https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/ en https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/los-angeles-court-staff-assist-court-users-affected-wildfires Los Angeles Court Staff Assist Court Users Affected by WildfiresKaren.Datangel Tue, 02/25/2025 - 13:27 Feature As residents of Los Angeles County continue to recover from the wildfires in the region, staff from the superior court are linking up with other agencies to make self-help services more accessible to those impacted. Since Jan. 14, staff from the Superior Court of Los Angeles County’s self-help centers have assisted residents on site at local disaster recovery centers at UCLA Research Park West and Altadena. The centers are supported by FEMA and mark a collaboration between various local and state agencies and federal partners, including the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Los Angeles County, and the City of Los Angeles. There are currently about 65 agencies represented at the sites. “These disaster recovery centers have been really integral in terms of allowing people to access multiple services all at once,” said Janice Shurlow, a deputy managing attorney for the court’s self-help centers in the central and eastern regions of Los Angeles County. Court Staff Provide Legal Information, Not Counsel The court's self-help staff don't represent litigants or act as their attorneys, but rather provide legal information and referrals on housing, family law, probate, and other court matters. They’ve even been able to assist with electronically transmitting documents to court users, like divorce papers and name change decrees. “We recently helped someone who had to evacuate their elderly mother,” said K.C. Thomas, a principal attorney supervising three self-help centers in the court’s northern region. “The house burned down and then the mom recently passed away, and now this woman is left to be the successor of the trust. She wasn’t sure what to do and where to go, so we were able to give her referrals to our other legal aid partners and our lawyer referral services. This is information that we usually have at our different centers, so we have all of that here.” Some residents will visit the court’s table to ask about jury service or making remote appearances at proceedings. “We get people coming in because they received their summons, but it got burned in the fire,” continued Thomas. “Our jury service line is generally automated, but they can talk with a live person to let the court know they’ve been affected by the wildfires and can request to postpone jury duty.” As of Feb. 19, the court had helped 258 court users at the UCLA Research Park West location and 312 court users at the Altadena location. Some visit the court’s table once while others come by repeatedly, as they feel eager to connect with somebody. “Sometimes I’ll be looking something up for someone and they’ll just tell me what’s been happening, why they’re here, and all the different changes that have happened in their life so drastically,” said Thomas. “They just want to have someone listen to them.” Court's JusticeCorps Volunteers Also Helping Out At least two self-help center staff volunteer at the disaster recovery centers every day. The court also deploys local JusticeCorps members to the sites. The statewide JusticeCorps program trains recent college graduates and undergraduates to provide service and neutral assistance (not legal advice) to self-represented litigants who come to court self-help centers in Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Bay Area. “The staff that have gone to these sites and are there on the frontlines, talking to people who have been through so much devastation, have found this work so meaningful,” added Shurlow. The Los Angeles County disaster recovery centers are open to the public from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday. The centers are expected to remain open until sometime in March. https://newsroom.courts.ca.gov/news/justicecorps-members-join-community-service-efforts-honor-martin-luther-king-jr JusticeCorps Members Join Community Service Efforts in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.Karen.Datangel Wed, 01/29/2025 - 10:14 Feature Martin Luther King Jr. Day is also known as a Day of Service, where everyday citizens choose to volunteer and contribute to the betterment of society. One service-oriented group working in California courts used this year's celebration to serve outside of their courthouses. What is JusticeCorps? The statewide JusticeCorps program trains recent college graduates and undergraduates to provide service and neutral assistance (not legal advice) to self-represented litigants who come to court self-help centers in Los Angeles, San Diego, and the Bay Area. Serving under the supervision of attorneys, JusticeCorps members help litigants navigate the court system and keep their legal matters moving forward. JusticeCorps members joined thousands of other AmeriCorps members across the country, engaging in community projects as part of AmeriCorps’ Day of National Service honoring Dr. King. AmeriCorps has been leading this effort for 30 years. JusticeCorps San Diego Teaches Young Students About Dr. King's Impact JusticeCorps in San Diego continued a yearly partnership with UC San Diego's Changemaker Institute to provide a classroom lesson and art activities about Martin Luther King Jr. to John Muir Language Academy, a UTK-8 Spanish immersion magnet school. About 15 JusticeCorps members encouraged students to write about their dreams in the spirit of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Members and other volunteers also helped tend to the school's community garden. "This service experience was really important to me because it was a way to connect with my community and contribute to something bigger than myself," said Anna McCloskey, a JusticeCorps San Diego member. "I was able to make a positive impact and remind myself that meaningful change starts with community service. It was such an incredibly meaningful opportunity to guide the students through creative activities that deepened their understanding of MLK's impact and inspired them to think about their own dreams." In addition to the Martin Luther King Jr. day of service, San Diego JusticeCorps members volunteer at the San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition in February and at a service day on Cesar Chavez Day coordinated by California State University San Marcos. JusticeCorps Bay Area Beautifies Community Gardens In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., the JusticeCorps Bay Area cohort partnered with Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt and Service for Peace and the City of Oakland to tend to The Gardens at Lake Merritt. The seven-acre collection of themed gardens once served as a source of great regional pride, a cultural and educational center, and place to enjoy tranquility in the heart of Oakland. "The nature around us all nurtured deep and meaningful conversations making it a day of unity and joy," said Angelica Flores Valdivia, a JusticeCorps Bay Area member about her volunteering experience. "It truly stands amongst one of the most special days of my service thus far." JusticeCorps continued their decade-long partnership with The Friends of the Gardens in the gardens' ongoing renewal project, assisting with sheet mulching, native grass planting, beach cleanup, tree planting, weeding, and other tasks. More than 70 JusticeCorps members and their guests were part of the 250 community volunteers who participated in this Day of Service project in Alameda County. JusticeCorps Los Angeles Provides Multiple Options to ServeMembers in the Los Angeles area had the opportunity to serve in a variety of forums. Many members were impacted by the Southern California wildfires, and those remaining in the immediate area participated in JusticeCorps' long-standing collaboration with LA Works at the Los Angeles Coliseum. Originally designed as a food scarcity event, this year's event pivoted to focus on wildfire recovery efforts. Members served as event crew to check in volunteers and teams who organized service activities, including blanket making and creating hygiene kits for families affected by the fires. Members in the South Bay area served at the White Point Nature Reserve, removing invasive weeds and planting native plants to support the natural environment of Southern California.   More About the JusticeCorps ProgramThe California JusticeCorps program is a collaboration between the Judicial Council, California superior courts, and legal aid and campus partners. JusticeCorps members either serve a 300-hour or 1,700-hour AmeriCorps term of service. Members who serve 300 hours are considered Legal Access Interns and are enrolled at a partner campus. Their hours are completed over the course of one academic year. Members who serve 1,700 hours are Graduate Fellows, full-time AmeriCorps members that complete their service over 12 months. All JusticeCorps members must participate in one community service project during their year of AmeriCorps service with the court. In addition to working directly with litigants and attorneys, JusticeCorps members can benefit from a variety of professional development opportunities, such as resume workshops and financial literacy sessions. Applications for the 2025-2026 JusticeCorps service year are open now. See the JusticeCorps page for regional deadlines. JusticeCorps is a proud grantee of AmeriCorps and California Volunteers, Office of the Governor.