An Introduction to the Legal Aid Foundation
An Introduction to the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach
Founded in 1972, the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach was created as a response to a community need for quality legal assistance. With a mission to address the civil legal needs of individuals and families with low incomes, the foundation has grown exponentially since its inception. Today, the foundation serves more than 10,000 individuals and families each year in Long Beach and surrounding communities.
The foundation’s mission is clear-cut: to provide access to justice through high-quality, client-centered legal services. The organization operates several service programs which focus on three key areas: health, housing, and family. Its core values include the promotion of justice by ensuring equal access to services for low-income communities, fostering hope by creating supportive and compassionate environments, and encouraging fairness through a commitment to equality and treating others with dignity .
As a longstanding nonprofit legal organization, the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach recognizes the impact that legal issues can have on an individual or family. It is committed to providing community-oriented legal assistance that empowers clients and strengthens our community by helping individuals navigate difficult situations, such as housing matters, domestic issues, and public benefits – all of which can be detrimental without legal guidance.
By offering various services and support, the foundation has become a crucial element of the legal aid landscape in the Long Beach area. Its contributions to the legal field and the community at large have established the foundation as a key provider of legal support.
What Types of Legal Help Are Provided
The Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach offers a varied range of services aimed principally at low- and moderate-income residents of the Long Beach area. The bulk of its work is concentrated in civil rights, family law, and housing, but a number of additional support services are also available.
Family law assistance includes guidance with domestic violence prevention and orders, child custody, guardianship, divorce, and separation. Housing-related legal services focus primarily on eviction, bankruptcy, and foreclosure prevention and counsel. A foreclosure assistance program offers significant resources to homeowners through grants from a number of private and public sources, including the California Department of Insurance.
Although foreclosure assistance and housing counsel tend to be the primary focus, the foundation also has a housing fraud unit that investigates real estate services referrals to attorneys as well as scams involving so-called "buy-backs." Other civil rights work involves voting, social security, and disability claims issues. Special care is taken to help the homeless and the mentally ill with a variety of unique legal requirements and issues that arise regularly in their situations.
Which Cases Qualify for Free Legal Services
Individuals may receive legal aid at no or little cost under the following conditions:
• Individuals must meet the income guideline, which is set and updated annually by the federal government. As a general guideline, the annual income limit for an individual is $14,357, for a couple it is $19,388 and for an additional family member, the individual income limits are added to $4,492 per person. These limits apply to general civil legal matters, not including divorce or family cases. Specific income guidelines vary depending upon the area of law for which the assistance is requested. With some specific exceptions, these limits apply to both child and adult clients.
• Under certain circumstances, the Foundation and its partners may waive the income eligibility guidelines. In particular, victims of domestic violence will generally not be denied assistance on the basis of income. In addition, elderly individuals may be considered for assistance in certain situations even without consideration of their income levels.
• Individuals must be legal residents of Long Beach.
• The legal matter must be of a type covered by the Foundation and its partners.
Most individuals seeking legal assistance through the Foundation approach the Foundation’s Services Manager. The Foundation also accepts direct referrals from other agencies with which it partners to provide legal assistance to the Long Beach community. Referrals may be made in the following areas:
• Elder abuse and neglect
• Family law: Divorce and child custody issues
• Domestic violence
• Employment issues
• Housing matters
• Immigration issues
• Mental health issues
• Retirement benefits
• Social security issues
• Welfare issues
• Bankruptcy issues
• Special education issues
• Medi-Cal issues
• Slip and fall issues
• Personal injury issues
Applying For Free Legal Aid
To apply for legal aid services at the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach, individuals can start by visiting their nearest foundation location. The foundation has multiple offices which are open during business hours; however, it is strongly advised to call ahead to see if an appointment is necessary. It is important to arrive at the appointment with all pertinent documents which may include proof of income, identification, and any legal documents relevant to the case or issue in question. The foundation’s website also has an online screening application which individuals can use to determine if they qualify for assistance. It is recommended to review all requirements for assistance thoroughly before applying.
Upon arrival at the legal aid foundation, the individual will be provided with an application and asked to provide information about their legal issue and household circumstances. A legal aid representative will then assess the situation and determine if there is a case which falls within the foundation’s eligibility requirements. If so, they will assist in the process accordingly. If the individual does not qualify for legal aid through the foundation, they will be given other resources and recommendations for further assistance.
Individuals can contact the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach on their contact page or through the legal aid hotline at 1-800-834-5001.
The Success Stories and Achievements
The Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach has helped thousands of families and individuals over the years. Among these notable success stories is a 32-year-old teacher married to an Army veteran. He was targeted with his truck parked outside of a bar where his wife was at. His headlights were on igniting a small fire. His truck burned out of control and burnt down a fence and shed resulting in damage to his property and the neighbor’s property. The wife of the Army veteran was served with a lawsuit and fearing her husband would lose his GI Bill benefits and be subject to a possible ban. She hired a private attorney who would not honor the retainer paid. The Army veteran originally named in the lawsuit found the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach and sought protection from the lawsuit and home repair. The foundation represented the Army veteran, sought remedies for the wife, and sought Dismissal in the lawsuit against the Army veteran at no cost and was successful in having it dismissed. The homeowner in question, who sued the Army veteran, ultimately fixed her fence, shed and planted shrubs in the fence line between the two homes. The Army veteran and teacher are now very appreciative neighbors who have a lot of respect for one another and have resolved their dispute amicably.
