Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County

I've worked as a volunteer for Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County and have been impressed by the dedicated work its staff does for low-income people with legal issues. The disparities in wealth in our county are clear, and Legal Aid does its part to fight for those who may not have the resources to fight for themselves.

I worked at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County for over two years, contributing to the direction of the LIBRE project and LASSMC's health justice work on behalf of immigrant families. The commitment and drive of the team at LASSMC is without parallel. This is a community of advocates who truly care about the residents of San Mateo County and commit to their work 100%. It was an honor to stand beside them.

Working with Legal Aid was a pleasure. They helped with our extremely complex case and provided mentorship and resources. We were attorneys not experienced in that kind of case, but working with Legal Aid made it easy!

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo provides nothing but welcoming and informative services by people who care. Everyone I encountered at this firm was committed to public service and making a difference. People here really care about their clients and do their best to uplift the community.

It's one of the great pleasures and honors of my career to have the ability to work with Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County on guardianship cases for at-risk children.

My first experience with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County was amazing. I had the opportunity to provide legal services to a victim of domestic violence who was seeking to leave a verbally and physically abusive relationship with the father of her 11 month old child.

Many DV victims are financially dependent on their abusers and this case was no exception. It is very common for DV victims to feel powerless, overwhelmed, and unsure about whether or not they should pursue a restraining order and child support. Unsurprisingly, victims may have a change of heart, which was the case with my client. When my client informed me that she was unsure about moving forward with the restraining order, I assured her that she was in control and that I would advocate for any decision she wished. We sat down and discussed her options and she eventually gained the confidence to move forward with the restraining order hearing. After receiving the order, she explained she was glad she followed through with the process and attained the end result she was hoping for.

My client obtained a 3 year restraining order and $1400 in monthly child support. She was extremely happy with the results, which far exceeded her expectations!

To be able to help someone through the daunting process of dealing with the family court system was extremely fulfilling. I felt like I made a big difference in someone's (and her child's) life. Being able to help others was one of the reasons I pursued a career in law and I look forward to working with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County again in the future!

San Mateo Legal Aid is a wonderful, and truly indispensable, nonprofit for the Bay Area. I am an attorney and have worked on pro bono matters referred to me through San Mateo Legal Aid. The people at Legal Aid are extremely knowledgeable, very helpful, and most importantly, truly care about the clients and community they serve.

San Mateo Legal Aid is particularly special because they not only fill a critical and under-served need in the community, they also make their low-income clients and pro bono attorney partners feel fully supported. Legal Aid is a place that low-income clients can turn to without fear for legal advice they could not otherwise receive. And Legal Aid provides fantastic support and guidance to the pro bono attorneys in the community to whom they refer matters.

San Mateo Legal Aid has my highest recommendation.

I have worked with San Mateo legal aid for many years assisting with their healthcare clinics for seniors and the disabled. The system for providing healthcare to these populations is frustrating and difficult to navigate. Legal Aid is wonderful and helps educate us to volunteer and improve these people's lives in dealing with this system. We hear difficult stories of the system and are touched when we are able to help make the system work better. As a volunteer, it is so rewarding to make a difference thanks to Legal Aid!

I really enjoy helping with the Share of cost clinic with Legal Aid. They've pre-screened and otherwise structured the clinic very well and provide great support, and it's one of the few pro bono programs where one can usually solve the clients' problems within a single session (which is of course very rewarding for us volunteers).

I’ve been involved in the Legal Aid Share-of-Cost clinics for many years. They are one of the most rewarding pro bono activities I do because I get a chance to sit down and talk directly with seniors and disabled adults about helping them get the medical insurance coverage they need. And I get hear some amazing stories from them – they often make me laugh, and they are always so relieved and thankful for any advice I can give.

My experience as a volunteer has been wonderful. Everyone I've met at Legal Aid is kind, welcoming, and has a fierce passion for their mission. Every event I've volunteered at has been run very smoothly and timely. They are a great group of people to work with.

