News
Against the Odds: Overturning a Disability Denial
By Eric Michael, Supervising Attorney, Public Benefits Unit In terms of public benefits advocacy, the statistically rarest form of victory is when the Social Security Administration’s (“SSA”) Appeals Council overturns [Continue Reading]
Pro Bono Spotlight with Yvonne Burgess, Senior Corporate Counsel, Siemens
Q & A with Yvonne Burgess What prompted Siemens to contact CLA SoCal? Siemens has a record of pro bono service. I had an interest in being involved and [Continue Reading]
CLA So Cal July 2023 Board Meeting Notice
Meeting Agenda - July 24, 2023 12:00 - 1:30 pm on Zoom Call Meeting to Order -- Mei Tsang, Board President Mission Moment -- Joan Chang, Senior Attorney, Health Unit [Continue Reading]
Clearing the Path to Accessing Critical Testing for Child with Rare Genetic Disorder
By Joan Chang, Senior Attorney, Community Legal Aid SoCal Health Unit My client is a nine-year-old child, Jackie (fictitious name), who suffers from Periodic Fever syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. [Continue Reading]
Success!
A story from the Housing Unit -- Frances (fictitious name), a woman in her 50s, was living alone on a Section 8 voucher in an apartment in Orange County when [Continue Reading]
Settlement Agreement Leads to New Policy for Administering General Relief Benefits That Expands Access for Vulnerable Immigrants in Orange County
Orange County, CA, May 31, 2023 – Community Legal Aid SoCal (CLA SoCal) and the Public Interest Law Project (PILP), on behalf of their client, have reached an amicable settlement [Continue Reading]
California Court of Appeal Unanimously Affirms $3.5M Attorneys’ Fees Award for Kennedy Commission in Huntington Beach Affordable Housing Lawsuit
Huntington Beach, May 11, 2023 – Today the California Court of Appeal unanimously affirmed the $3.5 million attorneys’ fees award to Kennedy Commission for its advocacy in a years-long legal [Continue Reading]
A Senior Caught in the Downside of a Growing Trend
By Sandy Skahen, Staff Attorney, Seniors Unit When I met our client Bonnie (fictitious name), a widowed senior living in Orange County, she had stopped eating, was not sleeping, [Continue Reading]
Direct Service Leads to Systemic Advocacy
By Joan Chang, Senior Staff Attorney, Health Unit Our aim in the CLA SoCal Health Unit is to assist Orange County residents and families to get the health care services [Continue Reading]
Holistic Services, Supporting a Survivor of Domestic Violence
By Griselda Sierra, Supervising Case Manager Lydia (fictitious name) is a survivor of domestic violence (DV) and mother of a minor child. She called the Community Legal Aid SoCal’s (CLA [Continue Reading]
From the Riverbed to Permanent Housing
By Alton Donatto, Paralegal, Public Benefits Unit Jane (fictitious name) was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder and PTSD in 2014 and was unable to comprehend, create, and complete tasks due [Continue Reading]
Securing Legal Remedy for a Misled Senior Consumer
By Katherine Chew, Staff Attorney, Seniors Unit Ms. Hoang (fictitious name) is a 71 year old whose primary language is Vietnamese. As a retired senior, she seldom uses her ten [Continue Reading]
