2021-05-06T12:09:58-05:00 2020-12-31 954557617 Harrington Group CPAs LLP 234 East Colorado Blvd Suite M150 Pasadena CA 91101 990 2020-01-01 951684067 Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles LEGA 3238017916 1550 West 8th Street Los Angeles CA 90017 Silvia Argueta CFO 3238017906 2021-05-06 1 Silvia Argueta 999009999 Tonetta L Conner CPA P01775198 6264036801 2 AAL1 IAL1 2020 2022-09-23 18:48:47Z Silvia Argueta 1550 West 8th Street Los Angeles CA 90017 35185810 0 X WWW.LAFLA.ORG X 1929 CA Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) seeks to achieve equal justice for low-income people. 42 42 208 951 0 0 16739306 19918239 605533 276443 198059 197083 13247 14721172 17556145 35112937 0 0 0 0 13125873 16324219 0 0 497194 5527946 6464922 18653819 22789141 -1097674 12323796 28104945 46085162 6215484 11828259 21889461 34256903 X See Schedule O 1 0 5303310 Housing, Communities & Eviction Defense: Addresses systems change through litigation, policy and education aimed at creating and preserving affordable housing and homeownership opportunities; Increases economic power; Preserves civil rights; Seeks environmental justice on behalf of poor and low-income residents; Partners with community-based organizations to build healthy, economically vibrant neighborhoods. Eviction Defense Center: Provides free direct representation for indigent individuals and families facing eviction; Negotiates with landlords to ensure families can stay in their homes; Defends residents of public housing and Section 8 voucher holders against losing their housing or housing subsidy; Helps clients living in uninhabitable conditions to get reductions in rent. LAFLA closed 6,129 cases in this area of law in 2020. 2945127 108879 Economic Stability: Assists vulnerable populations in obtaining and maintaining critical safety net benefits that help them get food, housing, medical care or services such as childcare, job training and other services to remove barriers to employment; Fights wage theft, wrongful terminations and discriminatory employment practices; Removes barriers to employment related to criminal records so that individuals can become or stay employed; Discharges student loans based on disability or school fraud. In 2020, LAFLA closed 4,262 cases in these areas of law. 2637198 Supporting Families: Helps survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault get restraining orders, divorces, child custody, visitation and support; Secures the return of concealed and abducted children; Supports torture victims seeking asylum in the United States with the immigration process; Represents survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assaults and other serious crimes to obtain protection and permanent residency; Offers legal help to families facing health crises and domestic violence; Protects vulnerable unaccompanied children throughout the immigration process; Provides comprehensive case management to victims of domestic violence and survivors of torture. In 2020, LAFLA closed 2,067 cases dealing with these legal issues. 2255299 167564 Santa Monica Community Office: Funded through grants from the City of Santa Monica; Provides legal services to residents of Santa Monica only; Offers domestic violence clinic and Self-Help Legal Access Center; Attorneys work with local agencies and city services to provide family law, housing, veterans benefit and immigration services. This office closed 546 cases in 2020. 456310 Veterans Justice Center: Obtains life-sustaining income, health, and housing benefits so veterans can thrive; Prevents veteran homelessness by fighting wrongful evictions; Removes barriers to employment to promote veteran self-sufficiency; Advocates to upgrade unjust less-than-honorable military discharges; Works with hundreds of pro bono legal volunteers annually to hold large-scale legal clinics for homeless veterans. This program closed 462 cases in 2020. 1580095 Asian & Pacific Islander Community Outreach Project: Advocates for language services in civil courts, administrative proceedings, and other government agencies for limited-English proficient clients; Provides legal help in all areas of practice including family law, immigration and government benefits in Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Khmer and Thai. This program closed 633 cases in 2020. 