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (Legal Aid) is one of the finest and most beneficial community organizations of which I have been associated. Over 3 years ago, I volunteered at one of Legal Aid's Housing Clinic in Redwood City. Many people know of Legal Aid, its lawyers and volunteers. They trust Legal Aid not just because it is free to the masses that come for help, some, in a last ditch effort to avoid an unlawful eviction. They trust Legal Aid because they know paid staff or not, sound legal advice and critical help and guidance will be found at the clinic. For many who cannot afford a private attorney to help them defend themselves, Legal Aid is a means to level the playing field and find a way to win. I am so proud to be a volunteer; it is good work and every single lawyer who has a few hours a week to spare (or not) should make time to give back to community and to the law by giving of themselves and the causes so well represented by Legal Aid

Legal Aid is a godsend for San Mateo County. Most of my clients at North East Medical Services in Daly City live in poverty. They are also one of the most vulnerable populations who often need legal help. Without Legal Aid Society, they would not have the ability to fight social injustice such as income, housing, education, and gender inequalities. In addition, workers at Legal Aid Society are professional and diligent people who care about their clients. We need more nonprofits like that! Thank you!

I had a great with Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. It was my first time volunteering at the housing clinic, and I was able to jump right in with a more experienced attorney and begin conducting client interviews. The training materials provided me with a number of ways to address client questions. For any questions that we were stuck on, the supervisor was available on site for us to ask for help. Overall, a tremendously rewarding experience that touches on many different areas of law.

I've worked with Legal Aid on a number of domestic violence restraining order applications and they have an amazing team! The work they do on behalf of the community is very important and ensures that cost is not a barrier to legal representation for those who need it the most. I would highly recommend to other attorneys interested in developing a pro bono practice to work with this organization.

I am an attorney who volunteered to do some pro bono work I found through the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. It was a great experience! The staff there was very supportive and well-organized. They provided me with all the help I needed to win a great result for our client in a tricky guardianship matter, even though the case was outside my normal practice area. I look forward to working with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County again in the future!

My involvement as a volunteer at the Legal Aid Society's housing clinic has been rewarding - both in terms of hands-on experience and the satisfaction of making a difference. A really friendly bunch of people who are easy to work with.

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County has made it so easy for me to help out people who are in real distress. They help the most vulnerable in our society. I've volunteered with them many times to represent victims of domestic violence in court so they can get a restraining order against the perpetrators. Without the Legal Aid Society, these folks would be left on their own to deal with a confusing and overwhelming situation. The Legal Aid Society has saved so many lives over the years. I can't think of a better organization to volunteer for.

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo staff are very responsive to the needs of our community. Their staff are very talented in ensuring people (children, adults, seniors) receive the benefits they are entitled to. I have worked with them to ensure children receive the medical care, educational and transportation services they need. They help advocate for safe, affordable housing. They recruit and train pro-bono attorneys who are amazing as well. I appreciate the passion of the staff and pro-bono attorneys to serve our community, thereby, creating brighter futures for many people.

I believe that LASSMC is the premier legal services organization providing representation for disadvantaged residents of the county. As a practicing attorney for the last 16 years in the county, I have been involved in numerous pro bono cases, and my law firm supports a number of legal non-profits in the area. LASSMC stands out as a highly-focused, well-managed, and powerfully effective pro bono organization. Its attorneys possess credentials and experience that would rank them among the most elite in the private sector, yet they devote themselves to the pursuit of public, rather than private, good. Its superstar attorneys are backed by top-notch executive management with deep experience and decades of proven effectiveness. The organization has developed and successfully maintained broad and deep support within the local legal community and related fields. By virtue of these many strengths, LASSMC continues year after year to expand its track record of expanding access to justice among all of our neighbors in San Mateo County. Its mission yields practical results, and improved lives, for its many needy clients.

I participated in the Legal Aid Golf Classic in June and had an amazing time. It was well organized, great course, great food, great prizes, and the staff were very appreciative. I was fortunate enough to be able to play golf while also raise money for this great organization that really makes a difference. Hope to see more out there on the golf course next year!

I'm proud to be on the board of LASSMC. They have a fantastic staff and do terrific work in the community.

