Bet Tzedek sets the standard for innovation in public

interest law. The agencys pioneering projects combine direct

legal representation with powerful outreach, education, and
legislative advocacy. The result is equal access to justice for
over 15,000 low-income Angelenos every year. Bet Tzedeks
legal expertise and capacity to effect positive, sustainable
social change continues to garner national attention.

Bet Tzedek Legal Services is a non-profit organization that provides free,

expert legal advice and representation to low-income residents of Los
Angeles County
Pro Bono Opportunities: Self-Help Conservatorship Clinic
When a severely developmentally disabled child turns 18, the child retains all the legal rights of an adult even
though he or she is cognitively unable to exercise those rights. Many families are not aware
they may need a conservatorship when the child turns 18 in order to make fundamental
decisions on behalf of their loved one, such as where the child will live or what medical
treatment they will receive. Other individuals may need to initiate the conservatorship
process in order to help meet the needs of an elderly loved one facing dementia or
Alzheimers.
Bet Tzedeks Self-Help Conservatorship Clinic helps families navigate the conservatorship
court process by helping them prepare and file the documents needed for their case.
Attorneys who volunteer at a clinic:
- Provide general information to pro per clinic participants regarding conservatorship and the conservatorship
court process.
- Guide pro per clinic participants through the process of reviewing their conservatorship court documents
and help answer their questions.
- Provide general information to pro per clinic participants on what to expect at court.
Bet Tzedek hosts these clinics twice a month at its offices on Wilshire Blvd., and provides a 1.5 hour, same-day CLEeligible training to prepare volunteers for their clinic experience. There is no expectation of any ongoing
representation or responsibility to the litigants assisted.

Pro Bono Opportunities: Advance Planning Clinic

End-of-life planning, if ignored, can go from an informative and straightforward conversation to a drawn-out
nightmare. Low-income clients often have little resources or time to devote to end-of-life planning, and therefore
they frequently resort to no planning or improvised planning. Having recognized the need for this critical service,
Bet Tzedek has created the Advance Planning Clinic.
At these clinics, volunteer attorneys meet with clients in order to draft:
- Advance Health Care Directives: A document designating an agent and outlining the clients health care
instructions to be followed should they become incapacitated.
- Statutory Wills: A simple will outlining the clients testamentary wishes.
Bet Tzedek hosts these clinics every other month at its offices on Wilshire Blvd., and provides a 2 hour, same-day
CLE-eligible training to prepare volunteers for their clinic experience. There is no expectation of any ongoing
representation or responsibility to the clients assisted.