The L.A. Law Library is offering free legal assistance this week to tenants in disputes with their landlords, parents fighting over child custody, immigrants seeking asylum and others who need advice but cannot afford an attorney.
More than 50 free classes and workshops are available as part of the downtown library's celebration of Pro Bono Week, designed to draw attention to the need for affordable legal representation. But the downtown library offers an array of no- and low-cost classes year-round on divorce, child custody, dealing with debt, clearing criminal records and many other topics.
Supervisor Hilda Solis honored staffers and volunteers from the law library at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
"Pro Bono Week recognizes and promotes the efforts made by service providers, volunteers and local agencies everywhere to create access to justice for our entire community by providing free and low-cost legal information and services," she said. "It's because of the everyday efforts of extraordinary individuals from the L.A. Law Library and many other incredible organizations that all county residents can access legal services and receive justice."
Volunteer attorneys can help in filling out paperwork for asylum and citizenship, clearing a criminal record or changing a name. Pro Bono Week classes cover a wide range of issues including fair housing laws, understanding student loan debt or copyright laws, and getting a small business loan.
In addition to the weekday programming, the library will host the Public Legal Services Fair on Saturday with access to more than 40 different service agencies and dozens more free programs, including an immigration clinic.
"They provide free and low-cost services for our communities to receive justice no matter what their financial status or immigration status," Solis said.
The L.A. Law Library also offers training to lawyers interested in volunteering.
More information can be found at www.lalawlibrary.org.
