[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15173]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  ON THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PUBLIC LAW CENTER IN ORANGE COUNTY, 
                               CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
congratulate the Public Law Center for its 25 years of service to the 
people of Orange County, California.
  Thousands of Orange County lower-income residents have benefited from 
the myriad of pro bono services that the PLC offers. The PLC has 
amassed an army of legal professionals to help our community. They hold 
community legal clinics every-other months. For more specific needs, 
they help refer clients to specialized private attorneys.
  The PLC also provides assistance to local community organizations, 
the non-profits that understand all the challenges that our less 
fortunate Orange County brothers and sisters face. What would we do if 
we didn't have the PLC to help navigate the complicated world of 
employment contracts and housing agreements?
  The PLC is there too for needy families, and to individuals with 
special needs, like people living with HIV/AIDS.
  I am very grateful for the Public Law Center's work with members of 
the South East Asian community. Our Vietnamese community especially 
requires and deserves special attention, as they face legal and 
cultural challenges which are unique to them.
  One challenge in particular is dealing with the awful scourge of 
human trafficking. I am proud to call the PLC a partner--along with St. 
Anselm's Cross Cultural Center, the cities of Santa Ana, Garden Grove 
and Westminster, along with other community organizations--in their 
work with the Orange County Human Trafficking Coalition. The U.S. 
Congress recently recognized the work of the Coalition by awarding it 
with a Federal law enforcement grant. While the Federal Government 
works with local law enforcement to arrest and prosecute the 
traffickers, the PLC and its partners work to provide services to 
victims. This cooperation is a model for public private cooperation.
  In its 25 years, the Public Law Center has worked on countless cases, 
and its service to our community is immeasurable. I can only wish its 
board, staff and volunteers another 25 years of continued success and 
service.

                          ____________________