San Francisco Clergy Sexual Abuse Attorney
With Over 10 Years of Experience, Rene Potter Provides Focused and Aggressive Representation.
No Success, No Fee.
No fees are charged unless and until we achieve a successful resolution in your case.
Representing Clergy Abuse Lawsuits in San Francisco
With more than a decade of legal experience, San Francisco sexual abuse lawyer Rene Potter advocates for survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California with an unwavering commitment to fighting for justice. Our legal team knows it takes a great deal of courage for survivors to come forward. We fight aggressively and strategically for survivors’ rights, and are determined to hold those who caused the harm accountable for their actions. When you’re ready to move forward, we’ll stand beside you to defend your rights with sensitivity and strength.
Attorney Litigation Areas:
Sexual Abuse Survivors, Mass Tort, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment
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Practice Areas
Statutes of Limitations For Clergy Abuse Cases
California law eliminated the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving child sexual abuse, including clergy sexual abuse cases, beginning January 1, 2024. Survivors now can file a claim at any time, no matter when the abuse occurred. The change in this law recognizes that trauma has a long-term impact and opens the door for survivors to come forward and hold church leaders accountable. The law doesn’t retroactively apply to claims that were already time-barred, but it does ensure future survivors aren’t limited by any arbitrary deadlines.
Attorney Rene Potter is Ready to Fight for You.
Rene Potter, head attorney at The Law Office of Rene Potter, has devoted her career to defending sexual assault survivors and employees. Having graduated Magna Cum Laude from California Western School of Law, she enriched her professional acumen through an externship with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. Rene focuses her career on sexual assault both in and out of employment and employment matters involving sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination. She deeply engages on every case, and her highest priority is getting her clients justice.
Filing A Lawsuit Against The Catholic Church or Other Religious Organizations
If a priest or minister has violated your trust and abused you, the damage can be profound. Baptist and Catholic church sexual abuse cases have surfaced across the United States, leading to widespread civil and criminal prosecutions over the past few decades, and have inspired a growing movement to hold these churches and the perpetrators accountable. Survivors of religious sexual abuse carry their pain into adulthood, making it very difficult to come forward due to the emotional trauma. If you have experienced sexual abuse as a minor while you were in a religious setting, your pain is real and your story matters. Our law firm can pursue legal justice for you and ensure your voice is heard and your rights are protected if religious leaders and churches caused you harm.
Client Centered Approach for Sexual Assault and Employment Matters
Achieving Justice using a No Success, No Fee Structure.
Experienced Legal Counsel
The Law Office of Rene Potter focuses exclusively on providing dedicated legal representation in sensitive sexual assault cases and complex employment matters.
No Success, No Fee.
We operate on a contingency fee basis. This means we will not charge you any fees for our legal services until and unless we successfully achieve a favorable resolution in your case. Your success is our priority, and you won't owe us anything for our time or effort unless we win or settle your claim.
Your Victory is Our Victory
We select our cases carefully, keeping our caseload at a level which never dilutes the personal experience we provide to our clients. We take our clients’ cases personally, and fight aggressively to not only obtain you monetary compensation, but vindication.
Dedicated Legal Team
At The Law Office of Rene Potter, our experienced team fights tirelessly for your rights. Our own experiences as employees and with loved ones who have experienced sexual assault equip us with a deep understanding and empathy for your situation, fueling our passion to litigate your case aggressively and to secure you a victory.
Are you ready to assert your rights?
Contact The Law Office of Rene Potter to request your free case evaluation.
Case Results
Millions in settlements obtained from employers who directly harmed or failed to protect their employees from sexual assault or harassment. Recent results:
$950,000
Settlement obtained at mediation where a boss verbally and sexually abused his assistant.
$750,000
Pre-litigation. Strong female employee in the construction industry sexually harassed by multiple male co-workers.
$750,000
Pre-litigation. Account executive sexually assaulted by VP of Sales at a work convention.
$600,000
Young female nurse sexually assaulted by clinic owner.
$275,000
Female assistant manager at apartment complex management company sexually and racially harassed.
$275,000
Male nurse sexually harasses female nurse.
Are you ready to assert your rights?
