Legal Access Alameda/ Disaster Legal Services
Free Legal Answers
Assist low income Californians with legal advice related to COVID, wildfires, or other disasters
Posted September 16, 2022
Background & Context
California Free Legal Answers (FLA) is a virtual advice clinic for low-income Californians, hosted by Legal Access Alameda, California Lawyers Association, and the ABA. Low-income clients in need of legal advice related to COVID-19, the wildfires, and other disasters, post their questions to the site. Most clients’ questions relate to probate issues, family law, and landlord-tenant disputes, but our volunteers help with many other civil legal matters, including consumer and employment issues. All these issues are related to disasters; for our clients, the disaster often creates a domino effect of legal issues. As expected, we are seeing a substantial increase in clients asking about the end of the eviction moratoriums in California. To view an instructional/overview video, on how to sign up, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
Immediate Problem
Bridging the justice gap for low income Californians
Work & Deliverables
Draft an answer to a clients' legal question
Preparation Phase
- Create an account
Collaboration Phase
- Once an attorney creates an account, they can review available client questions and select one.
Wrap Up
- All draft answers are reviewed by a subject matter expert.
Legal Access Alameda/ Disaster Legal Services
Legal Access Alameda is the lead agency of the Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative (DLAC), a partnership network of 27 organizations including legal service providers, law firms, FEMA, the Red Cross, Cal OES, local bar associations, and social service providers. DLAC’s central goal is to provide free legal assistance to disaster survivors. DLAC programs are open to anyone in California, regardless of citizenship or residency status, and address the wide range of legal issues that disaster survivors face. California Free Legal Answers (FLA) is a virtual advice clinic for low-income Californians, hosted by Legal Access Alameda, California Lawyers Association, and the ABA. Low-income clients in need of legal advice related to COVID-19, the wildfires, and other disasters, post their questions to the site. Most clients’ questions relate to probate issues, family law, and landlord-tenant disputes, but our volunteers help with many other civil legal matters, including consumer and employment issues. All these issues are related to disasters; for our clients, the disaster often creates a domino effect of legal issues. As expected, we are seeing a substantial increase in clients asking about the end of the eviction moratoriums in California. Attorney volunteers watch online training videos covering some of the subject matter areas on which questions are anticipated to arise. When an attorney has time that she wishes to devote to the project, she simply logs in to the platform, reviews the questions that are pending, and decides whether to volunteer to answer a question. If she wishes to volunteer, she “checks out” a question, conducts research if necessary, and then sends the draft response to a reviewing attorney. After the reviewing attorney has reviewed the draft, the attorney submits the response through the platform. The person who posed the question receives the response through the platform (not an email from the attorney) and does not know the name of the volunteer or the volunteer’s firm. All work done by attorneys through the site is covered by the ABA’s malpractice insurance.
Volunteer for this project!
Legal Access Alameda/ Disaster Legal Services would love your help with this project. Enter your name and email address to get started!
Legal Access Alameda/ Disaster Legal Services
Legal Access Alameda is the lead agency of the Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative (DLAC), a partnership network of 27 organizations including legal service providers, law firms, FEMA, the Red Cross, Cal OES, local bar associations, and social service providers. DLAC’s central goal is to provide free legal assistance to disaster survivors. DLAC programs are open to anyone in California, regardless of citizenship or residency status, and address the wide range of legal issues that disaster survivors face. California Free Legal Answers (FLA) is a virtual advice clinic for low-income Californians, hosted by Legal Access Alameda, California Lawyers Association, and the ABA. Low-income clients in need of legal advice related to COVID-19, the wildfires, and other disasters, post their questions to the site. Most clients’ questions relate to probate issues, family law, and landlord-tenant disputes, but our volunteers help with many other civil legal matters, including consumer and employment issues. All these issues are related to disasters; for our clients, the disaster often creates a domino effect of legal issues. As expected, we are seeing a substantial increase in clients asking about the end of the eviction moratoriums in California. Attorney volunteers watch online training videos covering some of the subject matter areas on which questions are anticipated to arise. When an attorney has time that she wishes to devote to the project, she simply logs in to the platform, reviews the questions that are pending, and decides whether to volunteer to answer a question. If she wishes to volunteer, she “checks out” a question, conducts research if necessary, and then sends the draft response to a reviewing attorney. After the reviewing attorney has reviewed the draft, the attorney submits the response through the platform. The person who posed the question receives the response through the platform (not an email from the attorney) and does not know the name of the volunteer or the volunteer’s firm. All work done by attorneys through the site is covered by the ABA’s malpractice insurance.