Success Stories
CLA SoCal’s Expungement Clinic – A joint project with UCI School of Law
By Rose Mauro, CLA SoCal Staff Attorney for Expungements We had been assisting Elizabeth (fictitious name) with records expungement for almost two years. Her petitions were originally denied (without prejudice) [Continue Reading]
Missy & Joanne’s Story
For two and a half years, seniors Missy and Joanne – longtime friends both facing significant health challenges and living on limited fixed incomes - have struggled to reach a [Continue Reading]
Representing a Senior in Unfair Debt Collection
By Andrew Deeley, Supervising Attorney, Consumer Defense Unit Mrs. Mary Smith (fictitious name), a senior in her 60s, was sued by a debt collector for the cost of anesthesia she [Continue Reading]
Published Precedent Vindicates Tenant Protections
On October 26, 2022, Community Legal Aid SoCal (CLA SoCal) secured published precedent from the Appellate Division of the Orange County Superior Court in Attenello v. Basilious that vindicates tenant [Continue Reading]
Overcoming Obstacles
A Domestic Violence Case Story By Cheryl Bigos, Staff Attorney, Family Law Unit Introduction My client Sandy had fled a long term abusive relationship, along with her two children, when [Continue Reading]
Advocating for an Eight-Year-Old Health Consumer
A story from Joan Chang, Senior Staff Attorney, Health Unit CLA SoCal Health Consumer Action Center (Health Unit) client Gerry (fictitious name), an eight-year-old health consumer, needed assistance when his [Continue Reading]
Immigration and Family Law, a Cross-Unit Effort
By Sarah Yanez, Attorney, Immigration Unit My client Amanda, a citizen of a European country, met her United States citizen husband, Jasper, when they were both in their late teens [Continue Reading]
Assistance with Appealing Termination of Social Security Disability Benefits
By Eric Michael, Staff Attorney, Economic Maintenance Unit Among the various reasons clients seek help from the CLA SoCal Economic Maintenance Unit is for assistance obtaining Social Security disability benefits [Continue Reading]
Standing Up for Seniors
A Success Story from the Seniors Unit Dr. M (fictitious name) is a sophisticated senior who is living on disability due to a myriad of health issues that challenge her [Continue Reading]
Prepared and Ready
By the Housing Unit When our client, Karl (fictitious name), first contacted us, he had lived in his unit for about 4 years. He was renting a backhouse and there [Continue Reading]
Appealing the Wrongful Denial of Disability Benefits
A success story from the Economic Maintenance Unit Mary (fictitious name) contacted CLA SoCal in June 2020 after receiving a notice of denial for her Social Security Disability Benefits application. [Continue Reading]
Freedom from Forced Servitude
The story of a human trafficking client from the Immigration Unit By Veronica Joya, Supervising Attorney In 2015, Janus (fictious name) came to the country with great expectations after he [Continue Reading]
