earned retirement
benefits for employees, retirees, and surviving spouses.
Helping Leroy*
Pension Client
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20 /
2019
Our Grantors
Thank you to our many grantors who, through their
generosity and support, make our work possible.
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Thank You
Dear Friends,
Nanette Aubut
Development Director
Jenni Gomez
Pro Bono Coordinator
22 /
Donors 2019
Champions of Justice
$5,000 & More
DLA Piper Foundation
Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood & Campora LLP
Seyfarth Shaw
Jay-Allen Eisen & Julia Couzens
Rama Sethi-Gulati
Visionaries of Justice
Between $1,000-$4,999
Crowell & Moring Remy Moose & Manley Gerald Carden & Barbara
Tatsukawa Carden
Delfino Madden O’Malley Coyle Rothschild Wishek & Sands LLP
& Koewler Joseph A. Wender, Jr.
SMUD
DLA Piper LLP Kenneth Malovos & Michele
Thomas Law Malovos
Downey Brand Attorneys LLP
Weintraub Tobin Chediak Kevin G. Baker
Fenwick & West LLP Coleman Grodin Law Corp.
Rosemarie Kochan
Hanson Bridgett, LLP Wilcoxen Callaham LLP
Thomas, “Tac” A. Craven &
Kirkland & Ellis LLP Lincoln Law School Patricia Wong
Lewis Kassis Foundation Allen Max Luger & Linda Luger The Honorable James Mize &
Rita Mize
Low McKinley Baleria & Salenko Andrew Kershen & Catheryn
Koss Florence Hoffman
Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP
Carol Dunne
Murphy Austin Adams &
Schoenfeld David Aladjem & Margaret
Grayden
Pollara Law Group LLP
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Advocates of Justice Sacramento County Bar Mary DuBose
Association
Between $500-$999 Matthew Purcell
Sacramento Law Foundation
Auburn Ford Pramela Reddi
Sacramento Valley Paralegal
Briscoe Economics Group Association Robert Finkelstein & Lisa Chen
Cohen Defense Group Amelia Burroughs Robert Thompson
Costa Rica School Project Inc. Bokchin S. Fleming & Amir Mahini Robert A. Stalker & Jeanne
Finberg
Fleet Feet Sports Brian Tracy
Ronald Javor
Frank Law Group Deborah Kollars
Thomas Enslow
Hansen, Kohls, Sommer & Jacob Elizabeth A. Linton
LLP Gary F. Smith
Hans Vican
Humboldt County Bar Assoc. James Deeringer & Kathleen
Jennifer M. Horne & Rich Gillette Deeringer
Janssen Malloy LLP
John Brian King Dr. Joy Melnikow
Law Office of Barry Zimmerman
Linda Terry The Honorable Otis C. Benning &
Renewal By Anderson Willa Benning
Mariana Marin & Mark De Boer
24 /
Guardians of Justice Secure Record Storage, Inc. Deborah Collins & Richard Pearl
Between $100-$499 Sinclair Wilson Baldo & Deborah B. Caplan
Chamberlain
Bank of the West Deborah L. Braver
Stohr Family Trust
Corporon Law Office & Josie Dennis B. Cook & Susan Lamb
Porras Corporon Strasser Law Corp
Diane Wolfe
Dynasty Video Productions Sustainable Cotton Project
Elizabeth A. Landsberg & Gordon
Emily’s Website Design Timmons Owen Jansen & Tichy, Dean
Inc.
