The Cy pres doctrine enables a court to award any unallocated, unclaimed, or undeliverable funds from a class action settlement to a nonprofit that advances the interests of the class and people similarly situated. Cy pres awards are a crucial way to honor and further the interests of class members when complete dispersal of the award or settlement is not practicable. As a leading West Coast civil rights organization, LCCRSF is eligible to be nominated for cy pres awards.

LCCRSF is an excellent candidate for cy pres funding for a wide variety of cases.

Rooted in our mission to advance, protect, and promote the rights of the historically vulnerable, immigrants, and low-income individuals, our strategic litigation, direct services, and advocacy efforts provide a sustained and collective benefit to the public interest and civil rights in California and the nation. 

Click the button above to contact Katie O’Neill, Donor Manager, at development@lccrsf.org to recommend LCCRSF for a cy pres award or request help drafting related court documents. 

Upon request, we can provide detailed subject-specific information and declarations summarizing our cy pres stewardship to any counsel or court considering LCCRSF as a cy pres recipient. 

How we use cy pres funds:

As a leading civil rights organization on the West Coast, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF) works to dismantle systems of oppression, and to build an equitable and just society. Formed in 1968 to bridge the legal community and the Civil Rights Movement, we advance the rights of historically marginalized, immigrant, refugee, and low-income communities using an integrated model of direct service, advocacy, and impact litigation. Not only do we fight oppression and construct more just systems and institutions, but we grow the social justice movement by investing in legal fellows and training a network of over 1,000 active pro bono attorneys. Our community-driven work spurs statewide impact and sets national precedent.   

LCCRSF provides direct legal services to communities most affected by histories of oppression. We leverage our in-house expertise and network of volunteer attorneys to provide free legal assistance and representation relating to: asylum, conditions of immigration confinement, claims against government seizure of property and law enforcement violence and abuse, discharging debt and ending unjust fines and fees, and legal services for entrepreneurs. LCCRSF serves clients throughout California.  

Our direct legal services inform the broader impact litigation and policy advocacy we undertake in the priority areas of Racial, Immigrant, and Economic justice. By engaging in strategic impact litigation and legislative advocacy, we amplify the experiences of the individuals and communities we serve, helping them reclaim their power in the face of systems and institutions that strip it away.