The California Low-Income Consumer Coalition (CLICC), launched this year, is already at work keeping the interests of low-income consumers front and center in policy debates in Sacramento.

Eleven legal services and advocacy groups from across the state, including the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC), have come together to speak as one on behalf of vulnerable Californians.

CLICC’s members have had some notable legislative successes in recent years, including the Fair Debt Buying Practices Act, laws easing wage garnishment and default judgments, and last year’s AB2819 (Chiu), which relieved tenants of the burden of having an eviction proceeding show up on their credit reports even if they won the case, unless that victory was officially entered within 60 days of receiving the eviction notice. Informal coalitions helped get those bills through. Now those groups are making it formal.

Mairi McKeever, Director and Managing Attorney of JDC’s Pro Bono Legal Services Programs is excited about the Coalition, “JDC’s collaboration with CLICC allows us to translate what we see in our front-line representation cases into long-term solutions for our client community.”

In addition to JDC, the Coalition members include Bet Tzedek Legal Services and Public Counsel in Los Angeles, the East Bay Community Law Center in Berkeley, the Public Law Center in Orange County, Riverside Legal Aid, the Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino, Watsonville Legal Aid, the Center for Responsible Lending in Oakland, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley in San Jose, and Centro Legal de la Raza.