1004360 LAFLA recently expanded and strengthened its Medical-Legal Partnerships both independently and in collaboration with the Whole Person Care/Medical Legal Partnership of Los Angeles-a consortium of legal services agencies working together to expand the Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLP) throughout Los Angeles County. This innovative legal services delivery model seeks to work with medical providers to assist with the social conditions that are key determinants of health by addressing civil legal issues, such as poor housing conditions, loss or denial of public benefits, immigration status, problems at school or work, or violence within the household. The MLP aims to change the delivery of health care by providing legal services where our clients need us the most - during challenging times. Through this system, anyone from a medical care team can refer patients to our attorneys as part of a comprehensive approach to health care. In 2020, 1,317 cases were closed by our MLPs. Legal VictoriesLAFLA achieved the following legal victories in 2020:Garcia v. City of Los AngelesThe litigation centers on the civil rights of unhoused individuals who are living in tents and makeshift encampments in the City of Los Angeles. The litigation challenges the seizure and destruction of unhoused individuals' belongings. The case challenges the constitutionality of an ordinance in Los Angeles that allows the City to seize and destroy unhoused residents' belongings. Plaintiffs allege that the ordinance violates the Fourth and Fourteenth amendment. They seek declarative relief that the ordinance is unconstitutional, and injunctive relief to prevent the seizure and destruction of property. In 2020, plaintiffs obtained preliminary injunction enjoining ordinance targeting unhoused people; contempt ruling against the City for violating the preliminary injunction.Injunction is currently on appeal to 9th Cir. Safuto v. City of Los AngelesThis case challenged the City's practice of towing vehicles when the owner of the vehicle is enrolled in a program available only to unhoused people in order to decide whether the City's decision to tow vehicles, without consideration of community caretaking standard, violates state law.The case settled very successfully, dramatically expanding access to low income parking ticket payment plans and access to the Community Assistance Parking Program. St. James v. Barbara Bills and WIB Holdings, LLCThis lawsuit seeks to address source of income discrimination under local Santa Monica ordinances with regard to Section 8 housing choice vouchers, and combat both flagrant and more subtle forms of harassment against low-income persons, including elderly and disabled persons.The primary goal of this case is to preserve the voucher and tenancy of plaintiff, and ensure non-discriminatory behavior from the landlord going forward. We also seek to address the landlord's conduct interfering with plaintiff's quiet enjoyment of her home.In this case, a Santa Monica rent-controlled landlord refuses to accept the Section 8 voucher of elderly tenant, in violation of the Santa Monica source of income discrimination ordinance and the Tenant Harassment ordinance. Plaintiff is a long-term rent-controlled tenant of 38 years who is heavily rent-burdened and may lose her home and/or voucher. In addition to the discrimination over her voucher, plaintiff has endured other forms of harassment from her landlord, including: failure to repair the bathtub (unusable); abuse of landlord's right to enter under Section 1954; invasion of privacy by taking pictures/videos through the window; and, telling plaintiff to "Give up and Get out."The case survived defendants' Anti-SLAPP motion.Cervantes v. Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA)This case seeks to stay the termination of Section 8 rental assistance to a 57-year old Navy veteran. Plaintiff is a participant in the Housing Choice Voucher program who suffers from mental health disabilities. Plaintiff is challenging the decision of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) to terminate his rental assistance. Without a successful result in this case, plaintiff, who relies solely on $221 per month in General Relief ("GR") benefits, will be irreparably harmed. He will undoubtedly be evicted from his home and will likely become homeless. There are many other housing authority tenants in a similar situation as plaintiff.LAFLA filed a Petition for Writ of Mandate against HACLA seeking to overturn the hearing decision. LAFLA prevailed in a motion for an immediate stay, preventing HACLA from terminating plaintiff's Section 8 benefits, and therefore his tenancy, prior to the resolution of the Petition for Writ of Mandate.CRVQ, et.al., vs. United States Citizenship & Immigration Services; United States Department Of Homeland Security et.al.The lawsuit aimed to provide employment authorization to indigent named plaintiffs which would allow them to work lawfully in the United States, become more economically self-sufficient and ensure their families no longer exclusively rely on public benefits as the sole source of income.Under Section 214(p)(6) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA") and its implementing regulations, USCIS is required to timely adjudicate "bona fide" U-visa applications and issue Employment Authorization Documents ("EADs"). Presently, victims of qualifying crimes wait more than four years for adjudication of employment authorization. By