About Us

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Direct Services

Public Counsel provides free direct legal services and support or matches clients with pro bono advocates, ensuring they have a partner standing with them, their families, and our communities as they pursue justice.

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Policy Advocacy

Public Counsel addresses the root causes of inequities in our society by advocating for inclusive policy solutions in collaboration with grassroots coalitions and the communities most impacted by systemic oppression.

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Impact Litigation

Public Counsel files strategic impact litigation so entire communities get the justice they deserve. By setting legal precedents and challenging unjust laws, our cases spark large-scale change in our society.

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Pro Bono Partnerships

Since its inception, Public Counsel has relied on pro bono attorneys, law students, paralegals, and other legal professionals to partner with us in supporting clients, taking on high-impact cases, and strengthening our advocacy efforts.

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Social Work Integration

Public Counsel values an interdisciplinary approach to law and social work that strengthens trauma-informed legal advocacy and advances effective outcomes across its work. 

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Resource Library

Popular Resources

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Guide

06/12/26

Navigating the Title IX Process: A Guide for Student Survivors of Sexual Violence in College Settings

Navigating the Title IX complaint process can be both emotionally taxing and empowering. This guide aims to make that process more navigable and less daunting. You can use this guide...

Learn More

Guide

06/10/26

Eligiendo La Entidad Juridica De Su Negocio

Al comenzar un negocio, es común tener preguntas como cómo proteger sus activos personales (por ejemplo, su hogar), cómo paga impuestos el negocio y cómo obtener dinero para hacer crecer...

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Report

06/05/26

Combating Notario Fraud in California: A Call to Action

Notario fraud, or the unauthorized practice of immigration law, causes grave harm to countless immigrants and is pervasive across California and the U.S. Too often, individuals who are not authorized...

Learn More

How We Work

See All

Direct Services

Public Counsel provides free direct legal services and support or matches clients with pro bono advocates, ensuring they have a partner standing with them, their families, and our communities as they pursue justice.

Learn More

Policy Advocacy

Public Counsel addresses the root causes of inequities in our society by advocating for inclusive policy solutions in collaboration with grassroots coalitions and the communities most impacted by systemic oppression.

Learn More

Impact Litigation

Public Counsel files strategic impact litigation so entire communities get the justice they deserve. By setting legal precedents and challenging unjust laws, our cases spark large-scale change in our society.

Learn More

Pro Bono Partnerships

Since its inception, Public Counsel has relied on pro bono attorneys, law students, paralegals, and other legal professionals to partner with us in supporting clients, taking on high-impact cases, and strengthening our advocacy efforts.

Learn More

Social Work Integration

Public Counsel values an interdisciplinary approach to law and social work that strengthens trauma-informed legal advocacy and advances effective outcomes across its work. 

Learn More

Popular Resources

See All

Guide

06/12/26

Navigating the Title IX Process: A Guide for Student Survivors of Sexual Violence in College Settings

Navigating the Title IX complaint process can be both emotionally taxing and empowering. This guide aims to make that process more navigable and less daunting. You can use this guide...

Learn More

Guide

06/10/26

Eligiendo La Entidad Juridica De Su Negocio

Al comenzar un negocio, es común tener preguntas como cómo proteger sus activos personales (por ejemplo, su hogar), cómo paga impuestos el negocio y cómo obtener dinero para hacer crecer...

Learn More

Report

06/05/26

Combating Notario Fraud in California: A Call to Action

Notario fraud, or the unauthorized practice of immigration law, causes grave harm to countless immigrants and is pervasive across California and the U.S. Too often, individuals who are not authorized...

Learn More

Resources

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Responding to Suspected Child Abuse or Domestic Violence in Child Care Setting

As a child care provider, you may encounter situations where you suspect or know that a child in your care is being abused or neglected. When situations like this arise, you must follow appropriate procedures to ensure that the child gets help and that you are complying with legal requirements.

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Note to Tax Return Preparers Assisting Family Child Care Providers

Assisting family child care providers (“FCCPs”) with their tax returns generally raises the same issues as for all other home-based businesses, like proper proof of income and expense, separation of business and personal expenses, etc. The IRS and Congress have provided special rules for FCCPs, thereby recognizing the difficulty of separating personal expenses from business expenses in a family child care setting.

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Neighbor Disputes and Your Family Child Care Home Business

Neighbor disputes arise for a variety of reasons, some of which may relate to your child care business. As a family child care home provider you have several options for addressing these disputes or harassment that may include insults or obscenities directed at you, your family, your helpers, your parents, or even the children in your care, actions impeding the use of your home as a business, reporting you to Licensing, and other similar acts.

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Naming your Family Child Care Business

California State law requires individuals, partnerships and corporations to register a “Fictitious Business Name” (commonly known as a DBA – “doing business as”) if they operate a business and/or collect money under a name different from their legal surname(s) or corporation names.

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

License Exempt Child Care

License-exempt child care is child care that can operate legally without a license. While certain child care arrangements may qualify as license-exempt child care, there are policies and procedures that a license-exempt child care provider should follow in order to ensure the successful operation of his/her child care business and avoid potential legal problems.

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Jury Duty for Family Child Care Providers

State law does not automatically exempt a person from jury duty by reason of occupational status. Although you may be a sole proprietor of your business, you might still be

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Immunization: Overview of issues that child care providers should be aware of

Before admitting a child into a child care program, generally a child care provider must request proof that the child has been immunized against diseases. However, there are certain exceptions to this proof of immunization requirement. Further, a new law effective September 1, 2016, added requirements for the licensee of a family child care, employees and volunteers.

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Guidelines for Releasing Children

As a child care provider, you have a legal obligation to protect and care for each child in your care. This obligation encompasses who you release a child in your care to and under what circumstances you release a child. Releasing a child to an unauthorized individual could pose legal problems for a child care provider and result in revocation of a provider’s child care license.

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Complaints Against Your Child Care Facility

During the operation of your child care business, complaints made be made to Community Care Licensing (“Licensing”) about your program. This publication is intended to provide basic information on Licensing’s investigation of complaints, how Licensing decides whether to issue a citation against your facility, and how you can appeal a citation that you do not agree with.

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Child CareCovid-19 Info>Early Care & Education

Guide

12/10/21

Child Care Liability Insurance

This handout provides child care businesses with information about insurance. Purchasing insurance is a method of shifting risk from your child care business to an insurance company in exchange for a premium, which is the payment you make for an insurance policy. As a child care provider, you must be proactive both about risk management and being responsive to the families in case an accident occurs while a child is under your care.

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