2019

Annual Report

Fighting for justice, equity, and hope for people living in poverty throughout Greater Los Angeles.

RESOLUTE IN THE FACE OF UNCERTAINTY

Dear Friends and Supporters,

As we write this, we find ourselves in unprecedented times: The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on our community in many ways – the pandemic has laid bare the systemic racism that has resulted in the health disparities in the Black and Latinx community; the virus has brutally affected poor communities; the full extent of this inequality remains to be seen. There is now a national dialogue regarding racial justice and structural racism, with a force we have not seen in years: perhaps signaling a paradigm shift. The youth of this nation are leading this movement with their drive and demands for change. The work of economic justice and racial justice are separate, but intertwined; we are committed to addressing both.

With gratitude,

Silvia R. Argueta
Executive Director

James M. Burgess
President, LAFLA Board 2018-2020

WHAT WE DO

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles created the Asian Pacific Islander (API) Community Outreach Project to serve APIs who do not speak English as their dominant language, providing the full range of services that LAFLA offers.

ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles upholds the rights of employees to earn a fair wage, work in a respectful environment, and receive the benefits to which they are entitled. We ensure low-income workers are treated with dignity and are able to provide for themselves and their families.
EMPLOYMENT
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ reentry work focuses on removing barriers to employment related to criminal records, so that individuals can become or stay employed. The stability that comes from obtaining employment helps reduce rates of recidivism and improves clients’ lives overall.
EXPUNGEMENT
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles works toward systems change through litigation, policy, and education aimed at increasing and preserving housing. Our team also provides legal services to households facing homelessness, and upholds the civil rights of unhoused individuals.
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles aims to change the delivery of health care by providing free legal services to vulnerable patients through our Medical-Legal Partnerships.
MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIPS
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ consumer work focuses on assisting clients who cannot afford to repay their student loans and/or have attended for-profit colleges that engaged in predatory, deceptive, or illegal practices.
STUDENT LOAN ISSUES
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ Veterans Justice Center is the oldest free legal services program for Veterans in Los Angeles County. We help Veterans obtain life-sustaining income, health, and housing benefits, and rebuild their lives through our full scope of critical legal services.
VETERANS JUSTICE CENTER
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ family law practice focuses on helping survivors of domestic violence leave abusive relationships and rebuild their lives. We meet survivors where they are and provide access to a full range of critical legal services.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE / FAMILY LAW
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles provides free direct representation for those facing wrongful eviction. We also defend public housing residents and Section 8 voucher holders; preserve rent-stabilized units; and help clients living in uninhabitable conditions.
EVICTION DEFENSE
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ government benefits advocacy keeps poor individuals and families housed, clothed, fed, and taken care of when they are sick. If you need help applying for government benefits or have been wrongly denied benefits, we may be able to help you.
GOVERNMENT BENEFITS
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ immigration work focuses on adults and minors who have been the survivors of crime, either in the U.S. or in their home countries. We help survivors adjust their status, navigate the immigration process, and keep their families together.
IMMIGRATION
Nonprofit organizations are a key part of any community, providing services and support in a variety of ways. LAFLA assists nonprofits with important legal needs so they can do what they do best, helping communities become healthy and economically vibrant places to live.
NONPROFIT ASSISTANCE
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles’ Torture Survivors Project helps immigrants who are victims of torture that occurred outside the United States. We provide legal assistance and community education to a diverse community of asylum seekers, asylees, and refugees.
TORTURE SURVIVORS PROJECT
VISIT LAFLA.org

HIGHLIGHTS

Rev. James Lawson, a civil rights icon and the recipient of our 2019 Access to Justice Award, inspired the audience at our Access to Justice Dinner with his moving call to action.
LAFLA celebrated being part of the team that won the 2019 Impact Award from the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, as part of the Whole Person Care – LA Medical-Legal Community Partnership.
We honored 20 LAFLA board presidents at our 2019 Access to Justice Dinner, where we commemorated our 90 years of service to Greater Los Angeles.
LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis recognized our 90th anniversary at a Board of Supervisors meeting this fall – honoring LAFLA for our commitment to fighting on behalf of those living in poverty.
We began offering legal assistance at LA County’s first-of-its-kind Reentry Opportunity Center, which opened in 2019. The Center helps formerly justice-involved individuals and other community members access crucial services, and get a fresh start.
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

# of people who qualify for LAFLA services:
0

 million people Living in Poverty across LA County

Short-term economic benefits to clients includes earnings like social security, food stamps and child custody awards
$ 0
Million

Calls handled through LAFLA's Call Center

0

Survivors helped at our domestic violence clinics

0
Veterans served
0
Percentage of cases that are housing-related
0 %
0
People helped at our self-help centers
0
Volunteers

Client Stories

Retiree’s Overwhelming Student Loan Debt Discharged

“I just needed someone to care enough to fight for me.”

