2026-09-15T14:15:11-05:00 2025-12-31 954557617 Harrington Group CPAs LLP 2698 Mataro Street Pasadena CA 91107 990 2025-01-01 951684067 Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles LEGA 3238017916 1550 West 8th Street Los Angeles CA 90017 Vincent Rodriguez CFO 3238017906 2026-09-15 1 Oswaldo D Torres CPA P02465082 6264036801 2025 Silvia Argueta 1550 West 8th Street Los Angeles CA 90017 78535662 0 X WWW.LAFLA.ORG X 1929 CA Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles seeks to achieve equal justice for people living in poverty across Greater Los Angeles. We change lives through direct representation, systems change, and community education. 35 35 313 1442 0 0 57031001 73500969 205143 208197 470642 661564 907313 3877137 58614099 78247867 26947430 37011600 0 0 26125834 30709416 0 0 142363 5781472 5532568 58854736 73253584 -240637 4994283 61718333 79255388 17765046 30092668 43953287 49162720 X See Schedule O 0 0 45215784 36818629 43663 Housing and Communities and Eviction Defense Workgroup: The Housing & Communities workgroup takes a community lawyering approach to litigation and policy advocacy by supporting tenants and tenant organizations to enforce and enact housing laws. They defend residents of public housing and Section 8 voucher holders against losing their housing or housing subsidy. They also provide legal support to community-based organizations seeking to build healthy, economically vibrant communities. The Eviction Defense Workgroup provides direct representation to low-income individuals and families facing eviction; negotiates with landlords to ensure families can stay in their homes; helps clients living in uninhabitable conditions to get reductions in rent; and empowers tenants to advocate for their tenants' rights, all while working towards a tenants' right to counsel. LAFLA closed 2,142 housing related cases in this area of law in 2025. 2764270 17930 Economic Stability ("ESWG"): Assists vulnerable populations in obtaining and maintaining critical safety net benefits that helps them get food, housing, and medical care or services; Fights wage theft, wrongful terminations and discriminatory employment practices; Provides legal representation to disabled Angelenos in the Social Security Disability appeals process through the CBEST program, which assists individuals are homeless or at risk of homelessness in securing vital federal disability benefits; Discharges student loans based on disability or school fraud. In fact, LAFLA is the only legal services organization in the country that, for over 30 years, has consistently sought justice for low-income student loan borrowers and worked to change a higher education system that increasingly ignores the needs and experiences of low-income borrowers. In 2025, ESWG closed 1,690 cases in these areas of law. 1711443 10000 Immigration Access ("IAWG"): Advocates provide trauma-informed legal assistance to survivors of torture and other harms seeking asylum in the United States by representing them before USCIS and EOIR; Represents survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault and other serious crimes to obtain protection and permanent residency; protects vulnerable unaccompanied children throughout the immigration process. In addition, advocates represent individuals seeking legal permanent resident and citizenship status. In 2025, IAWG closed 1,064 cases that addressed these legal issues. 15417450 192971 136604 Client Intake Workgroup: The Client Intake Workgroup's receptionist team performed trauma-informed legal intake for over 75,000 individuals in 2025, connecting qualified applicants with LAFLA's robust legal services and referring others to meaningful community resources. The Client Intake Workgroup's housing intake paralegal team delivers limited scope legal services, under direct attorney supervision, to indigent tenants experiencing housing insecurity and unsafe living conditions. In 2025, the Client Intake Workgroup closed 5,852 eviction diversion cases.Santa Monica Community Office: Funded through grants from the City of Santa Monica, this office provides legal services to residents of Santa Monica only. They staff a domestic violence clinic at the court and offer regular housing clinics. Attorneys work with local agencies and city services to provide family law, housing, government benefit and immigration services. This office closed 808 cases in 2025.Restoring Communities: Addresses the core legal needs of communities impacted by the criminal justice system by providing direct legal services to remove barriers to reentry to society, including employment barriers, by providing community education, working with community partners to offer holistic services, and engaging in systemic change to support the restoration of impacted communities. Holistic legal services provided by the Restoring Communities Work Group include record clearing, occupational license denial challenges and assistance with family law, housing, government benefits, fair chance ordinance violations and other legal needs. In 2025, the restoring communities workgroup closed 2,987 cases in these areas of law.Survivor and Family Justice: The Survivor and Family Justice Workgroup assists survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault obtain domestic violence restraining orders, divorces, child custody and visitation orders, and helps secure the return of concealed and abducted children. We deliver on-site, in-person domestic violence legal