Pasadena Civil Rights Lawyers

Advocating Tirelessly for Our Clients’ Civil Rights in Greater Los Angeles

Our award-winning attorneys at Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP have made this field their life’s work. We push boundaries and break legal ground. We strive to provide bold, visionary advocacy for our clients in every case our Pasadena civil rights attorneys handle, covering a vast spectrum of rights violations and injustice.

We take up the causes of people who have been unlawfully exploited, mistreated, and damaged. Our attorneys have taken cases all the way to The California Supreme Court, The Supreme Court of the United States, State courts of appeal, and many other venues.

Defending Freedoms, Safety, Privacy & Dignity in California and Globally

We frequently tackle cases that pose difficult legal questions involving rights under the U.S. Constitution and other federal and state laws, such as:

• The First Amendment right to freedom of speech and assembly
• The Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures
• Civil rights afforded to all citizens under the 14th Amendment
• Fair and safe housing laws
• Police brutality, excessive force, and misconduct
• State and federal rights to privacy

Call or contact us online to schedule a case consultation with an experienced Pasadena civil & human rights lawyer.

Notable Victories

Our lawyers’ commitment to pursuing justice for violations of civil and human rights does not stop at the state lines of California or national borders. We'll protect your rights in civil cases regardless of your location.

Compelling, precedent-setting international human rights cases have taken us to Guantanamo Bay, Nigeria, and other global locations — enabling us to battle against:

• Illegal detainment
• Forced labor
• Corporate complicity in violence
• And other serious abuses

Civil Rights Cases

Across the world, there have been many famous civil rights cases. Since the 1800s, the U.S Supreme Court has been faced with civil rights and discrimination cases. Many of the discrimination cases involve race, gender, sexual orientation, religious freedoms, and disability rights. Some of the most famous cases are Dred Scott v. Sanford, Roe V. Wade, Bowers v. Hardwick, and Bragdon v. Abbott.

Notable Cases include:

