Success Stories
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]
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]
