Legal Services Offers Free, Holistic, Helping Hand At The Center

LEGAL SERVICES OFFERS FREE, HOLISTIC, HELPING HAND WITH THE LEGAL SYSTEM

Navigating legal systems as an LGBTQ-identified person can be difficult and overwhelming but having someone there who understands and affirms who you are, makes all the difference. The Legal Services department at The Center provides free direct holistic legal services to survivors/victims of any crime, including hate violence, domestic/intimate partner violence, sexual violence, stalking, elder abuse, assault, robbery, fraud, identity theft, family member or partner of homicide victims, human trafficking, witnesses of violence, and other forms of violence/crimes.

THIS YEAR

In its first four years, the Legal Department at The Center has made a major impact locally, regionally, and nationally through the support of donors and a contingent of volunteer attorneys in a supervised pro bono legal clinic. Over the last year, more than 1,000 services to more than 170 clients were performed.

Some highlights of the past year include:

• Training sessions with essential legal system actors – judges, attorneys, paralegals, social workers – to treat LGBTQ people with dignity and respect as they navigate systems that were not designed with them in mind. This work stretches beyond Long Beach, LA County, and California to local and state jurisdictions in Maryland, Missouri, Alaska, and Michigan.
• The first-ever law student driven Name and Gender Change Clinic in collaboration with Loyola Law School, Los Angeles and the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Transgender Economic Empowerment Project.

MEET OUR SHINING STARS

Earlier this month, the 4th Annual Legal Reception was held at Portuguese Bend in downtown Long Beach where The Center honored some of its terrific volunteers.

Roy Jimenez, Esq., a partner of Long Beach’s TLD Law was chosen to receive the Distinguished Attorney Award for the many contributions he has made to the Legal Services department, to the LGBTQ community and legal field, and to countless community members in need of legal assistance at The Center. He is a Past Co-President of the LGBTQ+ Lawyer Association of Los Angeles and the current President of the LGBTQ Attorneys & Allies Section of the Long Beach Bar Association. He is active in the Diversity of the Profession Committee for the Los Angeles County Bar Association, as well as a former Trustee. Roy focuses on giving back to the community by volunteering his time to help and encourage homeless youth, mentor high school and law students, mentor new lawyers, provide pro bono services to those in need and promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Kevin Cauley, Esq. who was awarded the Distinguished Law Firm Award is the Principal Attorney and founder of Kevin Cauley, PC. Kevin has worked in the fields of professional licensing and health care law in various capacities for over a decade. Kevin has been dedicated to advocating for underserved communities through the legal profession. He was awarded a public interest law fellowship at the Los Angeles LGBT Center where he worked on LGBTQ domestic violence, hate crimes, police misconduct, and transgender legal issues. Kevin is an active participant in countless bar associations, including the LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles. The firm is committed to representing LGBTQ community members in cases involving domestic violence and wrongful or unfair sentencing of LGBTQ people. As a volunteer at Trans Latin@ Coalition, Kevin Cauley, P.C. offered pro bono representation on immigration cases for transgender asylum seekers. He began supporting the LGBTQ Center Long Beach’s legal services department since its inception, serving as a donor and volunteer attorney.

GET INVOLVED

Through the volunteer efforts of lawyers, paralegals and other legal professionals, Legal Services has blossomed its legal portfolio to increase free legal assistance to our community. We now have added more attorneys who practice in family law, victims of crime rights, criminal defense, immigration law, police misconduct, employment law, contracts, and general civil legal issues.

If you’re a legal professional, consider volunteering with us.

But if you’re not a legal professional, you can help too with your donations in any amount.