Contact The Law Office of Rene Potter to request your free case evaluation.
Types of Sexual Abuse Cases We Handle
Our law firm represents survivors in sexual abuse mass tort cases, working to hold institutions and others accountable for the harm they have caused:
- Clergy Sexual Assault
- Coach Sexual Abuse
- Doctor Sexual Assault
- Nursing Home Sexual Abuse
- Teacher Sexual Assault
- University/School Sexual Abuse
- Women’s Prison Sexual Abuse
- Boy Scouts Sexual Abuse
- Police Sexual Assault
- Sexual Assault on Cruise Ships
- Sexual Abuse in Foster Care
- Rideshare Sexual Assault
- Sexual Abuse in the Entertainment Industry
Voices of Victory
Chronicles of Client Gratification and Victorious Case Results
"I worked with a man named Michael. He sexually harassed me and assaulted me. He had an emotional effect on me [and] I was having suicidal thoughts because I just couldn’t keep up with it. Rene is amazing. She just kept standing for me, like, “I believe in you and I believe in your case,” and just kept fighting. She has experience with these types of cases and assured me, like, “No. I didn't deserve this or I didn't do anything wrong.” It actually gave me the confidence to keep moving forward and knowing that I was doing the right thing.
Client, Anonymous
"When I lost my job, I was really desperate because I knew that I was a victim of wrongful termination. I asked for help. It was a relief for me because I have a family that I need to feed, and I have bills to pay. It's totally life-changing to me because of their [Attorney Rene Potter’s] help, you know, I was able to start a new life. Me and my wife were able to move on. I've got a better job right now. The way they [The Law Office of Rene Potter] handle their clients, they treat you as a family. Not just like a client, but as a family.
Client, Anonymous
FAQs
Our frequently asked questions provide clear answers to common concerns about sexual abuse, harassment, and survivors’ rights. This section is designed to help you understand your legal options, what steps to take, and how an attorney can support you through the process.
What is considered clergy sexual abuse?
Clergy sexual abuse occurs when a priest, pastor, minister, or rabbi uses their position of power in the church or synagogue to initiate sexual conduct with someone who relies on them for spiritual guidance or emotional support. This harmful abuse exploits children and adults and can include assault, secrecy, coercion, or manipulation. If the abuse occurred within a fear-based religious community, survivors may feel ashamed and struggle to speak up. Dysfunctional religious institutions have placed a priority on their reputation over survivor safety, which demands accountability.
Will my identity remain confidential if I file a clergy abuse case?
If your case is filed in California, your identity can remain confidential. Our attorney can ask the court to seal records, file documents anonymously, and use your initials or a pseudonym. These legal tools can protect survivors from public exposure. Your clergy sexual abuse lawyer can also ensure that communications, filings, and court appearances are handled respectfully and discreetly.
How a clergy sexual abuse lawyer can help
If you’re a survivor of sexual abuse by a Catholic or Baptist clergy member in California, you can join a mass tort case by reaching out to our clergy sexual abuse attorney, Rene Potter, who handles this type of litigation. The intake process for sexual abuse mass tort cases includes determining if your case fits within an existing civil lawsuit. Joining a mass tort case gives sexual abuse survivors strength and solidarity, which makes the impact of their legal case stronger. You don’t have to face this journey alone. We’re ready to stand with you and help you transform your pain into meaningful action for justice.
Common patterns of priest abuse and clergy misconduct
A pattern of abuse by 66 Catholic clergy members who were named in 116 lawsuits filed in the San Francisco Bay area in Alameda County was reported by ABC7 in San Francisco. It emphasized the urgency for survivors to file and detailed the scale of the sexual abuse allegations. Priest abuse and clergy misconduct are often based on institutional silence and unchecked authority. Leaders in the Catholic diocese have reassigned accused priests instead of completely removing them, allowing abuse to continue in a new location. This dysfunctional cycle has enabled them to continue grooming, manipulating, and abusing children for generations. Contact Rene Potter to join other survivors who are demanding truth, accountability, and lasting change.
Stand Up For Yourself
Benefit from our contingency fee structure - no fees unless we achieve a successful resolution in your case. Get the legal representation you deserve.