Strategic Goals
Our vision is a just and equitable world where all communities prosper. Rural California communities are uniquely suited to build that world. As their partner, we focus on four strategic pillars and a core methodology.
Read more in our 2025-2027 Strategic Plan.
Grow to create systemic change, informed by the needs of the community
While our direct service work makes a significant incremental impact, our systemic advocacy and community lawyering efforts play a transformative role in dismantling unjust systems to positively impact entire communities. Both are equally necessary to meet our mission.
Ensure all clients have access to all services regardless of location
Maximizing our impact, while also providing consistently quality experiences across all our Rural Justice Centers requires us to refocus and, in some cases, reimagine the way we work together as a statewide organization.
Develop our people to achieve our mission
The communities we serve, our staff, and board members are the heartbeat of CRLA's mission. We will strengthen and maintain a healthy culture, increasing collaboration across Rural Justice Centers and programs and boosting engagement of our staff and board.
Create the infrastructure for growth and more impact
To continue growing and operating as a statewide organization, we need to invest in our infrastructure. We will establish a permanent physical presence in the communities we serve as well as update our processes and systems to create quality experiences.
How We Work: Community Lawyering
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) is an anti-poverty law firm that dismantles unjust systems through community lawyering in California’s historically rural areas.
Community lawyering builds shared power to generate legal strategies driven by the expertise and vision of communities.
We structure our community lawyering practice to integrate people-, place-, and issue-based advocacy across our entire organization.
Through our 17 Rural Justice Centers, people priced out of private attorney services can access a broad range of legal tools at no charge, including direct legal services, specialized litigation to advance civil rights, and place-based advocacy to expand equity in civic institutions.