40 LA firms, organizations combine to offer virus-related legal help

Forty law firms, bar associations and legal aid organizations in Los Angeles are cooperating to provide pro bono services to individuals and small businesses facing specific coronavirus problems, such as negotiating landlord-tenant disputes during the eviction moratorium, helping with government aid, unemployment and domestic violence issues.

The program, called L.A. Represents, differs from how firms usually offer free services, said to Daniel L. Brown, chair of Sheppard Mullin's pro bono committee. "Law firms who are usually competitors with each other are working together in order to tackle as many matters as efficiently as possible without duplicating efforts by pooling resources and coordinating intake and assignment processes," Brown said.

A new support system overseen by volunteers and advocates at Bet Tzedek Legal Services for small businesses is part of the program, which was launched by Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Attorney Mike Feuer on May 5.

"The mission of this effort is to help connect the community with the legal services organizations that are out there," said Diego Cartagena, president and CEO of Bet Tzedek. "This is an opportunity to let the community know that as they're struggling with questions about unemployment insurance, as they're struggling with that complicated web of rent moratorium rules that have been passed in different cities that they're not alone in that struggle, that there are legal services organizations out there able to assist."

Businesses confronting new workplace regulations related to the virus can get help to renegotiate commercial leases, apply for government relief programs and navigate compliance with emergency health and safety orders.

There were 4 million small businesses in California as of last year, employing 48.8% of all workers in the state, according to data from the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy.

Paul Hastings LLP, working with Bet Tzedek and the mayor's office, will initially focus on small business owners, said corporate partner Yousuf I. Dhamee.

"I think that the virus brings out the importance of focusing on that part of the community," Dhamee said. "Oftentimes, people think of impact litigation or other types of pro bono services, but this is something where our day-to-day work can add value and help build the community and can have an impact above and beyond what we do."

At Sheppard Mullin, attorneys requested that the firm join in to help during the pandemic, and the focus will be on businesses, said Brown.

"It's an opportunity for firms to collaborate to help tackle as many of these issues as possible by having an almost unprecedented network that has been put together to match expertise with the needs that we know exist and are going to exist even more in the near future," Brown said.

While L.A. Represents is concentrated on helping residents in Los Angeles, The Alameda County Bar Association has joined the ABA Free Legal Answers initiative in a pilot program set to launch locally in the upcoming weeks. The program started in 2016 and is available in 42 states. The Alameda bar would be the first in California to participate.

Tiela Chalmers, the association's CEO and general counsel, compared the service, which is accessible on the ABA website, to a hotline through email. But the difference is that the client will have to wait until an attorney can take the time to answer the question.

Chalmers hopes to have a variety of experts who can answer questions and review answers on civil matters. "We are recording training sessions that volunteers will have to watch before they can join the site," Chalmers said. "But first we have to work out the bugs and see what it takes to make it work and then we'll see about expanding it or not."

Chalmers is not sure the program would continue after the pandemic, but said, "I think it could be appealing to a pretty wide range of people who want to help in this COVID period and are not sure how to do that."

The attorney-driven programs are helpful, according to Maria Brambila, program coordinator for East Bay Community Law Center's Consumer Justice Clinic, which offers legal services in housing, health, economic security, education and immigration. "One call alone can take up to 30 to 45 minutes as we explain the law, name the steps that need to be taken, describe the caller's options and send self-help materials when possible," Brambila said. "However, we do not have the capacity to assist every caller, which is why we need more of these programs."