Fact Sheet

Founded
Bay Area Legal Aid was formed in 2000 by the merger of three organizations: San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation (founded in 1966), Contra Costa Legal Services Foundation (founded in 1966), and Community Legal Services of Santa Clara County (founded in 1995).

Mission
BayLegal provides low-income Bay Area residents with high quality legal assistance regardless of their location, language, or disability.

Priority Areas
We provide brief service and advice, full representation, and outreach and training in four priority areas identified by the community as their most pressing: affordable housing and homelessness prevention, access to quality health care, economic security, and domestic violence prevention.

Clients Served
In 2007, more than 70,000 people benefited from Baylegal's services.

Funding
BayLegal is funded by a combination of government and private grants, as well as corporate, law firm and individual donations. We are the only organization in the Bay Area to receive federal funds from the Legal Services Corporation.

Leadership
Ramon Arias, Executive Director, Robert Capistrano, Director of Advocacy and Training, Mohammad Sheikh, Director of Finance and Administration, and six regional managing attorneys/advocates.

Offices
BayLegal has offices in: Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco, San Jose, San Mateo, and San Rafael and clinics in Pittsburg and Redwood City.

Employees
BayLegal has over 80 staff members, including attorneys, advocates, paralegals, administrative and support staff.