making
rights
real.
Public Advocates has been on the front lines of the struggle for social justice for over 50 years, focusing our distinctive blend of policy, legal advocacy, and community partnership on the root causes and effects of poverty and discrimination—and expanding rights and opportunities for low-income people, people of color and immigrants.
our workFeatured media
EdSource: Law firm claims Riverside County school district counted police costs as helping high-need students
EdSource covers our letter demanding Beaumont Unified stop counting school police spending as support for high-need students. Read the story to learn more.
Press Release: Beaumont Unified Illegally Uses Funds for High-Need Students to Pay for School Police, Civil Rights Groups Say
Beaumont Unified has spent over a decade counting school police contracts as support for its highest-need students—including a case where a student in crisis was handcuffed instead of connected to care. Public Advocates and ACLU SoCal are demanding Riverside County reject the district’s budget for illegally counting a police contract and redirect that funding to real mental health support.
Honoring Two Trailblazers: Lois Salisbury and Drucilla Stender Ramey
This month, we lost two trailblazers who shaped what justice work looks like in California: Lois Salisbury, who spent nearly 19 years as a Public Advocates attorney dismantling discriminatory barriers in law enforcement and healthcare, and Drucilla “Dru” Stender Ramey, a pioneering civil rights litigator and Board member who broke ground for women across the legal profession. Read about their legacies.
who we are
Public Advocates Inc. is a nonprofit law firm and advocacy organization that challenges the systemic causes of poverty and racial discrimination by strengthening community voices in public policy and achieving tangible legal victories advancing education, housing, transportation equity, and climate justice.
Our Work
Education Equity
An Education System Built For All of Us
Ensuring that every Californian receives a quality education that will prepare them for college, careers, and the future–in an educational environment that is a place of belonging, joy, and curiosity.
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Housing Justice
The rights you enjoy shouldn’t depend on your zip code
Making sure that every Californian has a healthy, affordable place to live, and that our communities are places for people to thrive, not playgrounds for the wealthy to extract profit.
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Transit Justice
Investing in the transportation needs of low-income communities of color
Meeting the needs of low-income communities by fighting for increased funding to operate more public transit service for low-income riders and improved working conditions for bus operators.
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Climate Justice
We believe it’s time to create a more just, livable world with healthy communities.
Advancing social equity and environmental justice goals in metropolitan regions throughout the state and combating poverty and pollution by securing state funding for affordable housing, public transportation, and other investments that address unmet needs in low-income communities.
Learn Morethank you!
This work is not possible without the generous support of our donors. Thank you for making rights real for all Californians.
$10,000+
Bob* and Diane Olson
$9,999 – $5,000
Fred* and Muffie Alvarez
Lori Andrus and Steve Croft
BJ Chisholm* and Elena Zykova
Sergio Garcia* and Amelia González
Rohit Singla* and Meenaxi Deo
Alan Sparer and Charlotte Fishman
Drucilla Stender Ramey*
Jamienne Studley and Gary Smith
$4,999 – $2,000
Alina Ball* and Eric Guttschuss
Derek Cressman and Deniz Tuncer
Marty* and Beverly Glick
Heidi Ho* and Rev. Malcolm Young
Leo and Sharon Martinez
Robert Nelson
Jasmine* and Mandeep Singh
*Member, Board of Governors
** As of January 2025
Corporate donors
