About Our Programs
Cancer Legal Resource Center
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The Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC) is a community-based joint program of the Disability Rights Legal Center and Loyola Law School. The CLRC provides free and confidential information and resources on cancer-related legal issues to people with cancer, their families, friends, employers, health care professionals, and others coping with cancer.
The CLRC has a national toll free Telephone Assistance Line (866-THE-CLRC) where callers can receive information about relevant laws and resources for their particular situation. The CLRC volunteer panel of attorneys and other professionals provide more in-depth information and counsel to CLRC callers.
The CLRC has extensive resources on a broad range of cancer-related legal issues, including health insurance, employment, government benefits, estate planning, advance health care directives, family law, and consumer assistance.
CLRC staff members speak at workshops and outreach programs in the cancer community, including cancer support groups and in-service trainings for health care professionals. The CLRC regularly hosts informational booths at health fairs and other events in the cancer community. If you would like a CLRC staff person to attend your next event, please call us at (866) 843-2572.
Community Outreach Program
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The Community Outreach Program provides disability law trainings for people with disabilities, businesses, attorneys, employers, and others about disability rights laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disability sensitivity issues, and legal issues involving access to healthcare, such as Medicare. The Program conducts outreach, through self-advocacy academies and workshops regarding disability rights in housing, employment, effective communication and other access related issues, to inform members of the disability community and other minority communities. The Program spearheads the statewide Respect-ABILITY Coalition, and organizes and hosts the bi-yearly Respect-ABILITY Conference, which brings together disability leaders, advocates, and community organizers to discuss changes in law, national trends, and local strategies. The Program also provides community building events, such as Disability Mentoring Day, an annual event that pairs young students and job seekers with mentors for a day of job shadowing in the career field of their interest. Disability Mentoring Day will take place on Wednesday, October 21st 2009. For more information on how to participate in Disability Mentoring Day as a mentee or mentor please call (213) 736-1408.
Inland Empire Program
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The Inland Empire is one of the fastest growing areas in California and covers nearly 30,000 square miles. Yet legal services are dismayingly scarce for low-income people with disabilities. Therefore, the Disability Rights Legal Center has expanded its offices to serve San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. We are accepting special education and civil rights cases in those counties.
Civil Rights Litigation Program
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The Civil Rights Litigation Program provides representation for low-income individuals with disabilities facing discrimination.
We concentrate on cases that will establish important legal principles or benefit large groups of people with disabilities. We provide legal services without charge to its clients.
Our cases challenge discriminatory practices by government agencies, businesses, and educational institutions. Examples include, inaccessible newly constructed or altered buildings, refusal to provide sign language interpreters or alternative format materials, inaccessible government programs, discriminatory insurance and health care systems, inaccessible transportation services, and policies that exclude people with disabilities. To file a disability discrimination claim call, (213) 736-1334.
Education Advocacy Program
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The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires school districts to identify, assess, and provide special education and related services to children that qualify as having disabilities which affect their ability to learn. In order to receive these services, parents must advocate for their children against, often times, very resistant school districts. Low-income, minority, and non-English-speaking parents are often at a greater disadvantage due to language and financial barriers.
The Education Advocacy Program represents families of students with disabilities in special education proceedings, including Individual Education Plans (IEP's) meeting, mediation due process hearings, and government complaints. We also provide monthly Education Advocacy Workshops to teach people about special education and an Education Advocacy Manual, a step-by-step guide to assist parents in advocating for their children.
Options Counseling
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Options Counseling serves as the front door to the Disability Rights Legal Center. The Options Counseling method of intake reflects our deep conviction that many options outside of litigation are available to individuals with disability related disputes. Options Counseling works hand-in-hand with the Disability Mediation Center, Education Advocacy Program, and Civil Rights Litigation Program to conduct intake. The aim of Options Counseling is to assist and empower those involved in conflicts to evaluate the options available to resolve their disputes. The service focuses on informing callers of all their options - including litigation, mediation, and self-help - helping the callers decide which options to pursue, and identifying appropriate resources and referrals. We also offer Ask-A-Lawyer events at local Independent Living Centers.
Lawyer Referral Service
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We operate a State Bar certified Lawyer Referral Service, which refers callers with disability-related cases to experienced private attorneys in Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. The service provides four subject-matter panels: Labor and Employment, Access to Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities, Administrative Law, and Higher Education.
Pro Bono Program
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Each year, the DRLC receives thousands of requests for legal assistance from people with disabilities-more than 5,400 such requests last year. While our committed staff and student externs work to capacity providing legal assistance, the need for our services far exceeds our resources. As a result, we rely heavily on our pro bono partners.
Volunteer attorneys have historically played two important roles in the work of the DRLC:
1) Most of the cases accepted by the DRLC's Civil Rights Litigation Program are either class actions or cases whose resolution will benefit large numbers of people. In order to pursue such matters, we partner with volunteer attorneys at major law firms that have the financial and staff resources necessary for complex cases. Over the years, this kind of collaboration has had an outstanding record of achievement in cases of major impact.
2) On the other hand, the majority of people with disabilities who contact us have smaller, more personal legal issues. In order to meet these needs, the Pro Bono Program identifies, cultivates, and maintains critical relationships with attorneys throughout Los Angeles who are willing to accept these types of pro bono referrals and undertake small litigation cases, brief service (e.g., letter writing, advice, and negotiation without litigation), and individual special education advocacy.
The Pro Bono Program began in 2004. During its inaugural year, we were able to develop a comprehensive program methodology that includes recruitment, Special Education Training, and on-going support. Thanks to the efforts of Audrey Kraus, our Pro Bono Coordinator, forty-two attorneys agreed to accept special education referrals from the Learning Rights Project, and eight firms agreed to co-counsel with us on high impact civil rights litigation.
We are currently planning to expand the Volunteer Attorney Project in two ways:
1) Increasing pro bono outreach, training, and opportunities to attorneys in the Inland Empire and San Diego, where the DRLC is expanding services.
2) Developing programs targeted to corporate in-house counsel, who often are limited in their pro bono activities because of conflicts of interest, and lack of litigation experience. Our Education Advocacy Program offers pro bono opportunities that avoid these potential barriers and provide opportunities to assist clients in meaningful ways.