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Natalie Lanam

Natalie Lanam

Natalie Teresa Lanam was known throughout our community for her passionate belief in providing free civil legal services to low-income residents of San Mateo County who are particularly vulnerable due to age, disability, language or family violence. 

Natalie was deeply committed to Legal Aid’s mission to help disadvantaged people improve their
lives through equal access to justice. She understood that a family needs a lawyer’s expertise to get the landlord to repair uninhabitable housing or to appeal a denial of food assistance or health insurance coverage.

Natalie was an extraordinary adviser, donor and fundraiser for the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County for nearly two decades. She served as the first co-chair of the And Justice For All…Annual Luncheon, Legal Aid’s community-wide fundraiser, and encouraged many others to join her as Legal Aid supporters and volunteers.  

In 2000, the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County received a major gift from Joe Cotchett in honor of his dear friend Natalie Lanam. At that time the Board of Directors proudly elected to name our San Mateo building The Natalie Lanam Justice Center in her honor. After 12 short years, in the San Mateo building, the Legal Aid Society outgrew the space and in 2012, applied for and was invited to become a tenant in the Sobrato Center of Nonprofits Redwood Shores building. The Legal Aid staff and clients now enjoy a new and improved, larger Natalie Lanam Justice Center with which to bring justice to all!