Feld Entertainment Emily Henry
Gurnee Mason Rushford Bobotto
Foreman Eye Care & Forestiere LLP Errol Dauis
Gibson & Tuttle AJ Watson Ethel Schinkel
Graves Law Offices Alison Sanders Evanne O’Donnell
Jelly Belly Candy Company Amanda Hawes & Bryan Weare Frank Martorana & Nancy
Martorana
KBC Investigations Andrew Holcombe
Franklin Banker & Karen Banker
Koukol & Associates, Inc. Ann L. Rothschild & Michael
Rothschild Gary Loveridge & Karen Loveridge
Law Office of Edward C. Koons
Arturo Benavidez Ginny Ellis & Robert Ellis
Law Office of Patrick Little
Ash Haddad & Jenni Gomez Harold Eisenberg & Anne
Law Office of Ralph Laird Eisenberg
Brian Landsberg & Dorothy
Law Offices of Robert Bicego Landsberg Harry G. Labrie
Leupp & Woodall C. Ann Carlson & Elizabeth Hilary Moise & Michael Winslow
Maerten
Marcus Deposition James Yi
Carol Souza Cole & Glenn Cole
Mondavi Center James Poovey
Christine Gable
Petersen Law Offices James G. Wright
Craig D. Stevens
Placer County Bar Association Jan G. Zabriskie
Curt L. Child
Raley’s Jay I. Dyer
David Brubaker
Robertson Law Group Jay J. Defuria
David Feniger
Robinson & Fulton Law Jeana Hultquist & Larry Hultquist
David Russell & Sandra Russell
Sacramento County Bar - Admin Jeffrey Doran
Law Section David W. Dratman
Joanna Correll
/ 25
Joel Riphagen Marian Johnston & Ted Prim Sarah Rogus & Mark Garets
John Henderson Mark Hapgood Seth R. Bradley
John Sims Martha Valles & Nate Hawthorne Shelly Bromberg
John Zorbas Mary Krueger Stacey Wittorff
John F. Davis & Christine Davis Matthew Wilhoit Stan Bromley & Julia Bromley
Jon Givner Michael J. Kersten & Elisabeth Steven Lewis & Judith A. Lewis
Kersten
Judith Wydick Steven Van Horssen
Michael Eli Shapiro & Rosella
Julia Zuffelato Shapiro Susan Carey
Karen Blackmore Mike Lee & Jude Lee Susan D. Berg
Karin Bjork & Paul Tjornhom Mike Rawson Theodore Slocum & Virginia
Slocum
Karla Y. Broussard-Boyd Nanette M. Aubut
Timothy Griffiths
Katharine Waugh Paul Ligda
Timothy E. Ainsworth & Karen
Kathryn Patterson & Naomi Paul H. Jacobson Leaf
Patterson
Phillip Isenberg & Marilyn Timothy A. Brisson
Kathryn L. Griffin Isenberg
Victor Pappalardo
Kenneth MacHold R. Matthew Wise
W. Herb Whitaker
Kerry L. Martin Richard Meister
Wendy Lilliedoll
Kevin R. Johnson & Virginia Richard Martland
Salazar William F. Bianco
Rita R. Frankovich & Kenneth
Kirsten Hill Frankovich Jane B. Kroesche
Kristy Schieldge Robert Effinger Jeffrey Galvin & Terri Clark
Larry Furst & Nu Usaha Robert Joehnck & Margaret John Jeffery Carter
Joehnck
Lynda Aguilar & Ray Aguilar M. Jeffrey Fine & Robin Fine
Robert Leidigh & Barbara Leidigh
M. Anthony Soares & Debra Naomi S. Rosen
Soares Robert Meagher & Anne Meagher
Norman G. Rudman
Margaret Johns Romulo Lopez & Roseanne Lopez
Robert L. Mukai
Margarita Altamirano Ruth van Hooydonk
Stephen Adams & Karen Turley
Margery Cape Samuel D. Berns Adams
Maria P. Manning & Edward Sandusky Lynn Shelton & Michael Wilbur Haines, III
Manning Butler
26 /
Father Rodney Davis Amanda Wells Claudia Covarrubias
The Honorable Emily E. Vasquez Ana M. Panait Connie R. Lujan
& Ralph Lightstone
Anil Mantri Cynthia Amundsen
The Honorable Rudolph Loncke &
Lilly Spitz Annette Smith Dana Winterrowd
The Honorable Stephen L. Mock Anthony Ferrante Daniel Cayer
The Honorable Steven Rodda & Arlene Mitchell Dara Schur
Barbara Rodda
Barbara J. Mitchell Darnetta Lawson
The Honorable Steven M.
