Donate To Keep A People’s Lawyer’s Office Open

Greetings. I am B. Kwaku Duren, a "People's Attorney" in Compton, California. I was Licensed to practice law in 1990.  I received my JD in June of 1989, from The People's College of Law, and took the bar exam for the first time in October 1989.  However, the California Committee for Bar Examiners delayed my admission to the State Bar when the Subcommittee on Moral Fitness placed my "certification application" to the California Supreme Court on hold. With local and national "grassroots support, I wrote the State Bar's Governing Board and threatened to sue.  I was then admitted.  In my present dispute with the State Bar, I am constantly reminded of my initial efforts to persuade the State Bar to issue my certification to the Supreme Court, which only occurred after widespread "community support" was shown before they relented and issued my certification for approval to the California Supreme Court. After, I became a lawyer, I continued to work for legal aid as a staff attorney.  I had previously worked as a Community Outreach Worker for Legal Aid in South Central Los Angeles and was later promoted to a Legal Assistant.  I reluctantly left Legal Aid upon my desire to run for office, which I had done before as a Legal Assistant; however, federal laws prohibited Legal Aid "attorneys" from running for public office. In 1991, I started my sole legal practice out of my home in Compton California, moved to Los Angeles in 1994, and recently moved my law practice back to Compton in January 2013.  As an attorney, I have always made my legal skills available to those who would go without legal representation were it not for my customary practice of accepting little or no money. I filed a motion to extend the time to take and pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) in October 2014, an ORDER was issued to suspend my license.  The State Bar Review Department stated that "good cause" does not exist.  "Good Cause" clearly is the 13 clients whom I am presently representing - at least 5 of these cases are "pro bono," which means that the client paid NOTHING for my representation in their legal matter. These clients will not be able to retain a new attorney.  I am seeking to maintain my license to practice law until results of the March 2014, MPRE become available. I do not have the funds to fight this proposed suspension. I am appealing to the general public, professionals and everyday people to contribute any amount that will help me keep my office rent and other office expenses paid. Testimonies Once well off, I employed known lawyers at the commencement of my divorce.  Huge legal fees, massive monthly support and bankruptcy led to my practical poverty, and attorney-abandonment.  My ex and her legal team went on a rampage. Having called hundreds of attorneys in desperation, the ONLY one considerate enough to respond with humanity, respect and understanding was Mr. Duren.  With no request for a retainer and not even mentioning any fee, he asked me to sign his appointment form.  I felt elated and ashamed jointly for having an attorney and for not sponsoring folks like him when I could have done so. The parking lot of his office was home to the many poor living in their jalopies rent free while he was getting citation tickets for parking on the meter. Kwaku is a caring honest man.  ~~J. Visconti Mr. Duren, in deed, is a compassionate and caring "people's attorney," and I consider him to be a model humanitarian person. He has shown me patience and concern in representing me in several traffic tickets," always resulting in their dismissal.  Whenever I need legal advice, he has always been responsive to my requests, he has always charged me very little, or nothing, for knowing the general community, and even in my own Ethiopian community, as a fair and honest attorney for the "people." It is my hope that Mr. Duren will be allowed to continue providing "low/no cost" legal services. If he is suspended from his "special" practice of law, this would be a real injustice, not only for me as one of his clients, but regarding Mr. Duren's "special" law practice. ~~Z. Rufael