News
Finding Opportunity and Community In Crisis
Over the past year, one of the most pressing issues facing the civil legal aid community has been the threat to Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and other federal funding. [Continue Reading]
Intervention to Resolution
Marla Cox (fictitious name) is a 60-year-old woman with Medi-Cal/Denti-Cal who contacted CLA SoCal for assistance with resolving a financial dispute concerning unrendered dental services. In December 2025, her [Continue Reading]
Board Meeting Agenda—March 23, 2026
Welcome (Mike Behrens, Board President) Call Meeting to Order (Mike Behrens) Minutes Approval (Mike Behrens) Committee Reports (Various) Board Retreat Recap and Next Steps (Mike Behrens and Yashina Burns) [Continue Reading]
Board Meeting Agenda—May 26, 2026
Welcome (Mike Behrens, Board President) Call Meeting to Order (Mike Behrens) Minutes Approval (Mike Behrens) Auditor's Report (Gruber & Lopez) Committee Reports (Various) Executive Director’s Report (Kate Marr) By [Continue Reading]
Board Meeting Agenda—January 26, 2026
Welcome (Mike Behrens, Board President) Call Meeting to Order (Mike Behrens) Minutes Approval (Mike Behrens) Committee Reports (Victor Monzon) Executive Director’s Report (Kate Marr) Next Meeting Dates (Mike Behrens) [Continue Reading]
Clear, practical guidance…
A Testimonial by a Consumer Defense Unit Client I first contacted Community Legal Aid SoCal in 2023, I was dealing with a collections case and had no legal representation. [Continue Reading]
Disabled Senior Granted Relief
By Erika Hernandez, Paralegal Our client Ramon Uvalde (fictitious name) is a monolingual Spanish-speaking 79-year-old man with congenital disabilities (mobility and speech impairment) who lives on his own in [Continue Reading]
Assistance for a Domestic Violence Survivor through a Referral
At the end of 2024, Lani (name changed) contacted a local partner agency seeking information about her legal rights after recognizing concerns in her relationship, including physical altercations, verbal [Continue Reading]
JustOC: A Client-Centered Approach to Legal Services in Orange County
Stop for a moment and imagine you need an attorney. You don’t have a personal referral or a law firm to call. Where do you go for help? How [Continue Reading]
Free Expungement Clinics (Spring/Summer 2026)
April 25, 2026 – Cal State Fullerton (Pollak Library)10:00 AM – 2:00 PM May 7, 2026 – Cal Poly Pomona (CPP Campus)9:00 AM – 1:00 PM May 26, 2026 [Continue Reading]
Testimonial by Consumer Defense Unit Client
When I first contacted Community Legal Aid SoCal in 2023, I had just been served with a Summons and Complaint for a debt of approximately $7,000. I am a [Continue Reading]
Representation for Disabled Client at Appeals Hearing
By Sarah Mays, Supervising Attorney Our Public Benefits Unit (PBU) client Melissa (fictitious name) is a 37-year-old woman who suffers from a severe dermatological condition called Hidradenitis Suppurativa, which [Continue Reading]
