Wage Justice Clinic

WJC (Wage Justice Clinic) SLP Logo

The Wage Justice Clinic provides free legal assistance to low-wage workers whose employers have violated state and local wage and hour law.
 
Law students in WJC will work closely with attorneys to help workers file claims against their employers for wage theft. Wage theft is a pervasive problem among low-wage, minority, non-English speaking, and immigrant workers. As the cost of living in the Bay Area skyrockets, the legal services provided by students in this clinic will become increasingly critical to help low-income folks in our community make ends meet.
 
Students will get a chance to use their legal skills in the real world from interviewing clients all the way to potentially representing the very same clients in settlement conferences before the California Labor Commission.
 
Clinics will take place three times each semester. Students will work in person with supervising attorneys from the legal services non-profit Legal Aid at Work. Since the start of the pandemic, we have communicated with clients remotely, but there may be opportunities to work with clients in person going forward. Students will be expected to prepare for the clinic on Thursday evening (including conducting an intake with their client), and work with attorneys to complete wage claims, demand letters, etc. on Friday. Scheduling is slightly flexible, so students who are interested in the clinic but have minor conflicts are still encouraged to apply.
 
We look forward to working with a great group of students who love helping people and are committed to addressing income inequality in the Bay Area!
 
What students will be doing:
  • Interviewing clients & intaking claims
  • Investigating claims
  • Researching employment law issues
  • Drafting documents (claims, demand letters, etc)
  • Attending and representing clients at settlement conferences and hearings

Many of the clients the Wage Justice Clinic serves are immigrant workers. Many clients speak Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, or other languages other than English. We encourage students who speak a second language to join WJC.

 

Supervision: Students will receive training from and be supervised by attorneys at Legal Aid at Work. 

Time Commitment:  

  • Estimated number of hours per semester: 25-30 hours. 
  • Estimated number of hours per week: Once per month, for ~9 hours spread across two days.
  • Days and times for any weekly commitments: One Thursday per month from 5-8pm, and one Friday per month from 9AM-5PM (consecutive days). 
  • Trainings: 4-5 hours of remote training around the start of the semester, potentially split over multiple days. 

For more information, please contact the student leaders at wagejusticeclinic@berkeley.edu