Towards Justice is a left-of-center law firm which specializes in representing immigrants, international workers, and other low-wage workers alleging wage theft, labor trafficking, and violations of antitrust laws. ¹It was founded by attorney Alexander “Alex” Hood in 2014 with the original mission of assisting Spanish-speaking immigrants, but Hood pivoted to focus on wage lawsuits. ²Towards Justice represents workers from a wide array of industries, including healthcare, childcare, and factory work. ³

Aside from its pro bono legal work, Towards Justice advocates for an increased minimum wage, overtime pay protections, and “individual liability for employers who steal wages,” among other topics. ⁴  The organization opposes the labor system of Colorado’s prisons, which punishes inmates who do not comply, and has accused the state of Colorado of “engag[ing] in persistent and widespread violations of the state’s constitutional prohibition against slavery and involuntary servitude.” ⁵

Notable Lawsuits

Towards Justice represented three California contract workers in a 2022 lawsuit against driving platforms Uber and Lyft. The plaintiffs claimed that the platforms violated antitrust laws by not allowing contractors to set their own rates and sidestepped fair labor laws by preventing drivers from seeing how far away the destination was before accepting the gig. ⁶In an interview with Reuters, Towards Justice attorney Rachel Dempsey accused Uber and Lyft of  “trying to avoid the responsibilities of an employer” such as providing benefits and W-2 status while keeping a significant amount of control over drivers’ hours and pay. ⁷ The lawsuit is still ongoing as of July 2022.

Towards Justice won a case in 2019 on behalf of international sheepherders who claimed that ranches were colluding as part of a cartel to fix wages through the Western Range Association (WRA). ⁸ According to the sheepherders, WRA would process their applications and assign them to a ranch without allowing them to pick a ranch based on wages, in violation of federal antitrust laws. Towards Justice attorney David Seligman said that even low-wage visa workers “should be able to benefit from the fair competition that our antitrust laws ensure.” ⁹ The court ruled that ranchers could not have temporary or seasonal visa workers “fill permanent labor needs,” but instead must hire citizens or provide a permanent visa for non-citizen laborers which would require them to be paid a higher wage. ¹⁰

In 2019, Towards Justice obtained a damages settlement of $65.6 million on behalf of au pairs. ¹¹ Plaintiffs in the case included Johana Paola Beltran, a young woman from Columbia who was supposedly hired to experience a “cultural exchange” while helping to care for her host family’s children. Beltran told the Washington Post that she was “treated…like a maid,” paid $4.35 per hour to complete extensive housekeeping and childcare, and some nights did not even have food to eat. ¹² Nina DiSalvo, the then-executive director of Towards Justice, argued that au pair agencies needed to be regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor if the companies wanted to hire full-time nannies or maids. ¹³

Leadership

David Seligman has served as executive director of Towards Justice since 2018. Seligman’s career began as research fellow with the New York Police Department in 2006, after which he took internships relating to worker’s rights and labor laws. He received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 2010 and spent three years as a law clerk. Seligman joined the National Consumer Law Center in 2013, where he worked as an attorney until 2015 and still serves as a contributing author. He then served as litigation counsel for Towards Justice until his appointment to executive director in 2018. ¹⁴

Alexander “Alex” Hood is the founder of Towards Justice, where he currently serves as an attorney. According to his bio on the Towards Justice website, Hood graduated from Williams College and Boston Law School. He served as a high school history teacher before founding Towards Justice in 2014. ¹⁵

Financials

Towards Justice had revenues of nearly $4 million in 2019. Its expenses totaled over $775,000 and it had assets of $3.4 million. Its grants and contributions were roughly equivalent to what it received in 2018, but its program service revenue jumped from under $6,000 to over $3.4 million in 2019. ¹⁶

1. Towards Justice. “Our Work.” Accessed June 30, 2022. https://towardsjustice.org/our-work/
2. Maura King Scully. “Bold Move Leads to Unexpected Rewards.” Boston College Law School Magazine Online. June 2015. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/2015/06/bold-move-leads-to-unexpected-rewards/
3. Towards Justice. “Our Work.” Accessed June 30, 2022. https://towardsjustice.org/our-work/
4. Towards Justice. “Policy Advocacy.” Accessed July 3, 2022. https://towardsjustice.org/legal_topics/policy-advocacy/
5. Towards Justice. “Press Release: Lawsuit Filed Challenging Polis Administration’s Alleged Violations of State Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting Involuntary Servitude.” February 15, 2022. Accessed July 3, 2022. https://towardsjustice.org/2022/02/15/press-release-lawsuit-filed-challenging-polis-administrations-alleged-violations-of-state-constitutional-amendment-prohibiting-involuntary-servitude/
6. Elizabeth Brennan. “Press Release: Drivers Sue to Block Uber, Lyft’s Illegal Price Fixing.” Towards Justice. June 21, 2022. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://towardsjustice.org/2022/06/21/press-release-drivers-sue-to-block-uber-lyfts-illegal-price-fixing/
7. Mike Scarcella. “Uber, Lyft drivers claim price-fixing in lawsuit against companies.” Reuters. June 21, 2022. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/uber-lyft-drivers-claim-price-fixing-lawsuit-against-companies-2022-06-21/
8.  Leah Douglas. “U.S. sheep herders sue employers for cartel-like wage suppression.” Reuters. June 2, 2022. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-sheep-herders-sue-employers-cartel-like-wage-suppression-2022-06-02/
9. Leah Douglas. “U.S. sheep herders sue employers for cartel-like wage suppression.” Reuters. June 2, 2022. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-sheep-herders-sue-employers-cartel-like-wage-suppression-2022-06-02/
10. Towards Justice. “Major Settlement Reached to Protect American and Foreign Sheepherders.” November 21, 2019. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://towardsjustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Major-Settlement-Reached-to-Protect-American-and-Foreign-Sheepherders.pdf
11. Towards Justice. “Fighting Wage Suppression for Childcare Workers on Au Pair Visas: Beltran, et al v. Interexchange, Inc., et al.” May 8, 2019. Accessed July 3, 2022.
    https://towardsjustice.org/case_studies/fighting-wage-suppression-for-childcare-workers-on-au-pair-visas-beltran-et-al-v-interexchange-inc-et-al/
12. Lydia DePillis. “Au pairs provide cheap childcare. Maybe illegally cheap.” The Washington Post. March 20, 2015. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/20/au-pairs-provide-cheap-childcare-maybe-illegally-cheap/
13. Lydia DePillis. “Au pairs provide cheap childcare. Maybe illegally cheap.” The Washington Post. March 20, 2015. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/20/au-pairs-provide-cheap-childcare-maybe-illegally-cheap/
14. LinkedIn. “David Seligman.” Accessed June 30, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-seligman-40263166
15. Towards Justice. “Alexander Hood, Esq.” Accessed June 30, 2022. https://towardsjustice.org/people/alexander-hood-esq/
16. “Towards Justice of Colorado.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax Form 990. 2019. Accessed June 30, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/464625504/202022829349300942/full