Gevercer & Mary Gevercer Barbara J Steinhardt-Carter David Brown
The Honorable Vance Raye & Becky Nylander David Gioia
Sandra Raye
Betty Reuben & Jack Reuben David Husid
Bonnie Yang David S. Green & Anna Bokides
Supporters of Justice Green
Bradley Dowden
Less than $100 Denise Holtzen
Brookes Byrd
B Street Theatre Devera Ayres
Catherine Caycedo
California Museum Diana Jackson
Cheryl Watson
Cheesecake Factory Diana Wolfe Johnson
Cheryl L. Carl
Esquire Imax Theatre Donna Freeman & Eugene Erbin
Chris Gomez
Forester Purcell Stowell PC Doris M. Marx
Christine Ellen Bridwell
Gunther’s Ice Cream
Laughs Unlimited
Law Office of Ronald Britt
Leatherby’s Family Creamery
Paragary Restaurant Group
Sacramento Republic
Sacramento State Aquatic Center
Sacramento Zoo
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Alan Brownstein & Elizabeth
Brownstein
/ 27
Doug Griebner Kirk Patten Roberta Dobson
Eileen Sarasohn & Howard Kyle Kate Dudley Roberta Stephens
Sarasohn
Larry Friedman Sandy Warmington
Elaine Spitz-Berke
Lesli M. Caldwell Houston Shannon Rohrback
Esther Villalobos & George
Villalobos Lily Weaver Sharon Stone-Stover
Faith McConnell Luke McElwee Sharon G. Barbera
Florence Young & Ted Young Lydia Inghram Stephanie Car
Gabriela Peniche Lynn M. Lopez Stephanie Miller
Gary Martin Margaret Buchan Sue Melvin
Gary Lucks Margaret Reymundo T. Hodges
Gerardo Partida Marian Sawyer Tyler Onitsuka
Glenda Hessltine Mark Welzen Vincent Weis
Gregory S. Dizon Mary Louise Whitsell William Schmidt
Gregory W. Freeman Mika Godzich William M. Albertson
Harry Spanglet Nicholle Lewis Anne C. Molgaard
Heather Birdsong Ophelia Hope “Fifi” Zeff David B. Judson & Kate Judson
Herb Schwartz Paul Antilla Judith Feldman & Douglas J.
Hitchcock
James Daniels Peter Beilenson
M. Scott Prentice & Deborah
James Cramer & Helen E. Roland Peter Tishchenko Prentice
Jan Roos R.L. Minix Marie Chavez
Janice J. Martinez Rachel L. Yahui Sylvester A. Brown
Jennifer Poser Ralph Nevis, II Dr. Li-Hon Chang
Jo Ann Williams Randy L. Barrow & Karen Barrow The Honorable Ronald B. Robie
28 /
2019
Volunteers
Adam Sorrells Barret Brown Don A. Lesser
/ 29
Jacob Aronson Laurence Ross Michael Dissinger
30 /
Shayla Griffin Taylor Miller Victoria Anderson
Volunteers from Perkins Coie, LLP with the Pro Bono Recognition Award presented by LSNC’s Butte Regional Office.
/ 31
2019
Special Events
32 /
/ 33
Placer County Bar
Association Charity
Golf Tournament
September 2019
Auburn, CA
34 /
Trivia-Bingo
& Volunteer
Recognition
October 2019
Sacramento, CA
/ 35
Eureka Pro Bono
Gala
October 2019
Eureka, CA
36 /
Butte Regional
Office Pro Bono
Celebration
November 2019
Chico, CA
/ 37
LSNC EXECUTIVE OFFICE
517 12th Street | Sacramento, CA | 95814
916-551-2135 | development@lsnc.net
www.lsnc.net