Turning an Idea into a Movement
Millions of low-income Californians face pressing legal problems without access to legal help. Julia R. Wilson, CEO of OneJustice, explains how the nonprofit she leads has provided legal assistance to more than a quarter-million residents of the Golden State.
Because lawyers are largely based in cities, pro bono services are predominantly dedicated to urban areas, often leaving rural communities to fend for themselves. OneJustice brings life-changing legal help to those in need by transforming the legal aid system—an important mission in a state as varied as California. The statewide nonprofit’s success has been built on making what it calls “an innovation lab on legal services” that has helped forge a network of 100+ nonprofit legal organizations, law firms, law schools, and businesses to deliver pro bono assistance.
FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE
Julia Wilson
Julia R. Wilson is the CEO of OneJustice, where she leads the organization’s work to bring life-changing legal help to Californians in need through a statewide network of law firms, law schools, corporate legal departments, and 100+ nonprofit legal organizations. Ms. Wilson started her legal career providing direct legal services to low-income children and families at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, including two years as an Equal Justice Works (then NAPIL) Fellow, and then served as Director of the Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC), the statewide membership and trade association for civil legal aid nonprofits throughout the state.
Ms. Wilson was named one of the 2012 Top 100 Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal for her leadership at OneJustice, and received a 2010 CLAY (California Lawyer of the Year) Award from California Lawyer magazine for her work at LAAC on the successful passage of AB 590 (Feuer), which created the Shriver Civil Counsel Act to increase representation for low-income Californians in civil matters affecting basic life necessities. Ms. Wilson graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a B.A. in Linguistics in 1992 and with distinction from Stanford Law School in 1998.
OneJustice
OneJustice brings life-changing legal help to those in need. We engage the resources in the private sector to provide pro bono (volunteer) services. We strengthen the capacity of the nonprofit sector to serve more people. We build a network of Californians who advocate for legal services.