refusing to adjudicate both petitioners' U-visa applications and petitioners' EAD petitions, Defendants subvert Congressional intent to aid law enforcement and incentivize proper reporting of crimes, as well as 8 U.S.C. 1184(p)(6)-the very statute they are charged with administering. Overall goal is to force USCIS to adjudicate applications for employment authorization and ensure that plaintiffs receive work authorization.Plaintiffs received work authorizations and the case was dismissed.Belmonte v. Nancy BerryhillThis litigation is an appeal from improper Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) decision regarding treatment of Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) overpayment connected to worker's compensation payments. Potential impact on similarly situated indigent and disabled individuals depending on future proceedings.The plaintiff was issued an SSDI overpayment due to his receipt of worker's compensation payments. The Social Security Administration (SSA) exhibits a pattern of incompetence in properly applying SSDI rules for workers who receive worker's compensation, and in plaintiff's case SSA committed numerous errors, including documented miscalculations contained in SSA internal notes. The ALJ decision totally ignored these documented issues and upheld an erroneous overpayment. The district court issued a remand order after counsel for the parties reached a stipulation for remand, with orders from the district court to properly evaluate plaintiff.Soza v. LightbourneThis case was filed to challenge the Department of Social Services policy of refusing to reimburse recipients who's CalFresh benefits are stolen by electronic theft.The trial court decided in favor of the respondent Department of Social Services. Petitioners appealed and the Court of Appeal decided in favor of petitioners/appellants. The case has been remanded to the trial court to issue the writ and judgment. LAFLA and co-counsel will be working to implement the favorable decision in DSS policy. Plaintiff's food benefit was restored, and others similarly situated will be able to have their benefits restored. 1599442 Project Impact and LAHSA Measure H. 6895506 167564 17781141 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 18 0 1 208 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 42 42 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 CA X X Vincent Rodriguez Chief Financial Officer 3238017916 1550 West 8th Street Los Angeles CA 90017 Michael Maddigan President 1.00 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Amy Lerner-Hill Vice President 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Amber S Finch Secretary 1.00 X X 0 0 0 R Alexander Pilmer Treasurer 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Karen J Adelseck Client Chair 1.00 X 0 0 0 C Cleo Ray Client Chair 1.00 X 0 0 0 Patricia Vining Client Vice-Chair 1.00 X 0 0 0 Eric J Bakewell Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 James M Burgess Board Member 1.00 1.00 X 0 0 0 Wendy R Cabil Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Colin G Cabral Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Sean A Commons Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Phyllis Coto Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Carissa Coze Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Sean Eskovitz Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 E Martin Estrada Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Joseph B Farrell Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Marc Feinstein Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Debra L Fischer Esq Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Felix Garcia Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Silvia Hernandez Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 James E Hornstein Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Robert B Hubbell Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Zella Knight Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Jason Linder Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Clementina Lopez Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 John Maldonado Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Louise Mbella Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Kevin J Minnick Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Phillip Mobley Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Fanny Ortiz Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Adam S Paris Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Joseph Paunovich Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Craig O Roberts Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 David Lewis Sagal Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Kareen Sandoval Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Kahn A Scolnick Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Marc M