• Adree Edmo v. Idaho Department of Corrections, et al. (United States District Court, District of Idaho, Case No. 1:17-cv-00151, 2021). 
  Lawsuit filed on behalf of Native American transgender prisoner who was denied medically urgent treatment for her severe gender dysphoria. Successfully obtained the first appellate court decision ordering a state to provide a prisoner gender confirmation surgery.
• Adree Edmo v. Idaho Department of Corrections, et al. (United States District Court, District of Idaho, Case No. 1:17-cv-00151, 2021). 
  Lawsuit filed on behalf of Native American transgender prisoner who was denied medically urgent treatment for her severe gender dysphoria. Successfully obtained the first appellate court decision ordering a state to provide a prisoner gender confirmation surgery.
• Meares v. Rim of the World Unified School District (United States District Court, Central District of California, Case No. CV-02096, 2017). 
  Lawsuit brought by high school student with disabilities and his mother against public high school for denying student the opportunity to participate on the school mountain biking team on account of his disabilities. The District Court issued the first federal court decision recognizing an equal right under the IDEA for students with disabilities to participate in extracurricular activities. Settlement of $1,000,000, development of policies setting forth procedures for encouraging disabled students to participate in extra-curricular activities, and creation of a permanent Superintendent/Parent Advisory Board to discuss issues significant to special education students and students with a plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Published opinion at 269 F. Supp. 3d 1041 (C.D. Cal. 2016).
• Sara Khalil Farsakh, et al. v. Urth Caffe Corporation, et al. (Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2016-00849787, 2018). 
  Our firm and co-counsel settled a lawsuit on behalf of seven Muslim women forced to leave Urth Caffe because of they were visibly Muslim. The settlement agreement required the restaurant chain to hold diversity trainings and update its policies.
• Advokids v. County of Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. BS150163, 2017). 
  Settlement for Injunctive Relief and $500,000 in lawsuit against Los Angeles County Department of Children & Family Services for failing to give notice to foster parents and grandparents prior to moving children to another placement. Settlement resulted in change in policy and three years of court supervision to ensure that the County complies with settlement terms.
• Christian Rodriguez et al. v. City of Los Angeles (United States District Court, Central District, Case No. CV11-01135, 2016). 
  Represented two plaintiffs arrested by the LAPD on suspicion of violating a curfew provision of a gang injunction filed this landmark class action lawsuit. Plaintiffs enjoined the City of Los Angeles from enforcing unconstitutional provisions in 26 gang injunctions or serving any of the injunctions without required notices, and created a Jobs and Education program valued between $4.5 and $30 million dollars for 5,700 class members and their families, an expedited process to apply to be removed from the gang injunction, and a City-funded program providing tattoo removal services.
• Former Men’s Central Jail Inmate v. Los Angeles County (2013). 
  Settlement of $475,000 from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for civil rights violations involving excessive force at the Men’s Central Jail.
• Bardzik v. Orange County Sheriff’s Department (United States District Court, Central District, 2012). 
  Precedent establishing $950,000 settlement against the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and former Orange County Sheriff Michael Carona for violating Bardzik’s First Amendment freedom of speech rights by retaliating against him for supporting Carona’s opponent in the election for sheriff. Not only did HSRR secure a published decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upholding Bardzik’s claims and finding that Carona was not entitled to qualified immunity but the settlement of $950,000 is one of the largest settlements of its kind in the history of Orange County.
• South Central Farmers Feeding Families v. City of Los Angeles (Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC 311110, 2004). 
  Represented over 300 low-income families in a struggle to preserve land for a much-needed urban community garden in South Los Angeles. In 2004, Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit challenging the City of Los Angeles’ sale of the 14-acre community garden to a private developer. The City of Los Angeles had acquired the property by eminent domain from the developer in the 1980s, and for many years thereafter, the property was used by members of the community as an urban farm and community garden. Then, in 2002, the developer filed a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles for alleged breach of an agreement to sell the property. Despite prevailing in the early stages of the litigation, the City suddenly and inexplicably agreed to settle the lawsuit with the developer in 2003. Plaintiffs then filed suit in February 2004, alleging a taxpayer claim for waste by the City for expending public funds to settle litigation without adequate consideration. The case was hard fought but ultimately lost at trial. The South Central Farmers garnered nationwide support for its cause, and the grassroots organization continues today in its commitment to engaging and empowering community members around attaining food sovereignty and access to high quality organic produce. The Oscar-nominated 2008 American documentary film The Garden details the story of the South Central Farmers and the struggle to keep the community garden.
• Doe v. Unocal (Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC 237980, 2006). 
  Represented Burmese villagers in landmark lawsuit against U.S. oil and gas company Unocal for human rights abuses relating to the Yadana natural gas pipeline project. In 2005, the plaintiffs reached a settlement with Unocal that compensated plaintiffs and provided funds enabling plaintiffs and their representatives to develop programs to improve living conditions, health care and education and protect the rights of people from the pipeline region. This historic settlement was the first human rights lawsuit against a multinational corporation for abuses committed abroad that resulted in compensation for the survivors.
• Doe v. Newport-Mesa Unified School District (2009). 
  In one of the first cases of its kind, our attorneys obtained a settlement of claims for sexual orientation and sexual discrimination and harassment, providing for extensive mandatory training for school administrators, teachers, and staff on the harmful impacts of discrimination and harassment and how to maintain a safe and nondiscriminatory learning environment for all students.
• Avery v. OCTA (Orange County Superior Court, 2009). 
  Our attorneys achieved a $3 million class action settlement and extensive injunctive relief on behalf of plaintiffs who were assessed excessive and unreasonable fines for nonpayment of Orange County toll penalties.
• Trujillo v. City of Ontario (Los Angeles County Superior Court, 2009). 
  In one of the first cases of its kind, we represented employees who had been videotaped by police without their knowledge or consent. After extensive litigation, the City agreed to pay $2.75 million to settle class action right to privacy claims.
• Ruiz v. Jackson (Los Angeles County Superior Court, 2004). 
  Our firm obtained a jury verdict of $825,000 on behalf of Philippine plaintiff brought to Los Angeles and forced to work 18 hours per day while captive in defendants’ home. Prevailed on all claims, including false imprisonment, fraud, assault, battery, and negligence against defendants, one of whom was a lawyer and executive at Sony Pictures.
• Blair v. City of Pomona (United States District Court, Central District, 2001). 
  In one of the first cases brought by an officer against its department, our attorneys represented a whistleblower who was retaliated against for his role in bringing forward allegations of police misconduct. Settled for $635,000 and agreement to allow client to return to job.
• Hail v. DPSS (1991). 
  Our firm obtained a significant settlement during trial of a due process denial for a provider of developmental services — $1.4 million.
• Compton v. Baca (1991). 
  Pursuing novel legal claims, Hadsell & Stormer recovered $14 million on civil rights for client wrongfully deprived of property in violation of the United State Constitution.
• Zinzun v. City of Los Angeles (1991). 
  Precedent setting case on behalf of a Black Panther running for public office against the City of Los Angeles for the unlawful use of police resources in order to create a false public image of the Plaintiff. The matter was tried to a jury and resulted in a verdict of $3.84 million, which was a record result at the time. Link to Los Angeles Times Article.
• Troffer v. United States (1986). 
  Judgment for over $1 million based upon a denial of due process for firefighters wrongfully denied access to their jobs.

If your rights have been violated, reach out to our team online today. Please call (626) 775-7870 or contact us online to schedule a free case consultation with a civil rights attorney in Pasadena, CA.