Contact Information
Office Address & Phone Numbers
The Natalie Lanam Justice Center
Sobrato Center for Nonprofits - Redwood Shores
330 Twin Dolphin Drive, Suite 123 Redwood City, CA 94065
Phone: (650) 558-0915 l Fax: (650) 517-8973
Office Hours
Monday – Friday
9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Our office is closed from 12 pm - 1 pm for Lunch
Operations & Financials
Executive Director & Staff
Executive Director: M. Stacey Hawver
Stanford Law School 1987
30 employees, 15 attorneys and staff
Tax ID Information
ID #94-1451894
Registered as a 501(c)(3) organization in the state of California
Impact Reports
The Legal Aid Annual Report is a snapshot of our organization's yearly activities. We are proud to highlight our supporters and our volunteers and provide a look at the clients we help on a daily basis.
About Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County
Mission Statement
To fight social injustice through civil legal advocacy for people living in poverty.
Vision Statement
The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County's vision is for every person to have the basic necessities of life, including safe affordable housing, access to health care, economic security, secure immigration status, an appropriate education and freedom from violence and abuse.
We strive to empower people to overcome the causes and effects of poverty so they can participate in their community with dignity and respect.
We seek to remove barriers related to poverty, disability, race, language, age, gender, sexual orientation and immigration status through community education, legal representation, systemic advocacy and collaboration with community partners.
Policy Advocacy
From tenant protections for mobile home park residents to medically necessary services for children with autism spectrum disorder, Legal Aid attorneys advocate for meaningful policy changes that impact the lives of our clients. We use our own data to look for trends and emerging legal issues facing our clients; learning from policies that work, and identifying systems that can be improved. We share this information with local and state level decision makers, and advocate for changes that close gaps, improve efficiency, and provide essential services to our clients.
Pro Bono
Legal Aid works in partnership with over 30 lawfirms and corporate counsel in Silicon Valley with 400 volunteers providing thousands of pro bono hours annually, representing clients who would otherwise be without legal representation. Legal Aid provides malpractice insurance, training materials and on-going support for all pro bono volunteers. Legal Aid welcomes attorneys, paralegals, law students and emeritus attorneys who want to make a direct impact on the lives of low income residents of the San Mateo community by providing meaningful access to justice. Legal Aid's Pro Bono Program is managed by Stephanie Bilinski, Director of Pro Bono, sbilinski@legalaidsmc.org or (650) 517-8912.
Who qualifies to receive assistance from Legal Aid?
Legal Aid provides free civil legal services that help overcome legal barriers to life's basics. Our clients are vulnerable children, disadvantaged families, frail seniors, survivors of domestic violence and persons with disabilities who reside in San Mateo County. Last year we opened more than 2,000 cases, and our clients had a median income of just over $21,000. Median income of San Mateo County is $105,667. Please contact us at 650-558-0915 for more information.
What services does Legal Aid provide?
Our core services include:
Our History
In 1959, a group of lawyers and community leaders recognized an unmet need to help the less fortunate in San Mateo County meet the legal needs so they could access life's basics. Thanks to these visionaries the Legal Aid Society was born. One of the first cases involved a Spanish-speaking maid was not allowed to retrieve her belongings when she resigned. The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County successfully defended her and the client was able to recover her possessions.
Since then, the Legal Aid Society has grown to become one of the most respected public interest law firms in California. A vital voice to marginalized populations of San Mateo County, the organization and individual staff attorneys have received numerous awards for excellence in providing legal services.
Today our work covers five main areas of urgent client need: accessing income support programs, bridging the education gap, fighting for freedom from domestic violence, obtaining health care and preventing homelessness.