Clients include: immigrants, minorities, veterans, seniors, children, and low-income residents of Orange County. The issues range from domestic violence, human trafficking, guardianship, housing, health, bankruptcy, asylum, family law, consumer fraud, immigration, discrimination, and advocacy. Our services range from training seminars to individual legal advice to full representation. We also provide extensive legal support to Orange County nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations so they can better meet their legal obligations, protect themselves from unnecessary litigation, and focus on delivering critical services to Orange County residents.

The Public Law Centers 35 staff members work with over 1,500 Orange County lawyers, paralegals, law students and other volunteers annually to provide free civil legal services, including: counseling, individual representation, community education, and strategic litigation and advocacy to challenge societal injustices. To learn more about our services for low-income and vulnerable residents, watch one of our videos, or see our list of services.
We also provide free legal advice and representation to qualifying Orange County non-profit organizations and small businesses.

Services

Affordable Housing & Homelessness Prevention
PLC works to preserve and create affordable housing in Orange County, prevent homelessness, and assist tenants who are being unfairly evicted or who are subjected to sub-standard living conditions.

Bankruptcy Legal Assistance
PLC educates clients about the impact of bankruptcy and the options available under the bankruptcy code, and is able to provide free assistance for clients facing burdensome consumer debts, through the use of volunteer attorneys, staff attorneys and clinics at PLC and the federal courthouse.

Clinics
PLC conducts a variety of legal clinics throughout Orange County, many of them located at courthouses.

Bankruptcy Legal Assistance
PLCs Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project (COLAP) makes free legal services available to community-based nonprofit organizations and child care centers and providers. PLC will also help micro-business owners who meet certain eligibility criteria.

Consumer Law
PLC advises, provides brief services, and refers cases to our network of volunteer attorneys on a wide variety of issues including unfair sales practices, identity theft, creditor harassment and predatory lending.

Families and Children
PLC assists domestic violence victims and those seeking to finalize their divorce by providing necessary court forms so they can obtain the relief they seek.

Medical-Legal Partnerships
PLC staff provide PLCs full range of legal services in collaboration with medical professionals across Orange County in community clinics, cancer centers and hospitals.

Immigration
PLC assists undocumented immigrant victims in filing for various forms of immigration relief, engages in broad-based impact litigation, and provides community education on immigration issues.

Operation Veterans Re-Entry
The Operation Veterans Re-Entry Program provides Orange County veterans and their families free legal assistance to facilitate their re-entry into civilian life.