What's New
LSNC Acquires Tommy Clinkenbeard Legal Clinic at Loaves & Fishes
On January 1, 2008, the Tommy Clinkenbeard Legal Clinic (TCLC) joined Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC) as a special project. The on-site legal clinic at Loaves & Fishes started in 2000 as a part-time program created by the late Tommy Clinkenbeard. It evolved into a full time program in 2006. In collaboration with the Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office and the Sacramento County Superior Court, the clinic provides innovative options to the harsh criminal justice system. Individuals that are homeless can affirmatively seek assistance clearing their criminal offenses, many of which are the result of living on the streets, on the Loaves & Fishes grounds. The Sacramento County Superior Court created a special court calendar exclusively for Loaves & Fishes guests.
The clinic offers a constructive method to remedy minor criminal issues instead of incarceration, thus allowing guests an opportunity to take responsibility for their offenses by working off their fines through community service. For calendar year 2007, total of 3,894 guests were provided services. Staff also supervised the completion of 23,102 hours of community service for guests in lieu of fines or incarceration.
LSNC is excited to acquire the TCLC. The purpose of the TCLC aligns with LSNC’s mission to empower the poor to identify and defeat the causes and effects of poverty. For over 50 years, LSNC has provided free legal assistance to low-income Northern Californians.
In 2006, LSNC was visited by a representative from the Legal Services Corporation. In his three day "engagement visit" the Program Officer closely examined our substantive work, case stastics, and delivery systems. Check out the Program Counsel's letter of July 18, 2006, conveying his evaluation of our program. No doubt his impressions were well informed by the record of extremely strong regulatory and systemic compliance which LSNC has developed with LSC over the course of the past five years.
