Public Counsel is the largest provider of pro bono legal services in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Initially called the Beverly Hills Bar Association Law Foundation, it was the first bar-sponsored public interest law firm in the United States.

Background

Founded in 1970 by the Beverly Hills Bar Association, Public Counsel delivers free legal and social services to abused and abandoned children, homeless families and veterans, senior citizens, victims of consumer fraud, and

nonprofit organizations A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

serving low-income communities. Public Counsel works on Veterans Advocacy,

Appellate Law In law, an appeal is the process in which cases are reviewed by a higher authority, where parties request a formal change to an official decision. Appeals function both as a process for error correction as well as a process of clarifying and ...

and Federal Pro Se,

Community Development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activist ...

, Early Care and Education Law, Homelessness Prevention Law,

Children's Rights Children's rights or the rights of children are a subset of human rights with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to minors.

(including Adoptions and Guardianships), Consumer Law (including

Bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...

), Immigrants' Rights, and Opportunity Under Law. It is the public interest law office of the Los Angeles County and Beverly Hills Bar Associations and the Southern California affiliate of the

Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, or simply the Lawyers' Committee, is an American civil rights organization founded in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy. When the Lawyers' Committee was created, its existence w ...

. According to the Legal Aid Association of California, "Public Counsel works with over 5,000 volunteer lawyers, law students and legal professionals that assist over 30,000 children, youth, families, and community organizations every year."

History

In 1977, the name was changed to Public Counsel when the

Los Angeles County Bar Association The Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) is a voluntary bar association with more than 16,000 members throughout Los Angeles County, California, and the world. Founded in 1878, LACBA has strived to meet the professional needs of lawyers, ...

joined the Beverly Hills Bar Association as a sponsor of the Law Foundation. The foundation expanded on their existing involvement in public interest

litigation A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. ...

to also work on

pro bono ( English: 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. The term traditionally referred to provision of legal services by legal professionals for people who a ...

efforts with the Los Angeles legal community to serve the poor. In 1995, Public Counsel represented over 7,000 clients. As of 2013, Public Counsel lacked resources to bring its resources to all communities in Los Angeles County often enough to meet needs.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Public Counsel Law firms based in Los Angeles Law firms established in 1970 1970 establishments in California Legal aid in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Los Angeles Organizations based in California