COVID-19 Resources - Public Law Center

What has changed at PLC

On March 19, 2020, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-33-20, ordering that all people, except essential critical infrastructure workers, remain at home. PLC leadership, along with legal services organizations across the state, analyzed the order and determined that legal services organizations were essential services.

Since that time, PLC has remained open, providing services in all areas of law to low-income Orange County residents and organizations that serve that population. PLC’s physical offices are closed to the public, however, and all of its in-person community and courthouse-based clinics have moved to remote operations.

PLC is providing information below for clients on how to access our services, as well as additional resources that may be useful. PLC also continues to engage volunteers in every aspect of its work; more information on how to get involved is below

For Clients

If you are seeking legal assistance, please use the following contact information:
Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project: (714) 541-1010 x281
Consumer Law: (714) 541-1010 x366
Family Law: (714) 541-1010 x367
Health Law: (714) 541-1010 x373
Housing law: (714) 541-1010 x303
Immigration Law: (714) 541-1010 x332
Operation Veterans Re-Entry: (714) 541-1010 x301

Additionally, if you are seeking assistance from one of PLC’s clinics, please use the following contact information:

Federal Pro Se Clinic: (714) 541-1010 x222
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Clinic: (714) 541-1010 x235
Domestic Violence Clinic: (714) 541-1010 x367
De Facto and Adoptive Parent Clinic: (714) 541-1010 x367
Guardianship Clinic: (714) 541-1010 x367

Please find below links to resources that may be useful during this unprecedented time:

Orange County Superior Court Coronavirus update page (Link https://www.occourts.org/media-relations/CoronaVirusUpdate.html)
United States District Court, Central District of California COVID-19 update page (Link https://www.cacd.uscourts.gov/news/covid-19-notice)
State of California Employment Development Department COVID-19 Information (Link https://www.edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm)
Disaster preparedness website hosted by California Legal Services organizations (link https://disasterlegalservicesca.org/ )
Justice in Aging resources for older adults (Link https://www.justiceinaging.org/covid-19-resources-for-advocates/)

Information on COVID-19-related Tenant Protections:

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– CDC FAQ for Renters
– Tenant Checklist
– CDC Declaration Spanish
– CDC Declaration Vietnamese
– Understanding California’s COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act – English
– Understanding California’s COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act – Spanish
– Understanding California’s COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act – Chinese
– Understanding California’s COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act – Vietnamese
– SB91 – Tenant Rights
– CA COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act Info Sheet
– CA COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act Info Sheet (Spanish)
– CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) Information Regarding Eviction
– COVID-19: CA Tenant Protections
– COVID-19: CA Tenant Protections (Spanish)
– COVID-19: CA Eviction Protections – Legal Services of Northern CA Video
– COVID-19: CA Eviction Protections: Legal Services of Northern CA Video (Spanish)
– Emergency Rule on Evictions and Judicial Foreclosures Summary
– Temporary Emergency Rules on Evictions, Foreclosures Set at Midnight , Sept. 1 – After vote
– Protections for Tenants in Orange County regarding COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Information for Small Businesses and Non-Profits

Small Business and Nonprofit FAQ and State Attachments

COVID-19 Legal Assistance for Nonprofits and Small Businesses

The Public Law Center is pleased to be partnering with Start Small Think Big to launch a Pro Bono Remote Legal Assistance Clinic for Nonprofits and Small Businesses. By connecting Orange County community organizations and small business owners with volunteer attorneys through video or phone consultations, our goal is to assist you in navigating legal issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to help ensure you are on the best legal path to continue providing valuable resources and services for the Orange County community. Through PLC’s remote clinic, nonprofit organizations and small business owners can get free brief legal advice on COVID-19 related legal issues, including CARES Act and other government economic relief programs, employment and staffing issues, meeting contractual obligations, insurance coverage and commercial lease matters.

To request assistance, please complete and submit a COVID-19 Assistance Request Form.

Information for Consumers

Webinar: CARES Economic Impact Payment (EIP)

(coming soon – webinar by DRC, PLC, Justice in Aging and LASSD re: accessing stimulus checks)

Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-57-20 exempting stimulus checks from collection (Link https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/4.23.20-EO-N-57-20-text.pdf)

Obtaining Economic Impact Payments for Low-Income Clients (Link https://vimeo.com/411563325)

For Volunteers

PLC continues to place cases and to have a need for volunteers. Please contact Director of Litigation and Pro Bono for a list of remote volunteer opportunities or view our Case List for the cases currently available.