services to survivors at two L.A. Superior Court locations: the Stanley Mosk Courthouse and the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse. We provide virtual appointments for survivors seeking assistance with family law legal services, including motion and brief drafting. Additionally, we offer in-person, on-site appointments at three domestic violence shelters in Los Angeles County. The Workgroup also partners with health and human services organizations to link survivors with holistic support beyond legal services as they rebuild their lives away from their abusers. In 2025, the Workgroup closed 1,119 domestic violence and family law cases.Veterans Justice Center ("VJC"): Provides holistic, trauma-informed legal support to low-income, homeless, and at-risk veterans, regardless of discharge status or length of service. Its experienced, culturally competent staff-supported by hundreds of pro bono volunteers-help veterans secure life-sustaining income, health, and housing benefits; prevent homelessness by fighting wrongful evictions; remove employment barriers; clear criminal records; and advocate for discharge upgrades. Through deep partnerships with Veterans Affairs, veteran service organizations, and community agencies, VJC combines outreach, needs assessment, education, and direct legal services to close the justice gap for veterans. In 2025, VJC closed 578 cases, and in 2025, it assisted 980 veterans with a wide range of legal issues, including housing, benefits, family law, consumer issues and more. By leveraging a multidisciplinary team and robust data systems, VJC delivers high-impact, sustainable results, helping veterans achieve lasting stability, dignity, and opportunity.Asian & Pacific Islander Community Outreach Project: Provides legal help in all areas of practice including family law, immigration, housing, and government benefits in a wide range of API languages, including Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Khmer, Vietnamese, Tagalog/Filipino, Hindi, and Thai. LAFLA's API Workgroup advocates for language rights in civil courts, administrative proceedings, and other government agencies for clients with limited-English proficiency. This program closed 1012 cases in 2025.Medical-Legal Partnership ("MLP"): This LAFLA special project embeds legal clinics within medical facilities to allow healthcare and legal professionals to identify and help patients reach their optimal health. The MLP team strives to provide high-quality, holistic legal assistance and representation across 6 health sites including TCC Family Health, Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center, Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, Long Beach Comprehensive Health Center, Community Medical Wellness Centers USA, and PPLA Inglewood Community Center's Black Health Initiative. Through this project, anyone from the above-mentioned medical care teams can refer patients to our attorneys as part of a comprehensive approach to improve health outcomes by addressing social determinants of health such as poor housing conditions, long-term health planning, denial of public benefits, loss of healthcare access, issues with immigration, criminal record clearing, or violence within the household. In 2025, MLP closed 839 cases.Unhoused People's Justice Project: This project engages in impact litigation and policy work to combat the criminalization of homelessness, and to ensure the civil rights of unhoused people are protected, as well as direct services related to shelter, RV and criminalization issues. This program closed 43 cases in 2025.Pro Bono Disaster Response ("PBDR"): The Pro Bono Disaster Response Team helps disaster survivors understand and advocate for their legal rights, navigate a path towards a safe and equitable recovery, and avoid displacement from their communities. PBDR's legal services are focused on FEMA cases, tenants' rights issues, public benefits matters, and consumer rights. PBDR works within LAFLA's Pro Bono Department and leverages pro bono connections to expand and deepen our support of disaster-impacted communities. In 2025, PBDR delivered legal information to nearly 3,800 disaster survivors.Self-Help Centers: For over 20 years, LAFLA has partnered with the Los Angeles Superior Court to provide high-quality assistance for self-represented litigants. In 2025, LAFLA's Self-Help Center Workgroup helped over 29,235 litigants access the justice system across its four courthouse-based Self-Help Centers and remote self-help hotline. In-person and hybrid services included free legal information, assistance with court forms in multiple legal areas, and innovative remote tools, all of which empowered litigants through complex court systems. 