Fall, 1976: Aviva K. Bobb, currently the presiding judge of the Los Angeles County Family Law Court, became Executive Director for LAFLA. Richard A. Paez, now a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, became LAFLA's Director of Litigation. He continued in that position until 1981.

1977: THe National Center for Immigrants, now named the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), was founded as part of LAFLA. NILC functioned as a national back-up center to advocates working on immigration matters.

Edna Covert Plummer, Former LAFLA President

1980: Gary Blasi (now a professor at UCLA Law School) and Barbara Blanco (now a professor at Loyola Law School) set up LAFLA's Eviction Defense Center. The EDC, which operates today at LAFLA's Central Office, was designed to process a high volume of clients facing eviction.

1981: Katharine Krause became Executive Director of LAFLA at a time when a 25 percent cut in Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funds necessitated the closing of the 6th St., Hill St., Venice, and Lincoln Heights offices. Family law was taken over by a nonprofit agency called Levitt and Quinn. Under Krause's leadership, the Foundation began a rebuilding process. The Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach was reduced to a single office in downtown Long Beach.

1984: Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) funding became available in California.

1984: Immigrants' Rights Office (IRO) formed to provide direct representation to immigrants.

1985: The Union of Legal Services Workers of Los Angeles (ULSW/LA) chapter of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers amalgamated local union 2320 UAW, AFL-CIO with Kwaku Duran as the first president.

1985: Several specialty units were created: Government Benefits, Employment Law (which in turn created the Labor Defense Network), and Homeless Law. The Maynard Toll Award was created and awarded at what was to become the annual Maynard Toll Luncheon, named after esteemed attorney Maynard Toll, credited with helping the law firm of O'Melveny and Myers to national prominence, and a major figure in establishing federally funded legal services. Proceeds from the luncheon were used to create a family law counseling center in the downtown Los Angeles courthouse. Subsequent recipients of the award include:

Leonard S. Janofsky (1987) Hon. Otto M. Kaus (1988) Francis M. Wheat (1989) Margaret M. Morrow (1990) Joseph D. Mandel (1991) Ronald L. Olson (1992) Samuel L. Williams (1993)

John H. Brinsley (1994) John K. Van de Kamp (1995) Shirley Mount Hufstedler and Seth M. Hufstedler (1996) Paul G. Bower (1997) Susan Westerberg Prager (1998) Hon. Richard A. Paez (2000)

1996: LSC funds were cut, causing the loss of more than 40 percent of LAFLA staff and a third of the LAFLB staff. The National Immigration Law Center separated from LAFLA.

May, 1997: Bruce G. Iwasaki became LAFLA's Executive Director.

June, 1998: LAFLA's Asian Pacific Islander (API) language hotlines (Korean, Chinese, and Tagalog) were established in order to better serve LAõs growing API population.

October 13, 1999: To celebrate 70 years as the frontline law firm for poor people in Southern California LAFLA held a 70th Anniversary Gala (in lieu of the traditional Maynard Toll Luncheon). Honored for their contributions to public service were producer-writer David E. Kelley, Access to Justice Award; Justice Earl Johnson, Legal Services Pioneer Award; and Bank of America, Corporate Investment Award. The benefit netted over $225,000 in unrestricted operating support. Its success prompted LAFLA's Board of Directors to develop the Toll Luncheon into an annual evening function, the Access to Justice Dinner.

November 28, 2000: The 2000 Access to Justice Dinner presented the Access to Justice Award to John Emerson, former Deputy Assistant to President Clinton and now President of Personal Investment Management, Capital Guardian Trust Company. Judge Richard Paez, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, was presented with the Maynard Toll Award. In just its second year, the dinner netted $327,000 and drew over 550 attendees from LA's legal and corporate communities and the entertainment industry.

Jan 1, 2001: LAFLA merged with the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach, enabling the two organizations to better serve our vastly diverse communities by sharing resources and expertise.

Today: With over 120 employees in six office locations throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan area, LAFLA is very much a part of the communities it serves. Our client services range from generating affordable housing and helping people move from welfare to work to providing eviction defense, relief from domestic violence, and assistance with employment disputes.

As part of a community of advocates for the poor, LAFLA works alongside other legal services programs, public interest firms, private lawyers, social service providers, charitable organizations, law schools, and community-based groups.

We continue our work through the generosity of those who Support Us: concerned individuals, law firms, corporations, foundations, and the United Way of Los Angeles.

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