A favorite grounding practice at the Law Center is reading! Below is a list of a few of our favorite books from last year. These writings inspired us, made us cry, sparked our imaginations, and so much more! 

Our Favorite Fiction Books:

The Deluge, by Stephen Markley (Recommended by Nicole)

I finished this 900 page tome while lying in a camper van in a gorgeous, secluded spot in the Canadian Rockies, surrounded by receding glaciers. My 6 month old daughter was napping on the bed next to me, and upon closing the book I proceeded to bawl my eyes out in a body-wracking 30-minute cry.  This powerful, expansive, nuanced and insightful read into the climate movement starts in the near past, covering recent historic events, and extends into the following few decades.  The book, published in January 2023, was wildly prescient, predicting major climate and political events of the last two years that would have been truly unthinkable previously (not giving any spoilers here, but I’m not talking about the return of the Trump administration, which many movement organizers foresaw).  A multi-character epic showing the long journey of political formation of its characters and exploring the many roles to be played in response to the climate crisis - from denial to resistance, cooptation to sabotage - this book manages to be hopeful and devastating at the same time.  A true punch in the gut, but one I could not recommend more.

Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072 by M.E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi (Recommended by Mohini)

I finished this book almost a year ago, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I am captivated by the political vision laid out in this work of speculative fiction, telling the story of a global uprising that begins with the liberation of Palestine. Communes—neighborhood communities that ensure that everybody’s needs are getting met—reconstitute New York City, and the book is told through a series of twelve interviews set in New York between the now-elderly authors and individuals who played a role in the uprisings. People have loads of trauma to work through by the 2050s, so the story goes, but post-capitalist forms of locally-rooted but regionally-coordinated governance are slowly healing people and planet. Democracy is participatory, and ecosystems are being healed by restoring Indigenous lifeways. Most of the planet is free from nation-states, property, and even money. I first read this book in a reading group facilitated by our friends at Movement Generation, and I found it so compelling that I led a reading group for it at the Law Center, which initiated a yearlong learning series on the theme, ‘Beyond the Nation State.’

By Jillian D’Onfro from The San Francisco Standard

As we wind down another year, it’s only natural to pause and reflect. This was yet another wildly unprecedented year that brought immense challenges for us all. So, how are we feeling about what we need to stay energized in 2026? Here at the Law Center, we spend a lot of time and resources maintaining our internal resilience. Internal resilience is a measure of our organizational capacity to take care of ourselves and our needs as workers, while building a just economy that will hopefully one day render our current capitalist system obsolete. When the resilience is high, it’s a strong, steady heart beat propelling our work forward.

By THALIA BEATY from AP News

It has frequently been observed that terror can rule absolutely only over men who are isolated against each other… isolated men are powerless by definition.”  — philosopher Hannah Arendt

By Alison Chopel et al. from Nonprofit Quarterly

By Natalie Orenstein from Oaklandside

Excerpt:

“The only reason why businesses like this could exist,” said Tobias Damm-Luhr, staff attorney at the Sustainable Economies Law Center, is because “people hoard land and housing. They create these artificial scarcities such that people who don’t have a home or any other option are forced to try to live in places where they have no legal right to live.” 

"When we prioritize somebody’s passive income over life, we have a problem."

Read the full article here.

(Originally published September 30, 2025)

Thanks to our community we reached our fundraising goal! If you missed any of last month's events, you're in luck! A short recap of the events and gatherings, recordings of our Continuing Legal Education workshops, and our fundraising recap can be found in this blog post.

We reached our fundraising goal!

More than 100 members of our community donated to Sustainable Economies Law Center during our August grassroots campaign! We raised just over $28,000 to support our work this year!  

IMAGE ID: A collage of Law Center staff and community members in playful and joyful poses, with rainbow watercolors bleeding through the background. The words “THANK YOU” are centered in the middle of the collage.

Earlier in August, my coworkers and I at the Sustainable Economies Law Center (the Law Center) had the opportunity to witness and celebrate the spiritual and legal unselling of Homefulness 1 through the signing of a first-of-its-kind liberation easement between POOR Magazine (the legal owner of Homefulness 1) and the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust.

IMAGE ID: Kiki, a young child, walks on a cement path at Homefulness1. The path is painted in black lettering with community commitments to permanently unsell Homefulness 1. A diverse mix of people talk and commune in the background.

The ceremony included multi-nationed prayer and oral recounting of HERstories and truthtelling by each organization on the necessity and shared excitement for the liberation easement. After the signing, each witness present was invited to sign their names on the land to collectively hold POOR Magazine accountable for the promises made that day. I signed my name, followed by the short prayer “This Land Our Body” passed on to me by a Tewa elder.

🚨 BIG NEWS: California could finally legalize communal living! 🚨

The Housing Choice for All Act is here! A bold statewide proposal to remove outdated zoning restrictions that punish people for how they live and who they live with.

This legislation would end legal discrimination against non-family households, shared housing, and co-living communities by eliminating the distinction between “dwelling units” and “group housing”, and we’re proud to help lead the charge. Sign on to support here!

A group of twelve people of diverse ages, genders, and backgrounds pose together outdoors on a sunny day, smiling and relaxed. They are standing and kneeling on grass near trees, with a red woven blanket and bones in the foreground. A wooden garden structure and lush greenery are visible in the background, suggesting a communal or rural setting.

Rhythm and Resistance Party

Tonight at ESM Studios (981 35th St Oakland CA 94608), we’re gathering for a joyful night of dancing, food, and togetherness. We’re cranking up the music, serving up tasty tacos, and raising our glasses to the power of community! Come ready to eat, drink, laugh, and play — and yes, bring the kids! We’ll have crafts and activities for all ages. Whether you're here to move, connect, or just soak in the summer energy — this is a space for all ages, all communities, all hearts. Let’s come together and celebrate resilience, rhythm, and joy. RSVP here!

🚨 BIG NEWS: WOPA just dropped! 🚨

The Workers’ Opportunity to Purchase Act was officially introduced by San Francisco District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan — giving workers the first right to buy their workplace when it’s up for sale.

The Law Center's Intern Joy George makes a public comment at the SF Board of Supervisors

We’ve got some good and bad news to share about our work to pass Assembly Bill 746, the bill we’ve been working on with incarcerated folks that would incentivize the development of worker cooperatives inside of California prisons, and establish critical infrastructure to support an ecosystem of cooperatives owned and governed by incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as crime survivors. 

Law Center Staff Hope Williams and Hasmik Geghamyan with Leonard Brown, Kelly Groth, Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, and Malik Gover

In a ‘full-circle moment,’ lauded Arab bakery Reem’s returning to Oakland this fall
Reem’s will establish its flagship location in Jack London Square, with plans to open outposts on the horizon 

by Cecilia Seiter from Berkeleyside