Our Approach

Direct Services

• Public Counsel’s Audrey Irmas Gender Justice Project provides free legal advice and representation in Title IX matters to student survivors of sexual harassment/assault, and to student parents experiencing discrimination as a result of pregnancy or caregiving responsibilities.  

Pro bono recruitment

• Public Counsel has partnered with Equal Rights Advocates in an effort to expand access to free legal services to student survivors of sexual assault in Southern California. ERA’s ENOUGH pro bono network places Title IX sexual Assault cases with attorneys in this network. Legal services range from brief services (writing letters, advice & counsel) to representing clients throughout the complaint and hearing process. Equal Rights Advocates provides training and ongoing technical assistance. For information on joining the network, please click here. 

Alliance for Girls

• Public Counsel is working with six other founding member organizations to establish a local Los Angeles Chapter of Alliance for Girls.  Guided by the core values of Community, Empowerment, Impact, and Self-Care, this initiative will harness the collective power of girl-serving organizations and advocates in Los Angeles to amplify girls’ voices and partner with school districts to better meet the needs of girls. Strategies include participatory research with middle school and high school girls, review of school and district policies, advocacy, professional development and technical assistance. We also partnered with AFG to implement the #WhenGirlsThrive Covid-19 Response Initiative, a research and advocacy effort to fill the data gap on the needs of girls during Covid-19.

Advocacy

• Public Counsel’s Audrey Irmas Gender Justice Project advocates at state and federal level for laws advancing equity and opportunity for young women and girls. We joined with organizations across the country to speak out against dangerous roll-backs to Title IX protections, and joined Equal Rights Advocates and others to advocate for SB 493 which strengthens the rights of California students in sexual assault proceedings. 

Know Your Rights Education

• The first step in empowering students to stand up to harassment and discrimination is to make them aware of their rights and options. Public Counsel’s Audrey Irmas Gender Justice Project provides information on students’ rights to equal education under state and federal law, and is also available to train students, parents, educators, and youth organizations on sexual harassment and Title IX.