San Rafael is located to north of San Francisco in Marin County, where it is the county seat. The first inhabitants of San Rafael were the Miwok Indians, and the first Europeans to settle in the area were the Spanish. Mexico gained control of the area after it gained independence from Spain in 1821, and then the United States gained control over the area after the Mexican-American War ended in 1848. San Rafael is named after Mission San Rafael Arcangel, the 20th Spanish mission in the Mexican colonial province of Alta California. Three priests -- Father Luis Gil y Taboada, Father Narciso Duran and Father Abella -- founded the mission on Dec. 14, 1817. Originally the mission was to be used as a hospital for American Indians from the Central Valley who had fallen ill at San Francisco's Mission Dolores. In 1822, San Rafael gained full mission status, and by 1828 the mission had more than 1,000 converts. After Mexico took over California’s missions in 1834, the mission was neglected and then abandoned in 1844. Another mission was built in the same spot in 1949, but it was built slightly askew to the original alignment.
In 1879 the San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad reached San Rafael, and it was connected to the national rail network by 1888. Much of San Rafael’s shoreline is made up of landfill for the purposes of land development. An array of natural habitats can be found in San Rafael, such as forests, marshlands, estuaries and creeks. San Rafael enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with winter lows in the mid 40s and summer highs in the mid 80s. Notable landmarks in San Rafael include the Marin County Civic Center building (A Frank Lloyd Wright design), the Rafael Film Center, China Camp State Park, Kerner Studios, Ali Akbar College of Music (a school where Indian classical music is taught), and George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch. Because many community and neighborhood parks are also located there, along with more than 20 distinct neighborhoods that are recognized by most locals, San Rafael is considered an attractive, charming place to live. The 2010 census showed that San Rafael has a population of 57,713.
the Brod Law Firm takes tremendous pride in taking great care of our clients and providing them with outstanding legal representation. Our firm’s focus is helping individuals and small businesses in San Rafael and in Marin County, not insurance companies or large corporations.
We are San Rafael injury attorneys, and we work on a contingency fee basis in personal injury cases, and we focus on fighting for the victims of very serious and catastrophic injuries. A contingency fee means that unless we obtain a recovery on your behalf, no legal fees are owed. We are San Rafael business attorneys, and as we effectively and efficiently work to resolve disputes, we are always mindful of our clients’ financial interests, as well as their legal interests.
Directions to our San Francisco office from San Rafael are as follows: Take U.S. Highway 101 south to the Golden Gate Bridge and into San Francisco. Make a left at Lombard Street, turn right onto Van Ness Avenue, and turn left onto Bush Street. Continue onto First Street and turn right onto Mission Street. Turn right onto Anthony Street and take the first right onto Jessie Street. The office is at 100 Pine St #1250., which is the brick building at the corner of Anthony and Jessie streets.