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County ("LASSMC") is a crucial player in the multitude of systems that affect individual's legal rights- be it housing, health care, disability, social security, immigration, or the courts, providing no cost representation and advice to those who might not otherwise have the ability to access such information. As an organization, they help the most vulnerable populations in San Mateo county, but as individuals they do so with a heartfelt passion that creates a safe, caring, and compassionate environment for those populations to truly feel empowered. LASSMC fights for systemic change through policy work (local, state, and nationally) and community involvement, allowing their efforts to have far wider consequences than just helping those that come to their door. Without LASSMC, each year thousands would never have their voices heard.

Every volunteer joins a supportive and knowledgeable team, and every amount of assistance, regardless of size, is supporting and working for those in the community in need of dire assistance. Please consider volunteering or donating today! Be the change.

In the legal field, the plight of the most disadvantaged among us has perhaps never been so in focus. Laws are constantly being passed to help protect those most at risk-- children, elderly, low income -- yet the cost to access our legal system to protect those rights has never been greater. The San Mateo Legal Aid Society serves an increasingly important role in helping those who need it most understand and assert their rights. They do an outstanding job of reaching out to the legal community to garner its involvement in providing needed access to legal representation. A very worthy nonprofit that serves the community well and deserves broad support.

SMLA has terrific training materials and is there to advise its volunteers along the way. They are excellent advisors and make sure that they have services available to the community. They care deeply about their clients.

I have the extreme honor and privilege of working with Legal Aid of San Mateo County. I was lucky to run into Pro Bono Director Janet Seldon at a local bar association function and begin working with this group.

The efficiency of the organization is incredible. The commitment, both personally and professionally, of every single staff member of LAS of SMC is inspiring. I started my career wanting only to be a prosecutor, thinking that was the best way to help the aggrieved and vulnerable members of society. I was wrong. I learned after some time prosecuting, that working for the government limited my ability to interact with clients and help effectuate meaningful change. I worked in family law for nearly two years before connecting with Janet. My life has not been the same since starting to work with this group of exceptional humans.

Legal Aid of San Mateo County offers the support and advocacy needed by the most underrepresented persons in our community. While having a discussion with Marci, Janet and a fellow volunteer, we talked about the victims of domestic violence as being those who "have the least and need the most." Violence in one's home is one of the scariest situations a person can be in. Their partner typically controls their finances, their immigration status, they monitor their actions, communications and often isolate their spouse from the community. Those who find the courage to leave and find their way to Legal Aid of San Mateo County know they have found a safe place to help them escape the cycle of violence.

Part of the joy I get from my volunteer work with Legal Aid of San Mateo County is my relationships with the staff. I love meeting clients at the Legal Aid Office. I always arrive before or stay after a client meeting so I can spend time speaking with the team members. It is always an honor and I am humbled by the privilege of working with this organization. In the area of Family Law, especially working with domestic violence victims and their families, one can lose faith in humanity rapidly. The success stories from clients and the integrity and compassion of the team renew my faith in the innate goodness of people who care for others in their community.

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County is a great nonprofit. They really try to help make the community better. Every individual that I have interacted with at Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County has been wonderful and committed to its cause. I am proud to have been pro-bono counsel for clients they identified and to have done a small part to further their mission.

I've worked with Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County over the past 5 years. Through my firm's relationship with Legal Aid Society, I've been able to take on interesting cases that gave me experience that I wouldn't have otherwise gotten. The attorneys at Legal Aid Society have been really helpful to me in navigating the legal claims I've looked into and are so committed to helping out the community. Whether through their community outreach, interfacing with private attorneys or events, Legal Aid Society has provided so much value to the community here and I'm very proud to be able to be part of that.

SM Legal Aid was instrumental in assisting my mother with a Landlord/Tenant issue. They helped her understand her rights and advocate for herself. They are leaders and zealous advocates.

I'm a real estate atty in San Mateo Co. Their staff does a great job in protecting the rights of elderly and low income tenants without infringing on the rights of the many individual landlords with small rental properties in the area.

