Legal Aid for Small Business Owners

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

County Spending Category
2.1 Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and Nonprofits
Federal Expenditure Category
Loans or Grants to Mitigate Financial Hardship
Project Launch Date
02/28/2022
Anticipated End Date
06/30/2023
Interpretation Languages
  • Korean
  • Spanish
  • Mandarin
  • Cantonese
Written Languages
  • Spanish
  • Korean
  • Simplified Chinese
Project Contacts Indicators & Metrics Target Populations Project Description Goals & Objectives

Project Contacts

Indicators & Metrics to Date

  • Number of Small Businesses Served
    871
  • # of trainings conducted
    45
  • Create a hosted Legal Aid webpage.
    1
  • Create a toll-free number for LAC Legal Aid program.
    1
  • # of intake forms completed
    0
  • Number of Legal Academies conducted
    6
  • Number of business webinars
    27
  • Number of Know Your Rights webinars
    137
  • Number of unique businesses receiving 1:1 consultation
    0
  • Number of applications
    0
  • Number of businesses attending Know Your Rights Webinars
    137
  • Number of businesses attending trainings on small business topics
    2398
  • Number of businesses attending legal academies
    225
  • Number of businesses attending all trainings
    2760
  • Number of unique businesses that understand the process needed to resolve their legal matter
    0
  • Number of applications for one-on-one legal consultations
    841
  • Number of businesses with multiple legal cases
    0

Target Populations

  • Small Businesses

Project Description

Historically and continuing to present day, the 250,000 small businesses in LA County have had a higher risk of failure than large enterprises and one such barrier to resiliency is their limited access to affordable and culturally competent legal guidance on various aspects of running a business, writing and executing a contract, or entering into commercial lease agreements. This lack of legal support leaves our small businesses vulnerable to predatory or unfair practices. The pandemic exacerbated resiliency risks for small businesses with nearly 15,000 businesses facing temporary or permanent closure in the first few months of the pandemic. Over 93% of all businesses have 20 or few employees and over 55% are minority owned and COVID-19 has impacted these business owners and their employees disproportionately once again. While the County mobilized to offer an eviction moratorium and rent relief as well as general financial relief for small businesses, these small businesses also needed and continue to need qualified legal support as they navigate the complexity of staying open in this new normal. Further, in the spring of 2022, the County’s Board of Supervisors passed permanent protections for small commercial tenants in unincorporated areas against retaliation and harassment by landlords and offers a new private right of action for legal remedy. The Legal Aid program will, at no cost, connect 1200 small businesses to legal assistance, including support for those who obtained Small Business Rent Relief and who are reviewing their rights as outlined in the anti-retaliation and harassment ordinance. This project will engage in outreach to small businesses and legal aid will be administered by trusted and community-based legal partners through ongoing webinars, one-on-one counseling, and legal academies covering the most imminent legal assistance on business-relevant topics, including commercial lease agreements; employee safety, wages and paid leave benefits; contract negotiation; intellectual property; tax liability; business entity structure; and bankruptcy. Businesses receiving legal assistance will gain the necessary support to meet their unique legal needs and ultimately maintain their business status, personnel, property, and revenue streams. The Legal Aid program’s intent is to prioritize service delivery to businesses located in the most economically disadvantaged regions of LA County to improve economic disparities in those communities, providing service to at least 1200 businesses, primarily small, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), undocumented immigrant, limited English proficient, and/or women-owned businesses. By targeting businesses located in economically disadvantaged regions, BIPOC, undocumented immigrant, limited English proficient, and/or women-owned, the Legal Aid program will assist in reducing and closing race and gender equity gaps that exist as barriers to these businesses growing and thriving in LA County.

Goals & Objectives

Goal Description At least 500 small and diverse businesses, including undocumented and limited English proficiency business owners in underserved, marginalized, and COVID-19 impacted communities gain access to legal assistance and support to meet their legal needs in order to maintain their business status, personnel, property, and revenue streams.

Objective Description At minimum a total of 250 businesses receive legal education via workshops or trainings.

Activity Description Host 8 Know Your Rights webinars for commercial leasing negotiations
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
2 Service Delivery Number of businesses attending Know Your Rights Webinars 250.00 500.00
7 Service Delivery Number of Know Your Rights webinars 8.00 8.00

Activity Description Provide webinars that are recorded and posted that cover small business relevant topics, such as contract development/negotiations, trademark assistance, business structure filings, landlord and tenant issues, and employer compliance.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
3 Service Delivery Number of businesses attending trainings on small business topics 250.00 500.00
6 Service Delivery Number of business webinars 10.00 12.00

Activity Description Legal academies provide a more in-depth review of a small business relevant topic and includes the opportunity for consultations with attorneys during the event.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Service Delivery Number of businesses attending legal academies 50.00 100.00
5 Service Delivery Number of Legal Academies conducted 2.00 2.00

Activity Description Provide access to legal resources through a dedicated webpage and a toll-free number.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
22 Service Delivery Create a hosted Legal Aid webpage. 0.00 1.00
23 Service Delivery Create a toll-free number for LAC Legal Aid program. 0.00 1.00

Outcome Description A minimum of 250 business owners are more aware of their legal rights.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Number of businesses attending all trainings 250.00 500.00

Goal Description LA County small and diverse businesses will have access to and obtain one-on-one legal consultations. At least 800 cases of legal services provided to LA County small and diverse businesses, including undocumented and limited English proficiency business owners in underserved, marginalized, and COVID-19 impacted communities. There will be at minimum 200 unique business that receive access to legal assistance and support to meet their legal needs in order to maintain their business status, personnel, property, and revenue streams.

Objective Description Business who took steps resolved their legal matter

Activity Description Create an intake form to capture business information.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
4 Service Delivery Number of applications 200.00 800.00
8 Performance Number of unique businesses receiving 1:1 consultation 0.00 200.00

Outcome Description 200 business leaders understand the process needed to resolve their legal matter.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Number of unique businesses that understand the process needed to resolve their legal matter 0.00 200.00

Outcome Description 800 unique businesses applied for one-on-one legal consultation.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Number of applications for one-on-one legal consultations 200.00 800.00

Outcome Description Number of businesses receiving recurring legal assistance.
Indicators
# Type Name Baseline Target
1 Program Outcome Number of businesses with multiple legal cases 100.00 200.00