Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC)

Many of us have been watching closely for next steps in California, and now we’re seeing progress. The State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees recently voted to recommend a statewide community justice worker program to the Supreme Court. If approved, community justice workers will be allowed to provide limited legal services under the supervision of approved legal aid organizations. Read more about the recent development at: https://zurl.co/5SQHP. In some areas of California, like Bakersfield (Kern County), access to affordable legal help is scarce. According to Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, Inc. (GBLA), Kern County is described as a legal desert, with just 0.9 attorneys for every 1,000 residents. We appreciate every voice and action taken to help expand capacity to serve people with everyday legal needs. Support from organizations like New York University School of Law’s Center on Civil Justice, Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC), OneJustice and Legal Link has amplified the push to create change. Check out a couple of articles that are circulating about the need and movement in California. ABC23 News: https://zurl.co/FuUbn. NYU Law: https://zurl.co/hxo35 We’ll continue watching and share what we learn along the way. #FrontlineJustice #Groundwork #CommunityJusticeWorkers #Share #Repost #AccessToJustice #LegalHelpForAll #LegalReform #LegalizeJusticeWork

Big news for access to justice in California! 🎉 The Board of Trustees of the State Bar of California voted to recommend a new Rule of Court to the CA Supreme Court, authorizing the launch of Community Justice Workers across the state! We're deeply grateful to everyone who helped push this forward — especially our partners at Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC), OneJustice, and the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession at Stanford Law School. "Given the strong support from the Board of Trustees by acting now, we expect the California Supreme Court to act before the end of the year. It's possible that we could start training CJWs as early as next spring," said Kate Crowley Richardson, Executive Director of Legal Link. "Organizations launching a CJW Program don't need to start from scratch," she added. "Legal Link's Legal First Aid® curriculum, refined through more than a decade of training frontline workers statewide, provides a strong foundation for key requirements, including issue spotting, referrals, ethical practice, confidentiality, and competency assessment. Building on this framework can help authorized legal services organizations get their programs off the ground faster." Read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/envS669z #AccessToJustice #LegalFirstAid #CommunityJusticeWorkers #LegalEmpowerment #JusticeGap

On Friday, the State Bar of California’s Board of Trustees voted to advance proposed rules to the California Supreme Court that would authorize a Community Justice Worker (CJW) model. We're extremely grateful to State Bar staff for their support through this process, to the Board of Trustees for their readiness to act, and to our community for showing up throughout the public comment process. The CJW model would create the opportunity to critically expand access to justice throughout the state, and the proposal would not have made it so far without your shared commitment to serving all Californians. Read our press release with Legal Link: https://lnkd.in/envS669z

Don't miss today's LA Times op-ed from the co-directors of the Deborah L. Rhode Center on the Legal Profession at Stanford Law School on how Community Justice Workers could widely expand access to justice in California!

Join Jennifer Alumbaugh of Expansive Expressions for a transformative 90-minute training for LAAC members only. Building upon our All Staff training (members can catch the recording!), this session provides leaders with important skills to cultivate inclusive workplaces. You will master the ABCs of co-creating and co-stewarding NeuroInclusive environments, address the challenges of conflicting access needs and equitable accommodations, and participate in practical scenarios to improve collaboration among diverse neurotypes. We hope to see you there! Date/Time: Monday, September 14 2026, 9:00-10:30 AM Registration: https://lnkd.in/gUrKJpU9

LAAC is seeking proposals to develop a website for its New Attorney Pipeline Project. As part of our commitment to supporting law students in launching a career in legal aid, this website will demystify the process of finding entry level jobs in legal aid, curate available resources for recent law school graduates, and host a portal to match law students with host legal services organizations for summer work. View our RFP here, and please feel free to share with your network! https://lnkd.in/gvs_yTKb

Thursday, August 13th: Join OneJustice, Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC) and Legal Link for an important information session on a proposal that could reshape access to justice in California. The California Supreme Court has proposed new rules to authorize Community Justice Workers (CJWs) — trained non-attorneys who could offer limited legal advice under the supervision of nonprofit legal aid attorneys. Register for our live forum to learn what legal help CJWs could provide, raise your questions with our teams, and get guidance on submitting a strong public comment before the deadline. The State Bar of California’s public comment period closes August 22, 2026. The information session is open to everyone: non-legal nonprofits, legal aid organizations, educators, librarians, and any stakeholder who wants a voice in shaping this reform. Register today! https://lnkd.in/gEF6_SiG #CommunityJusticeWorkers #OneJustice

Meet Public Counsel's 2026 Dan Bradley Fellows! This summer, four law students gained hands-on experience advancing access to justice through the Dan Bradley Fellowship—and we were proud to have two of them join Public Counsel’s Consumer Rights and Economic Justice team. ⚖️ Neeka Mirpour — Public Counsel ⚖️ Emilio Sanchez — Public Counsel ⚖️ Otis Wheeler-Nicholson — Legal Aid of Sonoma County ⚖️ Vanessa Hwang — Public Law Center Each year, the fellowship supports law students pursuing careers in public interest law as they spend their summers working with Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC) member legal aid organizations on rural issues or consumer rights. This summer, the Fellows worked to support rural and underserved Californians and helped communities navigate legal challenges affecting their economic stability. We’re proud of the work they accomplished and grateful to have had them contributing alongside legal aid organizations across California. 🔗 Learn more about the Fellows and their summer work: https://lnkd.in/gGqWx2TA