Displaced Residents Reach Settlement with Former Property Owner

“I could go to work without worrying what’s going to happen to us.”
READ MORE

LAFLA Fights for Domestic Violence Survivor to Obtain Restraining Order, Child Custody

“It was because of LAFLA that I was able to have a voice.”
READ MORE

Financials

Revenue & Support

Income Total: $17,604,952
0%
Government Grants: $13,777,363
0%
Misc Income: $1,532,628
0%
Grants & Contributions: $1,488,607
0%
Special Events: $806,354
0%
Donated Services: $12,529,122
0%

Expenses

Expenses Total: $17,383,313
0%
Program: $12,345,042
0%
Support: $4,579,538
0%
Fundraising: $458,733
0%

Who We Help

By Race

BY GENDER

Thank You

Institutions
Institutions
ACCESS TO JUSTICE
DINNER SPONSORS
ACCESS TO JUSTICE
DINNER SPONSORS
2018-20 Board
of Directors
2018-20 Board
of Directors

Thank you to the following institutions for their support in 2019:

Weingart Foundation
California Community Foundation
Munzer Foundation
Weingart Foundation
The California Endowment
Green Foundation
Rose Hills Foundation
Josephine S. Gumbiner Foundation
Munzer Foundation
L.A. Care

TITLE SPONSOR

Kirkland & Ellis
Munger, Tolles & Olson

ANGEL

Morgan Lewis
Gibson Dunn

GUARDIAN

Sheppard Mullin
Jenner
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP
Skadden
O’Melveny
Rita Tuzon & Rick Stone

ADVOCATE

Sullivan & Cromwell
TM Financial
City National Bank
Loeb & Loeb
Cheryl & Haim Saban
Orrick
Proskauer
Sidley Austin
Latham & Watkins

PATRON

Moldex-Metric
Northrop Grumman
Susman Godfrey
Hogan Lovells
Venable
Fox Corporation
Quinn Emanuel
Wilkinson Wlash + Eskovitz
Debra Fischer & Sherwin Frey
Nossaman
King & Spalding
Irell & Manella

PARTNER

Edison International
Reed Smith
Polsinelli
Seyfarth Shaw
MATT/House & Robertson Architects
Integro Insurance Brokers
Morrison & Foerster
JAMS/ Richard Chernick
IOA Insurance
KPMG
Paul Hastings
Greenberg Glusker
Akin Gump
Steve English & Molly Munger
EPIC Brokers/Cipolla & Calaba
Theodora Oringher
First Republic Bank
Cooley LLP
TSG Reporting
TELACU
Bird Marella
Bryan Cave
Glasser Weil
Pasich, LLP

James M. Burgess ♦ President
Michael Maddigan ♦ Vice-President
Sean Eskovitz ♦ Secretary
Amy Lerner-Hill ♦ Treasurer
C. Cleo Ray ♦ Client Chair
Patricia Vining ♦ Client Vice-Chair

Karen J. Adelseck
Eric J. Bakewell
Wendy R. Cabil
Colin G. Cabral
Sean A. Commons
Phyllis Coto
Carissa Coze
E. Martin Estrada
Joseph B. Farrell
Marc Feinstein
Amber S. Finch
Debra L. Fischer
Felix Garcia
Silvia Hernandez
James E. Hornstein
Robert B. Hubbell
Zella Knight
Jason Linder
Clementina Lopez
John Maldonado
Louise Mbella
Kevin J. Minnick
Phillip Mobley
Fanny Ortiz
Adam S. Paris
Joseph Paunovich
R. Alexander Pilmer
Craig O. Roberts
David Lewis Sagal
Kareen Sandoval
Kahn A. Scolnick
Marc M. Seltzer
Linus Shentu
Jeff A. Taylor
Ronald B. Turovsky
Brianne Wiese