THC was founded by Hastings Law School students, including now-Executive Director Randy Shaw. We opened on February 1, 1980, in a 70 sq. ft. office at GLIDE. We were an all-volunteer operation. Our rent and office expenses were covered by small foundation grants and allocations from Hastings’ student groups. By 1982 we essentially ran out of money to pay rent and were offered a free space previously used as a storage room at the North of Market Planning Coalition at 295 Eddy Street. Randy Shaw secured a Berkeley Law Foundation grant that enabled him to start as THC’s first fulltime employee in September 1982. A combination of CDBG grants and lawsuit revenue kept THC solvent for many years.