Seltzer Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Linus Shentu Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Jeff A Taylor Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Ronald B Turovsky Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Brianne Wiese Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Silvia Argueta Executive Director 35.00 1.00 X 231200 0 37378 Vincent A Rodriguez Chief Financial Officer 35.00 X 156616 0 11485 Barbara Schultz Dir. Litigation & Policy 35.00 X 177952 0 45077 Morris Lisa D Director Of Human Resources 35.00 X 141104 0 36880 Quintana Linda Director of Fiscal MGM 35.00 X 136253 0 27943 Arias Yolanda Managing Attorney 35.00 X 135610 0 16996 Wong Phong Pro Bono Director 35.00 X 134628 0 44190 Arnold Ronnettee Managing Attorney 35.00 X 133035 0 38607 1246398 0 258556 35 0 1 0 The Rager Law Firm 970 W 190th St Suite 340 Torrance CA 90502 Legal Services 500000 Jackson Lewis LLP 725 S Figueroa St Suite 2500 Los Angeles CA 90017 Legal Services 160434 2 711184 629960 18021268 555827 19918239 Fellowship 541100 167564 167564 Attorney fees 541100 108879 108879 276443 197083 197083 72873 711184 72873 0 CY Pres 541100 14694393 14694393 Miscellaneous income 900099 26779 26779 14721172 35112937 276443 0 14918255 X 824372 539055 274684 10633 11968494 10139444 1489646 339404 465892 392195 60322 13375 1825090 1542484 232335 50271 1240371 1038698 166877 34796 33047 1192 31092 763 64789 64789 255610 9216 240489 5905 19239 7050 10637 1552 707018 502946 196898 7174 318418 133667 182025 2726 1525170 535164 983379 6627 21742 19018 2554 170 164113 164113 110892 86291 21810 2791 145484 99208 44515 1761 Sub-grants 2003123 2003123 Non-capital equipment 519962 336535 180876 2551 Equip. rental & main. 254826 113882 139389 1555 Library 148033 141202 3344 3487 173456 140771 21032 11653 22789141 17781141 4510806 497194 3945407 6642254 481802 14771034 2843841 4034117 435758 85209 13262600 13262600 203195 361176 9295610 4951093 4455409 4344517 2471451 2579043 5482 5212 28104945 46085162 2684367 3069564 1055635 3450366 5482 5212 2470000 2157000 0 3146117 6215484 11828259 X 20726047 33334581 1163414 922322 21889461 34256903 28104945 46085162 12323796 43646 0 X 0 1 X 1 1 1 X 15217466 15100884 16859889 16739306 19813839 83731384 15217466 15100884 16859889 16739306 19813839 83731384 83731384 94680 167701 219290 198059 197083 876813 1790228 24763 74838 13247 14993136 16896212 101504409 3604480 0.82490 0.96630 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 0 1 X 8657 8657 8657 8657 8657 8657 8657 8657 8657 8657 1.00000 0 0 10000 1521412 1531412 4088797 1559799 2528998 8175 8175 0 3266722 3045619 221103 400504 337500 63004 4344517 X 45252026 43646 10095443 10139089 35112937 0 35112937 32884584 10095443 10095443 22789141 0 22789141 Part IV, Line 2b: LAFLA holds funds in trust for its clients relating to settlements awarded by the courts and deposits held for filing and other fees. Part V, Line 4: Endowment funds are appropriated by the Board for use in current operations. Part X, Line 2: LAFLA is exempt from taxation under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 23701d. Generally accepted accounting principles provide accounting and disclosure guidance about positions taken by an organization in its tax returns that might be uncertain. Management has considered its tax positions and believes that all positions taken by LAFLA in its federal and state exempt organization tax returns are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination. LAFLA's returns are subject to examination by federal and state taxing authorities, generally for three and four years, respectively, after they filed. Annual Fund Dinner 784057 711184 72873 2448 47688 22737 784057 711184 72873 2448 47688 22737 72873 0 X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Silvia Argueta Executive Director 231200 0 0 0 0 0 25818 0 11560 0 268578 0 0 0 Barbara Schultz Dir. Litigation & Policy 177952 0 0 0 0 0 19898 0 25179 0 223029 0 0 0 Wong Phong Pro Bono Director 134628 0 0 0 0 0 12438 0 31752 0 178818 0 0 0 Morris Lisa D Director Of Human Resources 141104 0 0 0 0 0 5056 0 31824 0 177984 0 0 0 Arnold Ronnettee Managing Attorney 133035 0 0 0 0 0 6838 0 31769 0 171642 0 0 0 Vincent A Rodriguez Chief Financial Officer 156616 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11485 0 168101 0 0 0 Quintana Linda Director of Fiscal MGM 136253 0 0 0 0 0 15333 0 12610 0 164196 0 0 0 Arias Yolanda Managing Attorney 135610 0 0 0 0 0 14936 0 2060 0 152606 0 0 0 Form 990, Part III, Line 1 Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) seeks to achieve equal justice for low-income people in greater Los Angeles. We change lives through direct representation, systems change and community education. LAFLA is a nonprofit law firm that protects and advances the rights of the most underserved - leveling the playing field and ensuring that everyone can have access to the