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County is amazing and dedicated to helping so many people in our area. The attorneys and staff of Legal Aid work tirelessly to provide opportunities for those in the community to have access to justice and quality legal services. I know this firsthand, since I worked as volunteer attorney for Legal Aid, and have continued to volunteer over the years.

This outstanding organization provides critical, life changing legal services to those who are in real need. Bravo.

LAS of San Mateo County provides critical legal services to the most vulnerable members of our community who otherwise could not afford or access these resources. LAS's exceptional services start with its staff and attorneys, who are caring, committed, and knowledgeable. They constantly go the extra mile without expecting anything in return. Personally and professionally, it is inspirational to see such selflessness and dedication. I can't say enough about the people that make this organization run.

I have been involved for several years in helping to support the great work done by the lawyers and staff at LAS; they are among the most caring and dedicated people I have known in the Bay Area working to ensure equal access to top quality legal services to the local community. The breadth of experience, expertise and creativity in solving legal problems is amazing given the relatively small size of the staff and the limited budget they have to work with.

The staff at Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County is absolutely wonderful. So many people have been helped and lives improved because of the work they do. The ripple effect is amazing.

I have been practicing law in San Mateo for nearly 40 years and I have often been involved with legal aid either directly helping a client, or even on the other side of the case. Legal aid has high quality attorneys and staff and they take reasonable approaches to resolve cases to the benefit of all involved.

I cannot say enough good things about the staff at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. They are kind, caring people with hearts of gold. The services they provide to the members of our community fill a need like no other organization in the area. San Mateo County is truly lucky to have a partner in the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County.

Legal Aid of San Mateo continues to be a beacon in our community, helping many underpriviledged people in our county. Their diligent staff is remarkable in their dedication and
the pro bono attorneys go above and beyond in any way they can. I have served on their fund raising committee for over 20 years and I am continually amazed not only at the support of our legal community but how hard everyone works to make this a successful event so that Legal Aid can continue their work. I am continually proud of them.

In a county replete with enormous individual and corporate wealth, San Mateo County still has a significant population who struggles with housing, domestic violence, hunger and a myriad of other issues. Legal Aid really does an amazing job of harnessing the wealth and resources of the County for good use, leveraging volunteer attorneys for direct services as well as the greater community for outreach and fundraising. No matter what your interest is, Legal Aid somehow finds a way to help people help others in truly meaningful ways. Especially as a pro bono attorney, I find their one-on-one attorney mentoring to be invaluable, as it has emboldened me to take complex cases in practice areas I wouldn't want to handle alone.

I am so happy to support Legal Aid’s mission of improving lives through access to the justice system. It's what makes our community a stronger place.

•Without the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo county there would be thousands in our community who don’t have equal access to justice. Legal Aid helps to level the playing field and make access to justice a reality for everyone. I am happy to support such a worthy cause.

Justice matters. My experience as a Legal Aid volunteer has been excellent. It is my privilege to help someone who would not have a voice in our system of justice

Some of the most rewarding legal work I have done is helping provide equal justice to our lower income clients through Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. Truly a worthwhile use of my lawyer experience.

Kristi Cotton Spence

This is such an amazing organization - one I am very proud to serve. Legal Aid is run by a fantastic team of dedicated attorneys and staff who everyday work to change the lives of clients. The work they do (keeping a person in their home, finding pro bono attorneys to protect a client from further domestic violence) has phenomenal life changing impact. I have served on the Board for seven years and can say without reservation that Legal Aid is a lean organization that stretches every dollar it receives from donors to the maximum for the benefit of clients. Truly a labor of love. -- Mary

As a retired attorney, I am always looking for ways to give back to the members of my community. Legal Aid of San Mateo County offers me those opportunities via their Housing Clinics which operate 3 times a week. This schedule allows me to participate in between other activities, and the supervising attorneys on hand are always helpful and welcoming to volunteers like me. The low-income persons served at Legal Aid's housing clinics are grateful for the legal help received; I come away with a good feeling every time.

