In celebration of Earth Day, JMBM's Diversity Committee spearheaded our Environment & Sustainability month's beach cleanup initiative! We rallied employees (and their families and friends) across our various offices to participate in beach cleanups hosted by Heal the Bay and The Surfrider Foundation.
It was truly inspiring to witness our team come together, not just as colleagues, but as stewards of our environment. They dedicated their time and effort to make a tangible difference in our coastal communities. Across all offices, our teams gathered an impressive 14.8 pounds of litter!
Beyond the cleanup efforts, it was heartwarming to see everyone having a blast on the beach and strengthening bonds beyond JMBM. The JMBM community strives to push this spirit of sustainability forward, both in our workplace and in our daily lives. Together, we can make a lasting impact!
Public Counsel's Women and Girls' Rights Project provides free legal support for low-income women and girls, free workshops and legal services for low-income women starting or growing a business, and provides presentations and/or training to organizations and schools on legal and policy issues impacting women and girls.
JMBM Partner Susan Allison created a peer-to-peer fundraising team to gather donations for the Downtown Women's Center's "Together Housed" Campaign. They raised more than $5,000, including generous donations from members of the JMBM family. The DWC is the only organization in Los Angeles focused exclusively on serving and empowering women experiencing homelessness, and the funds raised will help the DWC achieve its goal to end homelessness for women in Los Angeles, made that much more difficult amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. JMBM -- including the Women Attorneys of JMBM -- has supported the DWC for many years through volunteer activities, fundraising, and clothing drives.
JMBM Land Use Partner Sheri Bonstelle and Real Estate Associate Collin Beck provided pro bono legal services assisting the Westside Family Health Center (WFHC) in their search for a new site, helping the non-profit secure and sign a 20-year lease for a larger space in Culver City.
The WFHC provides high quality health care and advocacy to underserved populations in Los Angeles. The new space will have 12,000 square feet of clinic space and 12,000 square feet of administrative space, with plans to begin operating from the new site in early 2020.
"Sheri's former work as an architect and her extensive experience in all aspects of the legal and approval process for a real estate deal of this magnitude made her the perfect person to have helping us," said WFHC President and CEO Debra A. Farmer in a news release. "Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell's support will make a huge difference for people throughout Los Angeles."
Sheri continues to advise the WFHC in ongoing matters, and will serve on the newly-created "Health Futures for All - 2024" Advisory Group.
The JMBM community is pleased to participate in the annual Food from the Bar campaigns. Food from the Bar collects money and food for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, the SF-Marin Food Bank, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.
In Los Angeles, law firms and legal organizations raised more than $500,000 for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, collected over 6,000 pounds of food and worked more than 770 volunteer shifts. This will provide approximately 2 million meals to the Los Angeles community. JMBM's Los Angeles office received the Gold Partner Award for its participation this year.
In San Francisco, 61 law firms and legal organizations raised more than $673,00 for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, which will provide more than 1.3 million meals to those in need throughout San Francisco and Marin.
In Orange County, the legal community raised over $28,000 and contributed more than 800 pounds of food, which will provide 321,000 meals through the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.
For the last 13 years, JMBM has gathered clothing and other household goods for donation to the Downtown Women’s Center, an organization that provides permanent supportive housing and community services for homeless women in Downtown Los Angeles. Clothing and other items are used by the Center to support their clients and to create “Welcome Home” kits of essentials for women as they transition into housing.
In 2018, several attorneys spent an afternoon cooking lunch for residents of the Center, as part of an event sponsored by the Firm’s Women Lawyers.
JMBM's lawyers assisted Westside Family Health Center (WFHC) in the lease of a new building that is three times size of its current space, including 4 times the clinic space, which will allow the Center to add additional services. For the past 43 years, WFHC has addressed the health needs of anyone who walks through the doors by providing high quality care on a sliding fee scale.
JMBM participated in the 11th annual Justice Jog in Century City. The event, which had over 900 total participants, volunteers and exhibitors, raised over $143,000 for the Los Angeles Chapter of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA/LA), an organization that pairs volunteer advocates with children in the foster care system. JMBM Chief Financial Officer Terri Wind is a co-founder of the fundraiser, which is sponsored by the Association of Legal Administrators.
The JMBM community is pleased to participate in the annual Food from the Bar campaigns, sponsored by the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco. We also raise money for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.
In Los Angeles, 80 law firms and legal organizations raised more than $500,000 for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, collected over 7,700 pounds of food and worked more than 823 volunteer shifts. This will provide approximately 2 million meals to the Los Angeles community.
In San Francisco, 70 law firms and legal organizations raised more than $758,00 for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, which will provide more than 1.5 million meals to those in need throughout San Francisco and Marin.
In Orange County, our JMBM colleagues raised funds to make a meaningful contribution to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.
For the fourth consecutive year, Team JMBM has been recognized as the “Fastest Law Firm Team” at the annual Justice Jog, held in Century City.
The 2017 Justice Jog included over 1,000 participants, volunteers and exhibitors, who raised funds and awareness through the Greater Los Angeles Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) for Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA) of Los Angeles. CASA is a nonprofit organization with the mission to mobilize community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system.
JMBM’s CFO, Terri Wind, is one of the co-founders of the annual event, has been on the organizing committee for 10 years, and this year served as Chair of the 10th Anniversary Justice Jog. Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP is proud to be a sponsor of the Justice Jog.
The Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP Foundation has matched the donations of the Firm’s employees and partners in support of hurricane relief in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. Together, the Foundation and the JMBM community have contributed more than $28,000 to the American Red Cross and other organizations that are providing shelter, food and emergency support to individuals and families affected by the hurricanes.
The JMBM community is pleased to participate in the annual Food from the Bar campaign, sponsored by the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Bar Association of San Francisco.
In Los Angeles, 77 legal organizations raised more than $475,000 for the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, collected over 9,000 pounds of food and worked more than 774 volunteer shifts. This will provide more than 1.9 million meals in Los Angeles County.
In San Francisco, 70 legal organizations raised more than $726,655 for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, collected 8,500 pounds of food and contributed 1,456 volunteer hours. This will provide 2.18 million pounds of food to those in need throughout San Francisco and Marin.
The staff and partners of JMBM's San Francisco office purchased more than 50 new books that will be put to use by the Bay Area Women's & Children's Center at their children's lending library located in San Francisco's Tenderloin Community School.
A team of JMBM attorneys and staff participated in the 2015 Walk to End Genocide, held April 19 in Los Angeles. Hosted by Jewish World Watch, the Walk raises awareness of atrocities in Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Funds raised by the event help Jewish World Watch continue its mission to educate, advocate and support projects in conflict-affected communities.