SAN FRANCISCO - July 10, 2007 - The Public Interest Clearinghouse will host its annual Opening Doors to Justice Benefit and Silent Auction on Tuesday, July 17th at The City Club of San Francisco. This year's event will recognize the accomplishments of four distinguished honorees who have devoted their careers to creating access to justice and self-sufficiency for California's most vulnerable populations: the indigent, the elderly, and those with disabilities.

This year's honorees are Assemblymember Dave Jones, for his commitment to legislation in support of equal justice; UC Hastings Emeritus Professor Bea Moulton, for devoting her career to teaching and mentoring law students and legal services attorneys; Advisory Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP and President of the van Löben Sels/RembeRock Foundation Toni Rembe, for her leadership as a corporate lawyer dedicated to equal justice and as the leader of a foundation consistently providing support for legal services organizations. We will also remember Judy Garlow, former Director of the Legal Services Trust Fund Program of the State Bar of California, a true champion for adequate funding for an effective and efficient statewide legal services delivery program.

The Opening Doors to Justice Awards will be presented by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, Professor Mark Aaronson, and Richard Odgers.

Opening Doors to Justice Awards are given each year to outstanding members of the legal community whose demonstrated commitment to strengthening the legal services community has created access to justice for thousands of low-income Californians. Past recipients of the award include Superior Court Judge Donna Hitchens, Morrison & Foerster's Kathi Pugh, and Stanford Community Law Clinic Director Peter Reid.

Morrison & Foerster and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP are the lead Equality Sponsors of the event. Justice Sponsors include Howard Rice Nemerovski Canady Falk & Rabkin, Kirkland & Ellis, and Walkup, Melodia, Kelly, Wecht & Schoenberger. Empowerment Sponsors include Bingham McCutchen LLP, Heller Ehrman LLP, Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP, and the van Löben Sels/RembeRock Foundation.

The Tuesday, July 17th event will take place from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. Admission for the event is $65 for individuals, $40 for non-profit employees and government staff, and $20 for students. For more information please call (415) 834-0100, x309 or email svalla@pic.org.

Founded in 1979, the Public Interest Clearinghouse (PIC) enhances the capacity of the legal community by providing technical assistance, coordination and advocacy to the many nonprofit civil legal aid programs in California. Working with legal aid, law schools, the private bar, the courts and others, PIC builds a united community that shares responsibility for fairly, compassionately and effectively meeting the essential legal needs of the indigent and under-served in our communities.