WATSONVILLE LAW CENTER (WLC)

The Watsonville Law Center (WLC) provides free legal services to low-income individuals. Serving a predominantly agricultural community, WLC focuses on addressing issues related to worker rights, consumer protection and barriers to employment. WLC delivers services through advice clinics, one on one consultations, and direct representation. Through its five projects, the Agricultural Workers’ Access to Health (AWAHP), Barriers to Employment, Economic Justice, Language Access to the Court, and the Consumer Protection Projects WLC has assisted thousands of community members.

Mission

The mission of the Watsonville Law Center (WLC) is to provide low-income individuals equal access to the law by assisting them to understand, exercise and enforce their rights.

Watsonville, located in a region known as “the salad bowl of the world,” is home to a large Mexican immigrant community, primarily employed as field workers. These workers are particularly vulnerable to abusive employers, landlords and businesses because of language, education, and immigration barriers. These workers are responsible for the production of approximately two-thirds of California’s lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower crops, they are predominantly monolingual Spanish speaking with less than a sixth-grade education, and they earn between $11,000 to $14,000 annually. Fearful of retaliation, many refuse to acknowledge misdeeds perpetrated against them or exercise their rights. They are often afraid to advocate for themselves or contact local law enforcement to report illegal activity.

WLC addresses legal barriers faced by immigrant and other low-income individuals as they strive to access health and financial sustainability. WLC has helped injured workers to access medical treatment and victims of fraud to obtain just compensation. It has worked to eliminate abusive “notario” practices, promoted fair employment practices, and facilitated welfare recipients to reenter the work force.

Projects

The Watsonville Law Center provides low-income individuals equal access to justice. Through its five projects, WLC promotes fair employment practices, facilitates welfare recipients to reenter the work force, helps injured workers access medical treatment and assists victims of fraud to obtain just compensation. WLC often collaborates with other community organizations as a more holistic approach in order to most effectively leverage the impact of its services.

Economic Justice Project

The Economic Justice Project works with its partners, La Manzana Community Resources, the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, and Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action, to help strengthen low-income families and improve their economic prospects over time. Initiated in 2004, EJP’s goal is to help participants resolve pending legal problems that contribute to financial instability (e.g. wage claims, medical debt, consumer fraud, unlawful debt collection) and to provide support and education to help participants avoid falling victim to abusive business practices in the future.

Agricultural Workers’ Access to Health Project (AWAHP)

The Agricultural Workers’ Access to Health Project provides outreach, education and legal and medical clinics to agricultural and other low-wage workers who have experienced a work injury or illness. WLC and its project partners, California Rural Legal Assistance and Salud para la Gente, help individuals access medical treatment and other important benefits under workers’ compensation. AWAHP also leads The Workers’ Compensation Enforcement Collaborative, a statewide collaborative of government and non-profit agencies committed to eliminating barriers faced by agricultural and other low-wage immigrant workers in the workers’ compensation system. The overall goal of the collaborative is to improve workers' access to workers’ compensation benefits through reporting and enforcement and the development of more effective statewide policies.

Barriers to Employment Project

The Barriers to Employment Project provides legal assistance to CalWORKS (welfare to work) participants regarding legal matters that pose barriers to obtaining gainful employment. Services address issues such as obtaining employment-related licenses and certifications, drivers’ license reinstatement, custody and visitation, credit and debt problems, and clearing criminal records.

Consumer Protection Project

The Consumer Protection Project provides education, advocacy and representation to victims of consumer fraud. This Project focuses on auto issues related to purchases, loans, towing, and repairs; as well as immigration consultant and other professional services fraud, telecom fraud including cell phone, long distance, and calling cards, consumer credit contracts, unlawful debt collection and credit reporting practices, identity theft, and other consumer scams.

Language Access to the Court Project

The Language Access to Court Project (LAC) is a joint project between the Watsonville Law Center and the Santa Cruz County Superior Court, provided through the Court's Self Help Center. LAC provides Spanish-speaking self-litigants language access to the court through the provision on in-language legal information and assistance with court forms and pleadings at the Court's Self-Help Center. LAC does NOT provide legal representation, and may assist multiple parties in obtaining access to forms and information.

Services

The Watsonville Law Center provides free legal services to low-income individuals. We advise clients with legal questions about workers’ compensation, wage claims, consumer fraud, debt and credit issues, criminal record clearance, and child custody and visitation.

For other legal issues, we refer individuals to other legal resources in the community.

WLC staff and volunteer attorneys provide free advice and assistance through community-based legal advice clinics. Clients are interviewed by trained legal interviewers and receive advice from volunteer attorneys who are expert in the legal area of the clinic.

Workers’ Compensation Clinic

Helps injured workers understand and enforce their right to access benefits under the workers’ compensation system. At the clinic, clients who have work related injuries or illnesses can obtain advice and assistance about their claims and benefits. This clinic also helps employees understand their right to a safe workplace.

Wage Claim Clinic

Advises workers who have been denied fair wages and other benefits required by law. Workers are provided advice regarding their rights and claims and assistance with filing claims through the Office of the Labor Commissioner.

Consumer Protection Clinic

Advises individuals with consumer fraud issues, including automobile sales fraud and repossessions, automobile repair and towing scams, telecom consumer fraud (involving cell phones, home phones, and other telecommunication services), consumer credit contracts, and consumer scams. Individuals are assisted with filing consumer complaints with government consumer protection agencies, such as the California Department of Consumer Affairs and the California Public Utilities Commission.

Debt, Credit & Identity Theft Clinic

Advises consumers regarding debt harassment and other unlawful debt collection practices, unlawful credit reporting, and credit card fraud. Assistance is also provided with debt collection defense and identity theft.

Record Clearance & License Reinstatement Clinic

Helps individuals re-enter the workforce by clearing criminal records and re-instating drivers licenses. This clinic helps individuals obtain and review their criminal records, and provides assistance with record clearance and license reinstatement.

Child Custody & Visitation Clinic

Helps participants in the Santa Cruz County CalWORKs program with child custody and visitation issues. Appointments are made for this clinic by referrals from CalWORKs case managers.

TO VOLUNTEER OR DONATE:

Thank you for considering volunteering with the Watsonville Law Center. There are many ways you can help fulfill the Center’s mission in either Monterey County or Santa Cruz County. You can become involved and help your community obtain access to justice by volunteering at the WLC legal advice clinics as a volunteer attorney, interviewer or translator. You may be able to take an occasional referral or case in your particular or specialized area of expertise or provide guidance to WLC attorneys or staff. WLC also has volunteer opportunities in other important administrative, fund development and outreach activities.

To volunteer, visit the volunteer page on the Watsonville Law Center Website: http://www.watsonvillelawcenter.org. Please go to the volunteer page of the website and click on the links to the left to find more information about volunteer opportunities for both attorneys and non-attorneys:

Or call the WLC office at (831) 722-2845.

Attorneys can apply online to volunteer using the WLC Volunteer Attorney Application Form provided on the website.

To donate, visit the WLC website and click on the Donate link.