Legal Aid Society Of Orange County

Community Legal Aid SoCal fights injustice and advocates for social, economic, and racial equity by providing compassionate, holistic, and impactful legal services.

CLA SoCal was founded in 1958 and has been providing critical legal services for 65 years. Our work focuses on supporting the most vulnerable residents in Orange and southeast Los Angeles Counties, nearly all of whom are low-income, and many of whom are survivors of domestic violence, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, people of color, people with limited English proficiency, and/or immigrants. Our mission is to fight injustice and advocate for social, economic, and racial equity by providing compassionate, holistic, and impactful civil legal services.

We provide free legal information, advice, and representation and engage in policy advocacy and systemic litigation from our four offices in Santa Ana, Anaheim, Norwalk, and Compton. Our staff consists of 54 experienced attorneys, 47 paralegals, and hundreds of dedicated volunteer attorneys who donate thousands of hours of pro bono service every year. Together, we are creating a world where equity and justice are not a goal but a given.

Free to all, Community Legal Aid SoCal helps more than 32,600 people each year. We offer legal advice, representation, education, and outreach to improve the lives of our neighbors most in need. Our advocates help prevent homelessness, overturn benefits denials, keep families safe, remove barriers to health care, and more.

Every day, thousands of Californians are denied rights related to housing, public benefits, health care, immigration, family and safety, and more. This injustice falls squarely on low-income communities and marginalized groups. For them, legal aid is a critical resource for protecting their rights. According to several studies legal aid attorneys obtain better outcomes for people than if they were self-represented.

Unfortunately, those who most need legal assistance often do not receive it. According to Legal Services Corporation’s 2022 Justice Gap Study, 74 percent of low-income Americans experienced a civil legal problem related to consumer issues, health care, housing, and more, and in 92 percent of those cases they did not receive any or enough help. The State Bar of California estimates an additional 8,961 full-time attorneys would be needed to resolve all the civil legal problems experienced each year by low-income Californians. This unaddressed gap means that only 30 percent of Californians’ legal problems are fully served.

When people cannot get legal help for their civil legal issues, their problems spiral out of control. According to a justice gap survey, civil legal problems had a substantial negative effect on 55 percent of those who experienced a problem in the past year. Unresolved legal problems related to debt, housing, family safety, health care, and immigration status can cause people to lose their homes and become depressed and ill. These problems also harm children. The solution here is to make sure low-income Americans receive the legal help for which they so desperately need.

CLA SoCal provides free civil legal services to all 34 cities in Orange County and 18 cities in southeast Los Angeles.

Community Legal Aid SoCal undergoes a strategic planning process every five years. In February 2023, we began the process to create a new five-year plan. In 2022, we also concluded a community needs assessment which is helping to inform the strategic planning process. We know from experience that poverty, racism, culture, language, ability, and violence are barriers that block or limit access to justice. Our goal is to create greater impact and outcomes for disadvantaged individuals and their families. We aim to deliver high-quality, accessible, and culturally competent legal services and increase extensive services and representation. To do this, we provide staff with trainings and resources to provide clients with expert, non-judgmental advice. We also prioritize cases for representation. As an example, our housing unit prioritizes clients at risk of homelessness, clients living in federally subsidized housing, clients with children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, clients with language access issues, clients who are currently experiencing domestic violence, and individuals living in transitional housing or shelter residents.

Community Legal Aid SoCal is a popular destination for legal questions, as well as an important watchdog for systemic injustices. Your support helps us serve the local community and beyond to offer free legal advice, increase access to justice, and conduct outreach to vulnerable populations. Free to all, Community Legal Aid SoCal helps more than 32,600 people each year. Your generosity ensures we can provide our community with advice, representation, education, and outreach to improve their situations. Our legal team consists of 57 attorneys, 49 paralegals, and 4 case managers who speak multiple language and whose experience spans various practice areas. They serve as a critical resource to the community made accessible by your support.

Gifts to Community Legal Aid SoCal support impactful work, including supporting survivors of domestic violence, preserving constitutional and civil rights, and serving community members in their preferred languages.