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From a “deteriorating” building in East Palo Alto to a “cramped” office off a remote Highway 101 interchange to “temporary quarters” on Stanford’s Redwood City campus — Stanford Law School’s Community Law Clinic now has a “forever home.”
The clinic opened its doors on Wednesday at its new site, located at 999 Main St. Celebrated by staff and community members for its centrality, it’s the only Mills Legal Clinic off campus. The space is a 10-minute walk from the Caltrain and the courthouse, a 20-minute walk from the Fair Oaks Community Center, near numerous bus lines and a stone’s throw from clients’ homes.
“We are incredibly blessed to do this work on the dime of Stanford University,” clinic director Professor Juliet Brodie addressed the attendees of the clinic’s grand opening, “which liberates us to really lawyer the heck out of every single case and to teach our students to teach our clients what it really means to have a champion, full-ride, on your side.”
Since 2003, the community clinic has provided free legal services to low-income residents of communities surrounding Stanford University and has also served as a site for practical training for Stanford Law students. Among the 11 clinics affiliated with the Mills Legal Clinic of Stanford Law School, the center allows students the chance to dedicate at least one academic quarter to real-world lawyering under faculty supervision.
The cases students tackle involve eviction defense, Social Security disability benefits and post-conviction relief, such as help with job opportunities and promotions.
“This space finally reflects who we are and the work we do,” Brodie said. “After years of temporary locations, it feels like we’ve ended up in exactly the right place — embedded in the community, easy for clients to reach, and designed to be a welcoming, dignified environment for anyone who walks through the door.”
The Community Law Clinic began as the East Palo Alto Community Law Project, a neighborhood legal program that was spearheaded by Stanford Law students in the 1980s. Many staff members of the clinic have been with the clinic for decades, like clinical supervising attorney Danielle Jones, who joined in 2004, and legal assistant Lupe Buenrostro, who began with the East Palo Alto enterprise in 1989.
The clinic will start taking clients at this site beginning Jan. 5, 2026. For more information and to request legal assistance, visit the Community Law Clinic’s website.
