NEWS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 11, 2002

CITY ATTORNEY RUSSO LAUNCHES NEIGHBORHOOD LAW CORPS

2 Photo Opportunities This Wednesday, February 13, 2002

Oakland, CA-Fresh out of a week-long orientation and training, Oakland's new Neighborhood Law Corps attorneys will hit the streets this week to provide legal resources in five of Oakland's more challenged neighborhoods: Brookfield and Eastmont in East Oakland, San Antonio and Fruitvale in Central East Oakland, and McClymonds in West Oakland.

Members of the media and photographers are invited to participate in two events involving the Neighborhood Law Corps this Wednesday, February 13, 2002: a walk-through of the 26th Avenue corridor in Fruitvale followed by a brief welcoming ceremony in City Hall with Mayor Jerry Brown.

Photo Op #1: Neighborhood Law Corps Attorneys Hit the Streets of Fruitvale
An inter-agency problem-solving team convened by the City Manager and the office of City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente will conduct a walk-through visit of the 26th Avenue corridor in Fruitvale to determine blight and code enforcement problems to be tackled by the team.
TIME: 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Corner of 26th Avenue and Logan Street

Photo Op #2: Mayor Brown Presides Over Welcoming Ceremony
In a brief ceremony in City Hall, Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown and City Attorney John Russo will officially welcome the five new Neighborhood Law Corps attorneys and initiate their two-year term of "community lawyering."
TIME: 12 noon
WHERE: Oakland City Hall, City Council Chambers

The first program of its kind in the nation, the Neighborhood Law Corps was created by City Attorney John Russo as an innovative approach to enforce and defend the City's quality-of-life laws and blight reduction policies. Law Corps attorneys will focus on three primary challenges: blight and code enforcement, toxic pollution, and consumer education.