Leading the Way: Calise Cheng Steps in as Board President

We're excited to welcome Calise Cheng as our new Board President. Calise has been on the Board since 2020 and is a Partner at Cooley, practicing corporate and securities law, representing companies at all stages of their life cycle. In 2022, The Recorder named her Attorney of the Year. Calise is dedicated to serving our community and we are grateful to have her experience and direction as President of the Board. 

Thank you to our outgoing Board President Melissa Hollatz for serving in this important role for the past two years. We're very thankful for Melissa's outstanding leadership and service to our clients and staff. We look forward to her continued service in her role as Past President of the Board. We also give our heartfelt appreciation to outgoing Board Members Matthew Fawcett for his many years of service to the Law Foundation and our client communities.

Protecting a Generational Home  

When Rosario received an eviction notice at the home she shared with her daughter and grandkids, she was distraught and overwhelmed. She didn’t know her options or how to keep her family together under one roof. That’s when she turned to the Law Foundation.

Our attorneys worked with her and community partner Sacred Heart Community Service to ensure Rosario and her family could stay in the home they’ve always known.

Watch Rosario’s story on our YouTube channel.

A Warm Welcome to Our New Health Program Directing Attorney

The Law Foundation is excited to have a new Directing Attorney, Mary-Lee Kimber Smith, leading our Health program. Her career spans over 13 years at Disability Rights Advocates. She has been instrumental in shaping precedential case law and negotiating historic settlement agreements on various impactful disability justice cases throughout her career.

Mary-Lee is excited to join the Health Team and looks forward to continuing and growing the team's important advocacy work. We are delighted to have Mary-Lee's wealth of experience and expertise to support and empower the Law Foundation’s Health team.

Save the Date - LACY Honors Awards & Luncheon

Join more than 300 business, legal, and community leaders to show your support for the Law Foundation's Children & Youth program (Legal Advocates for Children & Youth). The program provides critical legal services for children and youth facing serious issues like physical and sexual abuse, entry into the foster care system, and homelessness. 



For more information visit lawfoundation.org/events. To learn more about support opportunities, please contact [email protected].

Don't Miss Next Year's Celebration of Justice

Save the date for our 2025 Celebration of Justice event:

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

5:30 PM - 9:00 PM

San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront