As 2011 draws to a close, it is my pleasure to share with you two individual stories of resilience, hope and triumph that were made possible with the commitment and support of friends like you. Angelica, isolated and trapped by domestic violence, found the support and strength to break free from her abuser and is [...] Read more
Help Us Change Lives Through Equal Justice in 2012
December 22nd, 2011LAFLA Launches Frontline Focus
November 22nd, 2011Welcome to the first edition of LAFLA Matters: Frontline Focus, a quarterly e-newsletter that highlights our work on the frontline of the struggle for justice in Los Angeles County. In addition to telling you about what we are doing, we’ll tell you what we are learning and our ideas for making change. Downtown Skid [...] Read more
Civil Justice in California: Crisis in the Courts
October 28th, 2011“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice…. Establish justice. These powerful words from the United States Constitution are fundamental to our democracy and key to the stability of our society. But meaningful access to legal help and the courts is increasingly imperiled by budget cuts [...] Read more
October is Campaign for Justice Month: Support Your Local Legal Aid
October 12th, 2011Every day, Californians are denied access to the basic rights entitled to them under the law simply because they cannot afford a lawyer. Equal justice doesn’t just make some of the difference. It makes all of the difference — the difference between staying in a home and living on the street; between a safe family [...] Read more
Statement Regarding the U.S. Census Bureau 2010 Findings for Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S.
September 13th, 2011The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) is concerned by the significant increase in poverty rates across the country, especially the decline in real median income among African Americans and Latinos, the majority of the population it served in 2010. On the ground, LAFLA’s attorneys continue to see a growth in poor families, who [...] Read more
The Ripple Effect: Why Legal Aid Matters
August 31st, 2011Roger and Barbara Garcia* have three sons. In 2009, the Garcias were laid off from their jobs within weeks of each other. Although they were able to scrape by for some time on limited savings, they eventually defaulted on their home loan. The Garcias managed to secure new jobs and started to rebuild their finances. [...] Read more
Support LAFLA at Grand Cru Fundraiser on Saturday, Aug.20
August 16th, 2011Please join us on Saturday, August 20 from 6:30-9:30 p.m., to sample more than 950 award-winning wines, and culinary delights from Long Beach’s finest restaurants. The event will be held at Rainbow Lagoon Park in Long Beach. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the event. Proceeds from the Grand Cru are a vital part of [...] Read more
Remembering Lillian Mobley, Civil Rights & Community Activist
July 20th, 2011The Board of Directors and staff are saddened by the passing of South Los Angeles civil rights and community activist Lillian Mobley, who for more than 20 years was a dedicated and steadfast supporter of LAFLA, and a forceful voice for the residents of her South Los Angeles communities including Watts. Mrs. Mobley was [...] Read more
Supporting Victims of Torture
July 7th, 2011“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” are human rights embodied in the Declaration of Independence and embraced by our country’s founders. For nearly 10 years, LAFLA’s Torture Survivors Project (TSP) has been at the forefront of providing legal assistance to victims of state-sponsored torture who were denied these basic human rights in their countries [...] Read more
Statement on New Federal Initiative to Protect Victims of Immigration Fraud
June 10th, 2011The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) applauds the efforts by federal officials to combat the epidemic of schemes that defraud helpless immigrants. LAFLA’s immigration attorneys have been fighting to protect the rights of individuals and families for over 20 years by representing torture survivors, victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and other serious [...] Read more