I and others at my firm volunteer on domestic violence TRO projects through LASMC from time to time. LASMC consistently provides high-quality training materials and a fantastic support network for those who take on these projects. Any interested attorneys, including (attorney-supervised) summer associates, can give back to the community, create a positive impact for individuals who need legal help, and at the same time gain valuable skills and training, thanks to the training and support from LASMC. I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone who can to get involved with this organization.

The LASMC provides top-notch legal services as well as tireless and efficient support for the attorneys to whom it refers cases. I always enjoy working with the LASMC, and similarly always look forward to receiving a referral from them.

I volunteered with LASMC in both the office and the regular Housing Clinics over the past few years. This is truly a fantastic organization that is in the trenches fighting the good fight. You can really tell that both attorneys and staff here really care about the clients and the work they do in general.

It's truly remarkable how much good each member of this wonderful nonprof can accomplish each day. Simply put, it's a labor of love. Having worked closely with the housing and teen law attorneys and their clients, I can saw from firsthand experience that this organization changes lives for the better every single day.

I have been volunteering in the Share of Cost clinic organized regularly by the Legal Aid Society for years. It is a very well organized program, with good training and training refreshers at the beginning of every clinic, and there are always attorneys around to help with questions you have as they come up. I would definitely encourage others to work with this great nonprofit organization.

I have volunteered several times over the past few years at the Share of Costs" clinic to help clients who have lost their medical coverage obtain coverage. Athough the training was excellent and I have practiced law for over twenty years, it was a very humbling expreience to work with clients in an area of law that was unfamiliar to me.The supervising attorney, Trish, was amazing. She always seemed poised and unflappable, despite having multiple volunteer attorneys all trying to get her attention at once to ask for help. When she comes to your table to provide help, she very quickly helps you clarify the issue and guide you to formulating advice to provide the client in a manner that well serves the client's needs and doesn't make you feel like you don't know what you are doing. After each volunteer session I felt that in some very small way I was helping people in dire need of assistance.

My law firm and I have worked directly with Legal Aid of Society of San Mateo County for many years. The staff attorneys are excellent, not only are they very knowledgeable but they mentor and assist the volunteer attorneys. My volunteer experience has been very rewarding and would strongly encourage other legal professionals in the area to work witih this organization.

I have been volunteering at Legal Aid for a few weeks now and can tell you it is rewarding. Legal Aid's lawyers and staff are super knowledgeable and their level of care for their clients is unparalleled. There are so many people in San Mateo County that are in such dire need of even basic legal counsel let alone help with evictions and other court related matters. It is a wonderful feeling to know these people can find solace and advice from such a fabulous organization that is aimed at providing and filling a need in our community. I am proud and honored to be a part of Legal Aid.

This is a great organization, not only to work with but also in providing a valuable service to the community.

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo provides essential services to the community. Their attorneys have incredible expertise in their field and passion for their work. I have worked alongside them in the monthly Share of Costs clinic helping low income seniors and people with disabilities obtain the critical health services they need.

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County provides essential direct legal services and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable and low income children, families and seniors in the County. I have worked with the organization for several years and have seen first hand the hard work and dedication of its incredibly talented staff and volunteers.

Legal Aid of San Mateo County provides an invaluable service to members of our community. I have worked with Legal Aid in many capacities, most notably along side of them in the San Mateo Bar Association Legal Clinic, which provides free legal services to residents of various homeless shelters in San Mateo County. Legal Aid's staff is warm, welcoming and dedicated to providing these individuals with the legal services that aid them in helping break the cycle of homelessness.

A friend who ended up in a homeless shelter for a variety of financial, physical and personal issues. This person was disabled and could not work. He had applied for early social security and denied 3 times.
It was only when Legal Aid of San Mateo County visited the homeless shelter and provided assistance to appeal the Social Security decision. This assistance including counseling and referring an attorney.
This friend did win the appeal, was able to leave the homeless shelter and move into his own place.
This person is in a safe home, receiving Medicare for his disability and in a much better place.

Thanks a bunch! Thank you Legal Aid for the great work!