15417450 192971 136604 65108947 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 56 0 1 313 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 35 35 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 Kahn A Scolnick President 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Joseph B Farrell Secretary 1.00 X X 0 0 0 Lynette M Jones Vice President 1.00 X X 0 0 0 C Cleo Ray Community Chair 1.00 X 0 0 0 Eric J Bakewell Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Wendy R Cabil Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Kyle Casazza Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Sean A Commons Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Carissa Coze 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 Gary E Gans Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Felix Garcia Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Fanny Gomez Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Naomi Haywood Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 James E Hornstein Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Kimberly Klinsport Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Bethany Kristovich Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Amy Lerner-Hill Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Clementina Lopez Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Michael Maddigan Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 John Maldonado Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Matthew Marmolejo Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Virginia F Milstead Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Kevin J Minnick Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Chris Rivas 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 Marc M Seltzer Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Douglas Thompson Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Nicolas A Trutanich Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Ronald B Turovsky Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Pamela Westhoff Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Brianne Wiese Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Jacqueline Vasquez Board Member 1.00 X 0 0 0 Silvia Argueta Executive Director 35.00 X 277802 0 48103 Vincent A Rodriguez Chief Financial Officer 35.00 X 218428 0 12455 Barbara Schultz Director of Housing Justice 35.00 X 232734 0 64128 Yolanda Arias Managing Attorney 35.00 X 201940 0 23165 Phong Wong Pro Bono Director 35.00 X 186685 0 69138 Monica Arellano Deputy Director 35.00 X 187643 0 57789 Alyson Sprafkin Chief Development Director 35.00 X 192136 0 4127 1497368 0 278905 53 0 1 0 0 927170 70908519 1665280 12875 73500969 Fellowship 541100 146604 146604 Attorney fees 541100 61593 61593 208197 661564 661564 287795 927170 287795 0 Employee Retention Credit 900099 2827742 2827742 CY Pres 541100 912442 912442 Miscellaneous income 900099 136953 136953 3877137 78247867 208197 0 4538701 36774230 36774230 237370 237370 564783 498840 65943 23561177 19129914 4403150 28113 1002590 857702 144888 3739655 3085416 640280 13959 1841211 1498771 333047 9393 8008 8008 93200 93200 443054 242701 199003 1350 768684 448018 319851 815 378762 292296 86007 459 1523109 1211793 311316 57366 53942 3424 529391 529391 418204 297451 120753 Litigation 338265 331409 6856 Library 260129 245195 14934 Training 226510 185452 41058 Equip. rental & main. 189425 148827 40496 102 298461 68460 207772 22229 73253584 65108947 8002274 142363 4188489 10577866 95008 95008 14795656 16723038 75975 0 1150433 1305223 31155350 3468650 22236527 27686700 17459326 21561670 1716919 1305883 61718333 79255388 12023350 14729385 4024799 14058030 84772 9772 1632125 1295481 17765046 30092668 X 42600148 48290081 1353139 872639 43953287 49162720 61718333 79255388 4994283 215150 0 X 0 1 X 1 1 1 X 32627974 34911949 54705482 57031001 73500969 252777375 32627974 34911949 54705482 57031001 73500969 252777375 252777375 367639 441204 408534 470642 661564 2349583 359740 1671419 1846832 707313 3877137 8462441 263589399 1529476 0.95900 0.90270 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 5331759 5331759 15837069 2591111 13245958 586489 514973 71516 9400033 362566 9037467 27686700 Lease liabilities - operating leases 908899 Lease liabilities - finance leases 386582 1295481 X 96295492 215150 17832475 18047625 78247867 0 78247867 91086059 17832475 17832475 73253584 0 73253584 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 1214965 927170 287795 190404 6555 2000 88836 1214965 927170 287795 190404 6555 2000 88836 287795 0 1 Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California 1145 Wilshire Blvd 2nd Floor Los Angeles CA 90017 953854152 501(c)(3) 61134 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Basta Universal 1545 Wilshire Blvd 600 Los Angeles CA 90017 421688855 501(c)(3) 3342235 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Bet Tzedek 3250 Wilshire Blvd 13th Floor Los Angeles CA 90010 237304205 501(c)(3) 1082484 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Community Legal Aid SoCal 2101 N Tustin Ave Santa Ana CA 92705 951994337 501(c)(3) 1408226 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Eviction Defense Network 316 W 2nd Street 8th Floor Los Angeles CA 90012 562380231 501(c)(3) 3763381 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Housing Rights Center 3255 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1150 Los Angeles CA 90010 952572642 501(c)(3) 8782626 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Inner City Law Center 1309 E 7th St Los Angeles CA 90021 953697572 501(c)(3) 5765800 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Liberty Hill Foundation 1001 Wilshire Blvd PMB 2170 Los Angeles CA 90017 510181191 501(c)(3) 7075104 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Mental Health Advocacy Services 3255 Wilshire Blvd Unit 902 Los Angeles CA 90010 953371166 501(c)(3) 320853 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Neighborhood Legal Services 13327 Van Nuys Blvd Pacoima CA 91331 952408642 501(c)(3) 2970134 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Public Counsel 610 S Ardmore Ave Los Angeles CA 90005 237105149 501(c)(3) 647061 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants