Centro Legal de la Raza

Centro Legal de la Raza was founded in 1969 by law students in the Fruitvale of Oakland. Originally, Centro’s founders centered their work around addressing police brutality, immigration, education rights, and conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War. Since then, Centro has widely expanded but is still located in the Fruitvale area. We now have four main programs: Tenants’ Rights, Immigrants’ Rights, and Workers’ Rights, and a Youth Law Academy to support high school students of color in pursuing ambitions towards legal careers. Additionally, we practice affirmative litigation in state and federal courts, including class actions. Centro provides legal services and education, and engages in policy advocacy and representation for low-income, immigrant communities and communities of color in the East Bay. We are grounded in five core values which guide our work with the community: Justice: overcoming systemic barriers towards action for equality Empowerment: building leadership and power from within, supporting clients to exercise their rights Compassion: listening to community needs and centering our work around our clients’ voices Integrity: representing the community with dignity Inclusion: embracing a diverse community built from a multitude of experiences, acknowledging individual perspectives and expanding access to legal services