Among its programs, the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo hosts a monthly "Share the Costs" clinic for poverty-level residents having difficulty negotiating the complexity of federal and state medical expense suport programs. Attorneys at this clinic regularly resolve major life crises for people who are suffering significant medical problems and simultaneous encountering crushing expenses for their care. And, for those with problems too complex to be resolved in a law clinic setting, the Society's in-house counsel provides the necessary continuing legal representation so they find themselves supported during these difficult life periods.

As an attorney who volunteers for Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, I have come to appreciate the quality with which this organization provides legal services to needy residents of San Mateo County. In the several months I have volunteered there, I have met many caring staff members helping the public in so many ways, and who are always willing to help volunteers like me as questions arise.
I have seen how Legal Aid's new office space in Redwood Shores provides a professional facility that sets needy persons at ease and gives them confidence, starting with dedicated off-street parking, a comfortable waiting area with amenities for children, and private offices that allow confidential consultation with Legal Aid attorneys and staff.
I have also enjoyed volunteering at the clinics run by Legal Aid to provide services in the community for the benefit of low-income tenants facing eviction.
In every way, my volunteer work has been so fulfilling because, with the support of the dedicated staff at Legal Aid, I have been able to help so many people so well.

LSAMC serves a widely diverse community and serves many more than their staff should allow. They serve children to elder on issues. housing to DV. They set up matters in a way that makes the pro bono volunteer's work easy to start and are always there with a helping hand to keep things moving. Their training programs and staff are top notch. They are a great blessing to the penninsula region and their impact is felt far beyond the region by their coordination with other agencies statewide.

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo has a wonderful domestic violence restraining order clinic. This program is able to provide great training to pro bono attorneys and to quickly match them up with clients who need their services in navigating the legal system. At a recent hearing in San Mateo Superior Court, I met four other attorneys representing clients in obtaining restraining orders that morning. These attorneys were from both large and small firms, which shows that the clinic has a rich network. I look forward to working with this organization in the future.

For many years now, I have been consistently WOWED by the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. It offers such a diverse array of critical services -- FOR FREE -- to needy families in the community. It has been quite an honor to be able to volunteer with this great organization on occasion. Janet Seldon, the E.D., is particularly fantastic -- knowledgeable, smart, and caring.

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County has an amazing staff of talented and devoted attorneys.

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County provides legal services to the members of our community who are the most needy- the elderly, the homeless, the unemployed with children, the disabled- who simply cannot afford legal representation, and they provide these services at a high quality level. The attorneys and staff at Legal Aid are some of the most dedicated professionals you will find in a non-profit.

Legal Aid is deeply rooted in San Mateo County legal community. It attracts the faithful support of lawyers because of the direct legal services it provides for the county citizens. The staff lawyers are respected not only for their sterling credentials but also because of their effective advocacy and concern for the least privileged in our community. Their collaboration with county government, health care professionals, and social workers is well-known. Sitting in their offices and clinics for even a few minutes brings home the fact that these lawyers are giving 100% to their clients. Their results are outstanding.

LASSMC is an award-winning, homegrown, 50 year old fixture in the community. Staff are top-notch professionals and wonderful human beings who care deeply about helping our clients overcome barriers to food, housing, safety and health care. We are a trusted advocate and collaborator with local government and non-profits in improving the lives of disadvantaged people in San Mateo County.

With the few resources available to them, Legal Aid changes lives every day. They are a group of amazing lawyers and support staff who give their all to their low-income clients and are heros in the legal non-profit world.

This is truly an exceptional organization that cares about doing the right thing and helping those that are in need. Through its great great staff and volunteers, this organization makes a difference in the lives of many.

Outstanding nonprofit that provides exceptional legal services to the underserved in our community. The highly trained staff works tirelessly on behalf of their clients to make a difference in their clients' lives.

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County is exceptional in all respects. It serves a fundamental function in today's society, largely ensuring that an under-represented (if not un-represented) segment of society has access to effective legal resources. The staff includes young lawyers trained at some of the best law schools in the country, many of whom gained invaluable experience at leading law firms in Silicon Valley. Legal Aid steps up....all the time. With more organizations like Legal Aid, the world would be a much better place for all.