Bet Tzedek

Bet Tzedek appoints new Vice President & General Counsel, Elissa Barrett

SnoMis — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:35:44 +0000

Bet Tzedek is pleased to announce the appointment of Elissa D. Barrett as the new Vice President and General Counsel for the agency. Ms. Barrett joins the agency following her tenure as executive director for the Progressive Jewish Alliance (PJA) and, most recently, as the Chief of Regional Operations for the merged PJA & Jewish Funds for Justice. Please visit Bet Tzedeks Press Releases page to read the full details of this announcement.

BT attorney appointed to CA Olmstead Committee

SnoMis — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:54:06 +0000

Attorney Janet Morris, Director of the Family Caregiver Project for Bet Tzedek, has recently been appointed to California Olmstead Advisory Committee. In the letter of appointment, Ms. Morris was recognized for her, “[E]xtensive experience in the field of elder law and long term services and support and in serving seniors and people with disabilities . . .”

The Olmstead Advisory Committee is responsible for providing input to the California Health and Human Services Agency on the efforts to implement the California Olmstead Plan (click here to read the Plan).

Congratulations to Ms. Morris on this important appointment and for bringing further recognition to Bet Tzedek’s Elder Rights Program.

Bet Tzedek part of important recent court ruling

SnoMis — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:02:45 +0000

February 1, 2012 – Bet Tzedek announced that, in a decisive win for more than a hundred Inland Empire California warehouse workers who load Walmart goods in Inland Empire warehouses, a federal judge in Los Angeles today issued a preliminary injunction barring the retaliatory mass termination of those workers, which was scheduled for February 24, 2012.

Click here to read the full press release.

Dinner Gala 2012, truly an eventful evening

SnoMis — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:19:04 +0000

Bet Tzedek wishes to thank the over 1,100 guests who attended the Dinner Gala 2012 honoring:

Gary D, Roberts, 2012 Luis Lainer Founder’s Award recipient.
Gary is a past Bet Tzedek board chair, board member, and has been involved with the agency since 1986.

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2012 Rose L. Schiff Commitment to Justice Award recipient.
The museum was represented by Museum Director Sara Bloomfield and Director, West Coast Region, Michael Sarid.
The USHMM has played an important role in our ability to reach Holocaust survivors and assist them.

Lisa D. Hoffman and Volker J. Schmidt, 2012 Jack H. Skirball Community Justice Award winners.
Both Lisa and Volker are the attorneys who run the agency’s Holocaust Survivors’ Services Unit and have directly helped thousands of individuals over the years with reparations claims that allow them to live out their remaining years in dignity.

Over $2,320,000 was raised in support of Bet Tzedek.

Pictured below are (from left) Volker J. Schmidt, Lisa D. Hoffman, Michael Sarid, Sara Bloomfield, and Gary D. Roberts

Symposium a wonderful success

SnoMis — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:14:22 +0000

Thanks to all of you who made our “Law, Justice, and the Holocaust” symposium such a wonderful success. Over 250 people were in attendance to hear keynote speaker, Dr. William Meinecke, and the panel discussion which followed. Read more about the symposium (click here)

Pictured below (from left) are:
Sandy Samuels (CEO & President of Bet Tzedek), Charles Patterson (of Morrison & Foerster), Stan Levy (of Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP and co-founder of Bet Tzedek), William Meinecke, Ph.D. (of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum), Laurie Levenson (Loyola Law School), Michael Sarid (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum), Rachel Moran (Dean, UCLA School of Law), and David Kaye (UCLA School of Law).

Bet Tzedek and the co-sponsors of evening’s event (U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the UCLA School of Law) greatly appreciate the contributions of the participants and all those in attendance.

Special Symposium 1/25/2012

SnoMis — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:03:18 +0000

LAW, JUSTICE AND THE HOLOCAUST

(SOLD OUT !!! – Thank you) In the period leading up to World War II, the Nazi regime used the German legal system to strip legal and civil rights from Jews and other minorities to make them scapegoats for Germany’s economic and political problems. How was that allowed to happen? What steps were taken to bring the judiciary in line with Nazi ideology? As we address our own political and economic issues in light of the current economic situation and concerns with homeland security, what lessons can we learn from that period in history?

Stand Up For Justice Rally 1/18/2012

SnoMis — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:09:11 +0000

“It’s critical that we adequately fund our courts, because they exist to serve
the public. The work that legislators do, and bring to the Governor to sign into
law, is meaningless if there is no forum to enforce it.”
- Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Chief Justice of California.

On Wednesday, January 18, 2012, there will be an important rally to support
adequate funding of the courts in California.
Please click here to read all the details.

In addition, The link below is to the Open Courts Coalition video presentation
that was delivered to key members of the legislature on Friday, 1/13.
It is a brief, but terrific video including interviews with our Chief Justice,
the Attorney General, the President of the California Chamber of Commerce,
and other key statewide leaders addressing the importance of adequate funding
for the courts.
WATCH STAND UP FOR JUSTICE VIDEO.

Bet Tzedek co-founder, Stan Levy, featured in Jewish Journal article

SnoMis — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:50:25 +0000

Following the announcement of Bet Tzedek co-founder, Stan Levy, having received The American Lawyer Magazine’s 2011 “Lifetime Achiever” award, reporter Jonah Lowenfeld of The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles sat down with Levy to learn the whole story behind this remarkable individual’s career and accomplishments.

Click here to read the full article on Stan Levy.

Landmark Carwash Workers Settlement Announced

SnoMis — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:37:02 +0000

LOS ANGELES (November 9, 2011)—A landmark class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of about 400 workers against four Los Angeles carwashes has resulted in a settlement of $1 million to compensate employees for unpaid wages and other employment violations, it was announced today by Bet Tzedek Legal Services and Bush Gottlieb Singer, et al., who jointly prosecuted the case. The agreement is believed to be the largest monetary settlement to date with a carwash employer in California.

Click here to read the full press release.

No such thing as a ‘small stakes’ claim for a low-wage worker

SnoMis — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:53:59 +0000

Bet Tzedek Attorney Kevin Kish makes a case for low wage workers in the Los Angeles Daily Journal – even so-called ‘small stakes’ cases can have a big impact when you’re not sure where your next meal may be coming from. Bet Tzedek speaks up for those whose voice is seldom heard.

Click here to read Kish’s letter.