Law Commons^™

Anti-Immigration Laws Obstruct The Education Of Undocumented Students, Valeria Jansen

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

Anti-immigration laws create unreasonable obstacles to the academic advancement of undocumented students. A close analysis of Proposition 187 and HB 56 will show how undocumented students are still facing hardship as they navigate American schools. Also, looking at the aftereffects of Proposition 187 will help uncover ways in which all states can help support undocumented children in their academic achievements. As Justice Brennan once wrote, “Education has a fundamental role in maintaining the fabric of our society.”

Following the introduction, Part II of this essay reflects on the 1982 landmark case, Plyler v. Doe. Part III compares two anti-immigration laws: …

No Choice: At The Crossroads Of Poverty And Decreasing Abortion Access, Marja-Leena Aaltonen

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

This paper will briefly review a portion of current abortion law in the United States and then focus on the problem through a lens of poverty with regard to access. Then the discussion will turn to lawmakers’ and religious interests’ interference in family planning decisions. Finally, I offer two steps toward making abortion more accessible to all but especially toward mitigating the costs of accessing abortion.

Utilizing Estate Plans To Achieve Economic Justice, Geber Penate

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

Bayview has been the home to many black families for decades. However, the inability of title-holders to create distribution plans for their estate before their death has contributed to their ultimate displacement. When a title-holder of property dies, their property is required to go through a court system known as probate. The probate court system has various functions ranging from identifying assets, calculating any owed taxes and fees, and distributing property. The only way to avoid probate is through the execution of a probate-avoidance distribution document, which is mentioned in further detail below. The probate court system, to say the …

Lgbtq Youth Homelessness And Discrimination In The Child Welfare System, Markie Flores

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

Despite the existence of LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws, LGBTQ youth are still being discriminated against within the foster care system. The primary cause of all youth homelessness is family conflict, and LGBTQ youth are more susceptible to family conflict when they come out to their parents. The Williams Institute surveyed 354 agencies throughout the United States who work with LGBTQ homeless populations and found that 68% of clients have experienced family rejection. The True Colors Fund notes that more than 1 in 4 LGBTQ teens are forced to leave their homes after coming out to their parents. LGBTQ youth also face …

The Lack Of Childcare And Its Impact In America, Anni Wang

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

Child care is expensive. The average cost of child care in the United States can range from 9- 36% of a family’s income, depending on where they live. We are the only industrialized country that does not offer some kind paid family leave. For one of the richest countries in the world, child poverty rates have remained increasingly high in America. The lack of affordable child care has become a national crisis, with daycare costing more than in-state university tuition in half of the country.

Lowering costs and providing better access to high quality childcare can significantly increase parents’ employment …

Poverty, Domestic Violence, And The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tammy Henson

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

There is a distinct correlation between domestic violence and level of income; the lower the income, the higher the prevalence of domestic violence. When poverty and domestic violence intertwine, the consequences for a family in poverty can be devastating. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 has added immense pressure to families in poverty already suffering economic hardship. The sudden loss of income due to the nationwide shelter in- place mandate coupled with prolonged proximity to partners and children all day make for a ticking time bomb for many families in poverty.

Law enforcement, criminal courts, and family & dependency courts follow …

Using Citizen Suits To Remedy Environmental Injustice And Achieve Clean Water In California, Paul Kneitz

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

Nearly fifty years since the passage of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) in 1972, widespread pollution of California’s surface and groundwater continues across the state. “Over half of California’s lakes, bays, wetlands, and estuaries are too polluted to swim, drink, or fish,” according to the State Water Resources Control Board. Poor and working-class communities suffer disproportionately from the negative externalities and environmental impacts of water pollution, including effects on human health and wellness.

With a focus on the CWA citizen suit provision, this paper examines how the legal and administrative processes for water pollution control have not effectively addressed the …

Poverty Law Symposium 2018, Michele Benedetto Neitz

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

Presentations:

Ladie Adriano: “Child Support Enforcement and the Incarcerated Obligor”

Stephanie Huang: “Civil Gideon for Family Law”

Devin Fathi: “Systematic Inequality of the Third Gender”

Gisele Martinez: “California’s Death Penalty and Proposition 66”

Jordan Davis: “Legalize It: Cash Crop or Tool of Economic Oppression”

Harris Emran: “Support Your Local Bondsman; Get Arrested”

Maneesha Birdee: “More Housing Near Public Transit: Relocating the Bay Area’s Poor”

Douglas Blatecky: “Safe Injection Sites in San Francisco”

Minna Fernan: “Criminalization of Homeless People in San Francisco is not the Answer”

John Adams: “When Yesterday’s Choices are Making for Tomorrow’s Bad Decisions: How California may Tackle …

Heroes Forgotten: Just My Luck, I’M Broken For A Buck, Jonathan Zimmermann

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

President Kennedy famously stated at his inaugural address: “Ask not ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” Throughout our years as a nation, handfuls of men and women have heard the calling to serve in the United States of America’s armed forces. While serving in the military may be an arduous process, transitioning back into the civilian world can be onerous as well. Although the former service member may be returning to a familiar land, many are now returning with unique and stressful experiences, making transitioning to civilian life …

Local Control Funding Formula: A Continuum Of Discrimination Against Minority Youth In Education, Alafia Delahaye

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

The issue of public school education funding is at the core of the inequalities between schools located in wealthy school districts and those in low-income school districts. Every state struggles to remedy inequitable funding, partly due to long histories of segregation and racism. Nevertheless, many states continue to believe that allowing localities to manage school funding will remedy the problems, but many localities fail to effectively and fairly manage funds.

Part I discusses the background and legal history of public school education funding in California. Part II describes the recent law passed in California, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) …

2016 Poverty Law Symposium, Michele Benedetto Neitz

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

Poverty Law Symposium
April 20, 2016 12-4 PM

Presentation Schedule:

12:00 PM- Lunch
12:20 PM- Emily Champlin "The Myth of the Welfare Queen: Reproductive Oppression in the Welfare System"
12:40 PM- Stephany Arzaga “An Increase in Immigrant Homeless Youth: A Consequence of the Federal Government’s Failure to Properly Protect Immigrant Refugee Youth”
1:00 PM- Veronica Kontilis “Civil Gideon in San Francisco: Strengthening Protections for Low-income Tenants”
1:20 PM- Break
1:35 PM- Alafia Delahaye "Local Control Funding Formula: A Continuum of Discrimination Against Minority Youth"
1:55 PM- Joey Faber “Avoiding Probate – The Benefits of Proper Estate Planning for Working-Poor”
2:15 …

The Myth Of The “Welfare Queen”: Reproductive Oppression In The Welfare System, Emily R. Champlin

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

This paper focuses on two major policy flaws that are rooted in the racist stereotype of the “welfare queen.” These policies work together to punish single motherhood and deny poor women the ability to control their own reproductive futures. They were enacted under the guise that they will stop the cycle of poverty. In reality, they drive women and families deeper into it.

First, in the background section, this paper gives an overview of the history of the “welfare queen” myth and the dramatic changes in the U.S. welfare system. In the analysis section, part one covers the family cap …

Ggu Poverty Law Symposium - 2015, Michele Benedetto Neitz

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

Flyer for Poverty Law Symposium held at Golden Gate University School of Law on April 20, 2015.

Ggu Poverty Law Symposium - 2014, Michele Benedetto Neitz

Poverty Law Conference & Symposium

No abstract provided.