The RegistryCounty Record · California

Civil Rights Lawyers in San Francisco County, California

Every civil rights attorney and civil rights lawyer listing on this page traces back to the State Bar of California's official roll, filtered to civil rights matters arising in San Francisco County. Verification describes profile identity, not quality or outcomes.

Venue matters. Civil rights cases from San Francisco County are ordinarily heard at the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The state's only consolidated city and county, and the seat of the California Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the State Bar of California.

Deadlines shape these cases before merits do — section 1983 claims borrow California's two-year personal injury period (42 U.S.C. § 1983 / Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1). Claims against California public entities under state law require a government claim within six months (Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2). Bane Act and Unruh Act claims follow their underlying tort periods.

This page is the San Francisco County chapter of the registry's statewide record — Civil Rights Attorneys in California collects all 58 counties.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

Section 1983 claims borrow California's two-year personal injury period.

42 U.S.C. § 1983 / Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1

Claims against California public entities under state law require a government claim within six months (Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2). Bane Act and Unruh Act claims follow their underlying tort periods.

Court of record

Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco.

County seat: San Francisco

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: sf.courts.ca.gov

Civil Rights · San Francisco County roster

551 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list civil rights among their practice areas with an address of record in San Francisco County.

535 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in San Francisco (550) and San (1).

1 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation — a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.

42 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.

Admission years on this roster run from 1965 to 2025.

The employers most represented here are California Department of Justice (16), Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld LLP (12) and Asian Law Caucus (9).

Sarah Abraham

Business Litigation · San Francisco

Bar #326098 · Admitted 2019

Official record

Sarah B. Abshear

Business Litigation · San Francisco

Bar #270947 · Admitted 2010

Official record

Jessica D. Adair

Business Litigation · San Francisco

Bar #348364 · Admitted 2022

Official record

Bradford T. Adams

Civil Rights · San Francisco

Bar #291215 · Admitted 2013

Official record

Brenda S. Adams

Business Litigation · San Francisco

Bar #248746 · Admitted 2007

Official record

John T. Affeldt

Business Litigation · San Francisco

Bar #154430 · Admitted 1991

Official record

Shilpi Agarwal

Civil Rights · San Francisco

Bar #270749 · Admitted 2010

Official record

Lyn R. Agre

Bankruptcy · San Francisco

Bar #178218 · Admitted 1995

Official record

Noor A. Alanizi

Business Litigation · San Francisco

Bar #365737 · Admitted 2025

Official record

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Civil Rights questions, cited

How long do I have to sue for police misconduct in California?

Federal civil rights claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 borrow California's two-year personal injury statute (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1), running from the violation. But parallel state-law claims against an officer's employing agency require a written government claim within six months under Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2 — the deadline that catches most people off guard.

What is the Bane Act?

Cal. Civ. Code § 52.1 — California's civil rights enforcement statute. It creates a claim against anyone who interferes, or attempts to interfere, by threat, intimidation, or coercion with rights secured by federal or state law. It is frequently pleaded alongside § 1983 in excessive-force cases because it authorizes actual damages, a statutory minimum, treble damages, and attorney fees, and reaches state actors without federal qualified-immunity doctrine.

What does the Unruh Civil Rights Act protect?

Full and equal access to the services of every business establishment in California, regardless of sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, and other protected characteristics (Cal. Civ. Code § 51). Violations carry a statutory minimum of $4,000 per offense plus attorney fees (Civ. Code § 52), and every ADA access violation is automatically an Unruh violation (Civ. Code § 51(f)).

Can I sue a city or county in California?

Yes, but state-law claims require presenting a written claim to the entity within six months of the injury (Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2); suit follows only after rejection, within the time stated in Gov. Code § 945.6. Federal § 1983 claims are exempt from the claim requirement, but municipal liability demands proof of an official policy or custom under Monell v. Dept. of Social Services (1978) 436 U.S. 658.

What counts as housing discrimination in California?

Refusing to rent or sell, imposing different terms, or making housing unavailable based on protected characteristics — including source of income such as Section 8 vouchers — violates the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Cal. Gov. Code § 12955) and the federal Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604). Complaints may be filed with the California Civil Rights Department or pursued directly in court.

Legal information, not legal advice.

From the answer files

Civil Rights by city in San Francisco County

Related counsel in San Francisco County

Civil Rights in nearby counties

Source: 42 U.S.C. § 1983 / Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.

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