PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
October 19, 2019
Contact: Duc Luu, Public Advocates: dluu@publicadvocates.org / 857.373.9118
Documentary on Legendary Bay Area Civil Rights Law Firm Premieres on San Francisco Public Television
On October 21 KQED Plus airs “A Law Firm Like No Other,” profiling the San Francisco-based non-profit Public Advocates, one of the oldest public interest law firms in the U.S.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – For almost half a century, Public Advocates has been a leader in countless battles to advance equal opportunity and civil rights for communities across the Bay Area and beyond. The new documentary film, A Law Firm Like No Other, goes behind the scenes to tell the story of how Public Advocates achieved two landmark victories in affordable housing and educational equity.
- When Facebook announced major expansion plans in East Palo Alto, Public Advocates worked with grass roots groups to bring the tech giant to the negotiating table. The result: Facebook committed to $20 million in affordable housing and legal support to tenants in the neighborhoods surrounding their Menlo Park headquarters.
- In another milestone victory, Public Advocates helped launch a multi-year grass roots campaign to achieve major educational reform in California. The result: a new school funding formula enshrined in state law that gives school districts and local communities the power and funds to secure effective services for low-income students, English language learners and foster youth.
A Law Firm Like No Other offers an inspiring example of the power that committed lawyers, joining forces with community activists, can wield against the negative impacts of large corporations, gentrification, and other systemic barriers to equity and opportunity.
In the words of Public Advocates President and CEO Guillermo Mayer, “There is no such thing as power with legs, just moving around the universe. Power exists in people, in the ability of people to exercise that power, and through their individual actions and their collective action, to do great things.”
Over five decades, Public Advocates has aimed to retain its independence, feistiness, cutting edge work and innovative legal approaches while building a reputation for genuine and effective collaboration with community partners. The goal is to challenge the status quo by seeking legal victories while strengthening the voices of low-income communities.
A Law Firm Like No Other will be broadcast October 21st, 10:30 am PST, available throughout the Bay Area on the following channels:
KQED Plus/KQEH: Channels 54.1, 9.2, 25.2
XFINITY: Channel 10 and HD Channel 710
Wave, DirecTV, Dish Network, AT&T U-verse: Channel number varies, and may be labeled either KQED Plus or KQEH
“A Law Firm Like No Other” is a production of Visionaries Inc., part of its 2019 series for public television that tackles important social causes of our time. Hosted by Sam Waterston of Law & Order fame, the documentary series highlights the rarely told stories of nonprofit organizations around the world that are working to make a positive difference in their community and beyond.
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