A severe domestic violence case involving a wife and child was recognized recently by the foundation. The police had been repeatedly called. The wife had moved and consented to a Domestic Violence Restraining Order with terms carefully customized to the threats and incidents of violence, while allowing her to exercise her own judgment regarding what situations she and her child should avoid. The husband sought the dissolution of marriage and custody of the child as well. At court hearings he was combative with the judge and never acknowledged the restraining order . He became belligerent, attempted to attack the father of the wife’s attorneys several times and was finally ordered into anger management and domestic violence intervention programs. Although he was previously granted visitation, he is no longer allowed to visit with the child and has been arrested multiple times for violation of the restraining order.
A domestic violence victim in need of a restraining order consulted the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach. The husband stalked the three children of this victim and had been caught placing his hands around the neck of the victim to strangle her threatening to kill her if she ever returned home or went to the police. The husband possessed firearms licensed in his name. He worked in a local meat market that would not allow the children to enter even after the 16-year-old daughter identified herself as the daughter of the victim. The Legal Aid Foundation succeeded in obtaining a permanent restraining order, but the husband refused to comply with the order. We later obtained a criminal protective order seeking to require the husband to dispose of his firearms in an uncontrolled environment by dumping such firearms in a river or lake. The victim and children experienced great relief from fear and were able to live without the constant worry of seeing the husband. The victim was able to take the children to the beach for the first time in 10 years.
The Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach won Most Innovative Program Award from the California State Bar in 2015 and was awarded Non-Profit Organization of the Year Award from the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce in 2017 for its efficiency of saving designated funds of over $4,000,000. The foundation had assisted in some capacity with at least 4,000 pro bono cases in the previous year alone.
Community Outreach and Collaborations
A key aspect of the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach’s mission is to engage with the local community. To this end, the foundation has developed a robust outreach program. From legal clinics to informational workshops, the foundation works hard to meet the people of Long Beach where they are, providing them with much-needed legal services. The foundation provides online resources, through resource guides and newsletters, to help direct people to the right places for their legal needs. It also runs the Self-Help Center in the Long Beach Courthouse, an on-site service that provides individuals with free legal information, referrals, and guidance.
Partnerships with other local organizations, agencies, and nonprofits allow the foundation to reach underserved communities and provide much-needed services. The Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach’s collaborative efforts include work with the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach Unified School District, and many community-based organizations such as Centro CHA, African American Infant Health Program, and Many Mansions.
These partnerships greatly enhance the scope and reach of the services provided by the foundation. By collaborating with a wide range of organizations, the foundation is able to target specific populations in need of legal support, bridging the access-to-justice gap. The foundation also works with other nonprofit organizations to further strengthen its community presence and develop a network of comprehensive support services. Collaboration thus serves to multiply the efforts of the foundation as it strives to provide equal access to justice for all in Long Beach.
Fundraising and Donations
If you are wondering what you can do to support the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach (LAFLB), the first answer is simple: gift your time! LAFLB volunteers devote around 13,000 hours every year to helping people in our community manage and move beyond their legal problems. We could not do the work we do without this community support.
First, we invite you to apply to volunteer with us to serve as a lawyer, pro bono attorney, outreach volunteer, advocate or teacher. Should you choose to volunteer in any of these roles, you will be supporting us in our mission to make equal access to justice a reality for the most vulnerable members of our community.
For individuals with the desire to support LAFLB’s mission financially, we encourage you to make a donation to support our programs. Donations of all dollar amounts enable us to continue our critical work in the community. Whatever the amount, your gift is vital to our advocacy and rendering legal assistance to those in need. Contributions may also be made as part of estate planning activities. Through bequests in wills, charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts and by naming LAFLB as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan, donors can continue their good works and establish a living legacy.
Businesses too have an important role to play in supporting the work of LAFLB and may do so through in-house programs, such as matching employee contributions, or by becoming corporate sponsors of LAFLB’s fundraising events. Corporate sponsorship may be earmarked for a general fund, designated for a particular program or event, or matched with employee contributions. Donors of $1,000 or more are invited to become a member of LAFLB’s Cornerstone Society. Cornerstone Society members receive preferred seating at special events, public recognition, and more.
Future Aspirations and Projects
Going forward, The Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach has plans to expand its reach and services. To that end, it continues to build relationships and partnerships with other non-profit organizations, social services organizations, churches, and local businesses. In the next two years, it hopes to continue developing the two one-year partnerships begun last year and further develop online content that allows them to provide assistance 24/7. They are also hoping to accomplish a $5 million long-term campaign to provide funding for a new building, hire another staff attorney , and hire a full-time fundraising development professional.
They hope to expand their immigration program to include a dream team that provides representation to all new arrivals. They hope to expand their capacity to include 30-35 attorneys volunteer attorneys to help in this matter. Furthermore, they hope to launch a Neighborhood Law School initiative in 2019.
They also intend to launch a large-scale lawsuit to hold a problem landlord in Long Beach accountable for unlawful eviction practices. They hope to continue to educate and raise awareness about housing issues in Long Beach via collaborative community legal education events, neighborhood law schools, training programs, and community engagement.