Strategic Actions for a Just Economy 152 W 32nd St Los Angeles CA 90007 931226092 501(c)(3) 750174 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants California Center for Movement Legal Services 3655 S Grand Ave Ste 250 Los Angeles CA 90007 923242519 501(c)(3) 805018 0 Client legal assistance through sub-grants 13 0 Stipends 43 237370 Part I, Line 2: Students will first submit an application to participate. Criteria considered include: demonstrated commitment to LAFLA's mission to achieve equal justice for people living in poverty, financial need, demonstrated leadership ability, community service, personal and academic achievements. After a pool of candidates is selected from applications reviewed, they proceed to an interview process. Interviews are conducted by LAFLA's Law Student Recruitment Committee. Additional information can be found here: https://lafla.org/get-involved/law-students/ X X 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Silvia Argueta Executive Director 277802 0 0 0 0 0 30978 0 17125 0 325905 0 0 0 Barbara Schultz Director of Housing Justice 232734 0 0 0 0 0 26089 0 38039 0 296862 0 0 0 Phong Wong Pro Bono Director 186685 0 0 0 0 0 21072 0 48066 0 255823 0 0 0 Monica Arellano Deputy Director 187643 0 0 0 0 0 9698 0 48091 0 245432 0 0 0 Vincent A Rodriguez Chief Financial Officer 218428 0 0 0 0 0 11131 0 1324 0 230883 0 0 0 Yolanda Arias Managing Attorney 201940 0 0 0 0 0 22225 0 940 0 225105 0 0 0 Alyson Sprafkin Chief Development Director 192136 0 0 0 0 0 3631 0 496 0 196263 0 0 0 Form 990, Part III, Line 1, Description of Organization Mission: 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. Form 990, Part III, Line 4a Legal Victories LAFLA achieved the following legal victories in 2025: Civil Rights for Unhoused People: The 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 amendments. They seek declarative relief that the ordinance is unconstitutional, and injunctive relief to prevent the seizure and destruction of property. In 2025, Plaintiffs moved for terminating sanctions related to the City's fabrication and alteration of evidence in the case as well as additional discovery abuses that were uncovered in the course of the forensic examination related to the spoliation of evidence. Plaintiffs also moved for summary judgment on their claims related to due process. Post-Fire Anti-Rent Gouging: The Palisades and Eaton fires are two of the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history. These wildfires have resulted in 29 deaths, over 200,000 people evacuated, and over 16,000 structures destroyed or damaged. On January 7, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency for Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The Governor's emergency proclamation triggered California's Anti-Price Gouging Law, Cal. Penal Code 396, which protects residents from economic exploitation in the wake of the wildfires by limiting rent increases to no more than 10% of their pre-emergency price. Defendants-who are owners, leasing agents, and property managers of residential apartments throughout Los Angeles County-exploited this tragedy by dramatically raising rental prices; ranging from 25% to nearly 50% increases on rents. In doing so, Defendants violated California's Anti-Price Gouging Law and the California Unfair Competition Law ("UCL"), Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17200 et seq. LAFLA, along with co-counsel, sued defendants on behalf of a tenant's rights organization. Once confronted with the allegations in the complaint (first private action to address rent gouging filed in LA County following the wildfires) most defendants immediately entered a settlement posture. Two defendants brought a demurrer which was defeated. By the end of 2025, all defendants had agreed to settle, which included monetary compensation to the tenant organization and stipulated declaratory relief. Source of Income Discrimination: A Santa Monica long-term elderly and disabled rent-controlled tenant, was heavily rent-burdened at risk of losing her home. When she was granted a Section 8 housing choice voucher, her landlords refused to accept the voucher or enter into a Section 8 contract with the Santa Monica Housing Authority. LAFLA, along with co-counsel, filed an affirmative suit against the landlords for source of income discrimination, tenant harassment, Unruh act, elder abuse, and unfair business practices. Shortly after filing, defendants filed an anti-SLAPP special motion to strike. Although it significantly delayed the litigation, we defeated the anti-SLAPP motion and commenced discovery. LAFLA attempted several rounds of mediation while both plaintiff and defendant had health issues. Ultimately after discovery, LAFLA prevailed on a Motion for Summary Adjudication for three of the six causes of actions and had a permanent injunction put in place against the landlords. Following that victory, LAFLA returned to mediation on the remaining claims and damages. Case settled for $310,000. This case was tried in conjunction with a parallel related case filed by City of Santa Monica against the same landlords for the same refusal to accept the Section 8 voucher. For Profit-Student Loan Abuse: In one client's case, LAFLA defended a student loan borrower who had been sued for an alleged student loan debt above a six-figure dollar amount, even though the alleged creditor did not have valid proof that it owned any loan rights against him. After defeating an anti-SLAPP