Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice recently visited Northern California, where she delivered a keynote address at the Pathways to Justice Conference in San Francisco. The conference is a statewide legal services event held every three years and brings together nonprofit legal service providers, pro bono volunteers from the private bar, and staff from court departments and self-help centers across California.
During her visit, Director Rossi participated in various meetings focused on access to justice issues in Northern California. She attended a listening session hosted by the California Community Justice Workers Working Group. This group consists of legal aid and access to justice leaders who aim to leverage support from nonlawyers to assist underserved communities. Director Rossi heard recommendations for a community justice worker program in California and engaged in discussions with legal aid leaders.
In her keynote address at the conference, convened by the State Bar of California, the Legal Aid Association of California, and the California Judicial Council, Director Rossi emphasized initiatives by the Office for Access to Justice. She highlighted the importance of collaboration between state, local, and federal stakeholders.
Following her speech, Director Rossi met with leadership from the Legal Aid Association of California. They discussed pressing issues facing California's legal aid community and efforts to enhance interagency collaboration at the state level.
Director Rossi also attended a roundtable discussion with public defense chiefs from various Bay Area counties. Topics included challenges such as resource shortages, caseload management, recruitment concerns, and youth defense representation needs. Innovative strategies being implemented by Bay Area offices were also discussed.
Further meetings included discussions with Prisoner Legal Services about providing civil legal assistance to incarcerated individuals locally. Director Rossi highlighted a pilot program launched in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Prisons that offers similar services at federal facilities.
Additionally, she met with representatives from the Federal Public Defender's office for the Northern District of California. They discussed implementing recommendations concerning access to counsel at pretrial facilities managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and other issues facing federal defenders.
The trip concluded with a meeting between Director Rossi and U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California.