Organization Name:
Public Law Center

Mission:
The Public Law Center, Orange County’s pro bono law firm, is committed to providing access to justice for low income residents. Through volunteers and staff, the Public Law Center provides free civil legal services, including counseling, individual representation, community education, and strategic litigation and advocacy to challenge societal injustices.
Main Services Provided

PLC provides civil legal services to indigent persons including family law, housing, benefits, immigration and consumer issues. 1999, (PLC) established The Community Legal Clinic Project to bring legal services to traditionally underserved clients at locations in their own communities. Approximately 75% of all new matters come to PLC through community legal clinics. PLC conducts bi-monthly clinics at 15 sites throughout the county. Each of these 15 legal clinics serves approximately 10 to12 clients per session. Case types that are handled by the clinics include family law, housing, benefits, immigration and consumer.

PLC also works closely with AIDS Services Foundation to provide civil legal services to indigent persons living with HIV or AIDS. PLC’s Community Organization Legal Assistance Project makes free legal services available to community-based nonprofit organizations, child care centers and providers.

PLC has been and continues to be involved in a variety of advocacy efforts involving affordable housing and health care, two areas where scarce resources and overwhelming need combine to create problematic situations for many of Orange County’s low income residents. Working with other advocates, PLC seeks to develop solutions through the legal system to these systemic problems.

Accomplishments
PLC works with more than 970 volunteer lawyers, paralegals and law students from throughout the county who volunteer their time and expertise. In the year 2009 alone, PLC staff and volunteers provided 45,454 hours of free legal services in handling more than 3,409 cases, serving a total of 13,500 low income children, adults and seniors in Orange County. We estimate that the value of free legal services provided by PLC staff and volunteers in 2009 is worth more nearly $17 million.
Greatest Needs
Due to the current economic climate, PLC has seen a dramatic increase in the demand for services. Simultaneously, PLC faces a widening financial gap created by significant cuts to our funding. These cuts have a serious impact on our ability to provide critical legal services. We need your support to help bridge the gap.
Contact Info
Charlotte Finklea,
Director of Fund Development
601 Civic Center Dr W
Santa Ana, CA 92701
cfinklea@publiclawcenter.org