motion and asserting crossclaims against the creditor for debt collection violations, they agreed to dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, fully relieving the client of this mountain of debt that, had there been a judgment, likely would have resulted in life-long wage garnishments. Social Security Protection: LAFLA represented a client in a Social Security hearing to challenge a large overpayment caused by a past property sale that the Social Security Administration claimed had made her ineligible for years of past disability benefits. After establishing that the client's former abusive partner had received all the proceeds from this sale, leaving the client homeless and destitute, LAFLA was able to secure a fully favorable cancellation of this overpayment from a Social Security judge and restore SSI with significant backpay, enabling the client to secure housing again and exit homelessness. Holistic Services: LAFLA represented a disabled client who had suffered a seizure and then ended up in a coma many years ago, had since experienced serious cognitive decline. Although her short-term memory was fine, she had no long-term memory. While already receiving SSI benefits, our client was struggling with her day-to-day activities and taking care of herself at home. After LAFLA assessed and encouraged her to apply for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) through L.A. County, our client was able to receive regular assistance from an in-home caretaker. Later, our client's health providers would refer her back to a LAFLA clinic to receive assistance with her naturalization application. Though client had dreamed of becoming a U.S. Citizen, both she and her health providers were struggling with completing the disability waiver on their own. LAFLA worked with client's providers to ensure submission of a complete disability waiver and an amended naturalization application, prepared client for the interview process, and accompanied her to USCIS. Client was very nervous at her interview, which was heightened by her disabilities, but she felt safe in the hands of LAFLA advocates. Though client's disability waiver was signed by a neurologist, it was almost denied by the USCIS officer conducting the interview. LAFLA objected to the hearing officer's denial and successfully requested immediate supervisor review. Client's application and interview were approved, and today client is a U.S. Citizen. Clinic health providers were so impressed by the success of this case, they requested a disability waiver training for technical advice on future applications, which was also conducted in 2025. Language Justice: LAFLA represented a 56-year-old lawful permanent resident with her naturalization application. She had applied on her own, but USCIS had administratively closed her case after she had missed her interview date due to loss of notices. Due to her limited English proficiency, she did not fully understand the USCIS notices regarding the administrative closure or the steps required to reopen her case, and she believed her case had been denied. She came to one of our community clinics hoping to find a Filipino speaking advocate that could help guide her on next steps. A bilingual staff member from LAFLA communicated with the client directly in Filipino, advised her on next steps, and successfully advocated with USCIS to reopen her naturalization application. The staff member also thoroughly prepared the client for the interview by conducting mock interviews in English while explaining concepts in Filipino so the client could fully understand. LAFLA represented the client at her interview, where USCIS recommended her case for approval after more than 14 months since her initial application. The client was able to take her oath ceremony the same day to become a U.S. citizen. The client came to her interview extremely nervous about her English skills and her ability to remember the answers to the civics test. Having an advocate who spoke Filipino and could explain the process in full provided her with clarity and confidence throughout. Becoming a U.S. citizen brought the client great joy and relief, as she felt greater stability being in the United States with her children, who are all U.S. citizens. Form 990, Part III, Line 4a Immigration Naturalization: LAFLA client is a 91-year-old proud grandmother and mother of U.S. citizens. She came to the US back in 1983 with her two sons, fleeing the civil war in El Salvador. She came to LAFLA in need of representation with filing an N-400 naturalization application. She was understandably nervous about pursuing citizenship and anxious. LAFLA retained the case to file the application and prepare the client for her interview. The client did perfectly on the civics questions and impressed the interviewing officer with her mental sharpness. Thanks to the client's acumen as well as diligent preparation by LAFLA, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted her application. Her two sons, U.S. citizens, were happy and proud to watch their mother take the oath of citizenship at the swearing in ceremony. Her family is relieved that her immigration status has been secured and she can live her latter years in peace. Restorative Justice: A client came to one of our community clinics because she had received notice that she would no longer be able to work as a Home Care Aide due to a conviction that she sustained. LAFLA was able to assist her in appealing the denial