LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF SAN DIEGO ANNOUNCES JOANNE FRANCISCUS AS ITS NEW CEO

Franciscus leads a staff of 228, including 86 attorneys, who provide equal access to justice to lower income San Diegans through quality legal services.

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD) is proud to announce the appointment of Joanne Franciscus as its new Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director. 

Over her eleven-year career at LASSD, Joanne has served as a Staff Attorney, Lead Attorney, Senior Attorney, Managing Attorney, and, most recently, as the firm's first Chief Operating Officer, where she oversaw day-to-day operations and helped to build LASSD's culture and vision.

Joanne came to LASSD after eight years of private practice at a Carlsbad, California, law firm, where, as a Partner, she represented plaintiffs in personal injury, workplace sexual harassment, and medical malpractice. 

In 2011, Joanne was selected for a competitive Legal and Policy Fellowship at Polaris Project in Washington, D.C. Polaris Project is a survivor-centered, justice- and equity-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to ending human trafficking. Polaris operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and the largest known dataset on human trafficking in North America. From 2011 to 2019, Joanne was the volunteer Regional Director of Not for Sale, a global anti-human trafficking nonprofit organization.

A New Jersey native, Joanne earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Criminal Justice from the University of Richmond. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law. She currently resides in San Diego with her husband, their 2 dogs and cat, where she enjoys running, hiking, wine tasting, and movies.

About the Legal Aid Society of San Diego

Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD) is the largest poverty law firm in San Diego County and has been serving its residents for over 100 years. LASSD continues to be a proud, committed, and compassionate group of people dedicated to providing equal access to justice for San Diegans through aggressive, quality legal services. For more information, please visit www.lassd.org.

Media Contact:
Susana Villegas, 619-947-5742
[email protected]

SOURCE Legal Aid Society of San Diego

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