justice system. For over 90 years, LAFLA has provided free civil legal services to people living in poverty across Greater Los Angeles. LAFLA serves communities as diverse as Pico Union and Westlake, East Los Angeles, the Westside, South Los Angeles, Koreatown and Long Beach. Our unique combination of neighborhood offices, self-help centers at courthouses, and domestic violence clinics puts LAFLA on the front lines in vulnerable communities, and at the forefront of change. LAFLA takes care of the most vulnerable people in our community: the working poor, homeless, unemployed, elderly, disabled, domestic abuse survivors, victims of torture and human trafficking, and veterans of Los Angeles, by providing free legal services. LAFLA also provides free legal education, outreach, and self-help assistance to litigants and community members, allowing for additional access to justice for low-income persons in need. Over 96% of the people served by LAFLA are low-income. LAFLA assists more than 100,000 people in civil legal matters annually by providing free direct legal representation and other legal assistance for people living in poverty in Greater Los Angeles County. In 2020, we also provided important legal information and education to over 14,700 self-represented litigants and gave referrals to over 12,500 persons. We are committed to promoting access to justice, strengthening communities, fighting discrimination, and effecting systemic change through representation, advocacy, and community education. LAFLA has a culturally diverse staff who provide critical legal services, counseling, and referrals at five offices in the neighborhoods of Pico-Union and Westlake, East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Long Beach. They speak many languages including Spanish, Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin, Khmer, Japanese and Vietnamese. Form 990, Part III, line 2 In 2020, LAFLA was awarded a seven million dollar contract by the County of Los Angeles for an innovative Right to Counsel Eviction Defense Program known as Stay Housed LA County (stayhousedLA.org). As the lead agency, LAFLA coordinates eight partners to provide legal assistance, from limited action to full-scope legal representation, to tenants with any housing issue that may potentially lead to eviction or homelessness. LAFLA was also chosen to be the sole-source contractor for a similar program with the City of Los Angeles. LAFLA has included this new program's expenses with programs listed in 4a. Form 990, Part VI, Section A, line 7a Pursuant to Legal Services Corporation regulations, most directors are appointed by bar associations or community organizations. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 11b The Form 990 is prepared by an outside accounting firm based on information provided by the Director of Fiscal Management; it is then reviewed by the Executive Director, the Director of Fiscal Management, the CFO and the Audit Committee. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 12c At least annually, the Board of Directors, Officers and staff of LAFLA are required to review LAFLA's Conflict of Interest Policy and complete an annual statement affirming that they have a) received a copy of the Conflict of Interest Policy, b) read and understood the policy, and c) agree to comply with such policy. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, line 15 The Executive Committee of the Board reviews the compensation of the Executive Director annually. A compensation survey is also conducted of similar organizations. Other organization officers or key employees' compensation is determined by comparability data and a compensation study as well as review by the Board of Directors. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, line 19 The organization makes the Form 990 available on Guidestar.org and also makes governing documents, conflicts of interest policies and financial statements available to the public upon request. Form 990, Part VIII, Line 11a: In 2020, LAFLA was the sole recipient of a large Cy Pres award resulting from a class action lawsuit filed with the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County. The Cy Pres represented the amount of unpaid residue or unclaimed or abandoned class member funds from the final settlement amount. LAFLA expects to expand support to the increasingly disadvantaged areas within our community post-pandemic. In these difficult times, LAFLA has the ability to provide needed legal assistance to more underserved communities by supplementing our legal services teams and ensuring LAFLA maintains the ability to support the community in the future. Los Angeles Legal Aid Justice Center Inc 1550 West 8th Street Los Angeles CA 90017 475286319 Support the activities of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. CA 501(c)(3) Line 12c, III-FI 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0