EL CHICANo Weekly
Vol 58, NO. 19
Apr il 29, 2021
Almadani is fir st Latina woman to lead nation’s largest pro bono law fir m, Public Counsel
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ublic Counsel announced the selection of Mó nica Ramírez Almadani as its next President and Chief Executive Officer and holder of the Helen & Morgan Chu CEO Distinguished Chair. The appointment, which will be effective in June 2021, is the result of a months-long, in-depth search to find a new leader for Public Counsel after retired Federal Judge Margaret Morrow announced her upcoming departure after five-and-a-half successful and highly productive years at the helm of the nation’s largest pro bono law firm, which recently celebrated its 50-year anniversary. Ramírez Almadani has nearly two decades of experience advocating for the rights of underserved communities locally and nationally. Currently a clinical law professor and co-director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at the University of California,
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Irvine School of Law, she began her career at the American Civil Liberties Union after clerking for the late Honorable Warren J. Ferguson of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Ramírez Almadani continued to lead initiatives, investigations, and precedent-setting litigation on behalf of vulnerable communities across the country at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, where she served as Counsel to then Assistant Attorney General (and former U.S. Secretary of Labor) Thomas E. Perez during the first term of the Obama Administration.
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The daughter of Mexican immigrants who grew up in Southern California, Ramírez Almadani went on to graduate from Harvard University and received her law degree from Stanford Law. Almadani has dedicated her career to pursuing immigrant rights and social justice, holding positions at the ACLU, the DOJ, and the California Department of Justice.
Ramírez Almadani has served in several other leadership roles in federal and state government, including as Special Assistant Attorney General in the California Department of Justice, advising then Attorney General Almadani, cont. on next pg.
SB Family YMCA teaches youth to be safe ar ound water
his year as part of the Y’s commitment to reduce drowning rates and keep kids safe in and around the water, the YMCA of the East Valley will provide free water safety lessons directly to people ages three and up at its Redlands, Highland, and San Bernardino YMCA branches. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fatal drowning is the secondleading cause of death for children ages one to 14 years old. In ethnically diverse communities, the youth drowning rate is two to three times higher than the national average, according to a USA Swimming study. Additionally 64 percent of African-American children, 45 percent of Latino children, and 40 percent of Caucasian children have no or low swimming ability. “Educating children how to be safe around water is just as YMCA, cont. on next pg.
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In the Y’s free Safety Around Water program, children learn fundamental water safety skills. “Jump, Push, Turn, Grab” and “Swim, Float, Swim” are two skill sets kids can use if they unexpectedly find themselves in the water. Another topic covered is what to do if you see someone in the water who needs help.