by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) of her Home Care Aide Registration, as well as appealing the denial of her criminal record exemption for working in facilities licensed by CDSS. LAFLA represented client in these matters before the Office of Administrative Hearings and were able to obtain a favorable result on both issues. LAFLA also assisted client with getting her record expunged, and client is currently working towards obtaining her nursing license free from any barriers due to her record. Domestic Violence Restraining Order: A domestic violence survivor came to the LAFLA domestic violence clinic at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse seeking assistance with getting a restraining order against her ex-partner who was stalking her. Her abuser would show up unannounced at her house to harass her, make threats, and he would refuse to leave. He was sending her threatening text messages which mentioned surveillance of the client's house, threats to kill client's future partners, and threatening self-harm if client dated someone else. Throughout their past relationship, the abuser had frequent angry outbursts when he would throw objects at the survivor, calling her names, and leaving her stranded without transportation at various locations. The abuse was so pervasive that the client had trouble sleeping at night and had panic attacks due to his abuse. LAFLA drafted a Domestic Violence Restraining Order for her and the survivor was granted a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). However, in the weeks after obtaining her TRO, the survivor called LAFLA to inform us of further abuse in violation of the order. The violations of the TRO included the abuser following the client while she was driving, yelling at her asking who she was with, and then intentionally crashing his car into her car, causing damage to the hood of her car. Even though the abuser was arrested for the intentional crash, he called the client multiple times from jail. LAFLA drafted a Supplemental Declaration recounting the numerous egregious violations of the restraining order. In this way, the client could rest assured that the violations would be considered by the judicial officer at the Domestic Violence Restraining Order hearing. At the hearing, the client was granted a Restraining Order After Hearing that included her family members as protected parties. With her Restraining Order After Hearing in hand, the survivor can go about her life with peace of mind knowing that she and her family are protected. Veterans Justice and Ban the Box: A U.S. Navy Veteran came to LAFLA seeking help to clear her criminal record so she could complete her education and find meaningful work. She had left honorable military service with severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and what followed was an abusive marriage to a violent felon who coerced her into participating in criminal activity to support their family. As a result, she was convicted of multiple theft-related offenses, including Grand Theft. After serving her time, she broke free from the relationship - but without adequate treatment for her trauma, she turned to alcohol, resulting in additional convictions. Following her final case, she committed to turning her life around. She sought treatment for her PTSD, returned to school, and earned both her Associate's and Bachelor's degrees. But when she attempted to enter the workforce, she was repeatedly denied employment due to her record. Her past - the record of a woman who had been abused, coerced, and forced to survive - had become an ever-present barrier to the future she had earned. LAFLA worked with her for three years to dismantle that barrier. While pursuing petitions to clear her record, LAFLA also ensured she fully exercised her rights under the City of Los Angeles and the State of California's Ban the Box laws, securing an exemption that allowed her to obtain employment with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation as a Citations Technician while her cases remained pending. Her theft conviction, however, proved an entrenched obstacle. Despite California Penal Code 1203.4 providing a clear legal pathway for dismissal following rehabilitation, the court denied her petition repeatedly, citing unsuccessful completion of probation and declining to engage with the merits of her case. LAFLA refused to accept those denials, filing Motion after Motion for Reconsideration. In November 2025, LAFLA filed a fourth motion with an eye toward appeal. LAFLA argued that the court had repeatedly misapplied the statute and failed to exercise the discretion the law required - discretion that demanded full consideration of her mental health treatment, advanced education, and steady employment. The court agreed, reversed its prior denials, and granted the dismissal pursuant to Penal Code 1203.4. With her record cleared, the Veteran is now being considered for promotion to a management position at her job. She served her country, survived abuse, and rebuilt her life from the ground up - and because LAFLA refused to stop fighting, the law finally caught up to the truth of who she is. 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 Chief Financial Officer; it is then reviewed by the Executive Director, 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 Candid.org and also makes governing documents, conflicts of interest policies and financial statements available to the public upon request.