Legal Aid for Small Business Owners
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY


2.1 Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, and Nonprofits
Federal Expenditure CategoryLoans or Grants to Mitigate Financial Hardship
02/28/2022
Anticipated End Date12/31/2026
Supported Languages
- Korean
- Spanish
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
- Vietnamese
- Spanish
- Korean
- Simplified Chinese
Project Contacts
-
Marissa Lao
Indicators & Metrics to Date
-
Number of Small Businesses Served713
-
# of trainings conducted53
-
# of trainings conducted51
-
Create a hosted Legal Aid webpage.1
-
Create a toll-free number for LAC Legal Aid program.1
-
# of intake forms completed713
-
Number of Legal Academies conducted6
-
Number of business webinars27
-
Number of Know Your Rights webinars8
-
Number of unique businesses receiving 1:1 consultation690
-
Number of applications690
-
Number of businesses attending Know Your Rights Webinars137
-
Number of businesses attending trainings on small business topics2415
-
Number of businesses attending legal academies225
-
Number of businesses attending all trainings2795
-
Number of unique businesses that understand the process needed to resolve their legal matter0
-
Number of applications for one-on-one legal consultations706
-
Number of businesses with multiple legal cases157
-
Number of applications for assistance713
-
Number of applications for one-on-one legal consultations0
-
Number of unique businesses referred to DEO for additional services0
-
Number of unique businesses that have completed legal service and have resolved their issue, drafted appropriate documents, negotiated leases, etc.0
-
Number of businesses with multiple legal cases157
Target Populations
- Small Businesses
Project Description
Historically and continuing to present day, the more that 244,000 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 small businesses have 20 or few employees (Pathways for Economic Resiliency: Los Angeles County 2021-2026, 2021, LAEDC) 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 for Small Business Owners Program (Program) will, at no cost, connect small businesses to legal assistance, including support for those who obtained Small Business Rent Relief (SBRR) and who are reviewing their rights as outlined in the anti-retaliation and harassment ordinance. This Program 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 but not limited to 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 with a goal of helping the small businesses maintain their business status, personnel, property, and revenue streams. The program will conduct community outreach and other marketing and promotional activities to ensure target businesses are aware of and utilizing the legal aid services. The Program’s intent is to prioritize service delivery to businesses most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and those located in the most economically disadvantaged regions of Los Angeles County to improve economic disparities in those communities, providing service to small and microbusinesses, lsuch as small, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), undocumented immigrant, limited English proficient (LEP), and/or women-owned businesses. By reaching these priority populations and high needs areas, the Program will assist in reducing and closing race and gender equity gaps that exist as barriers to these businesses getting on the path to recovery from the pandemic and the subsequent economic disruption.
Goals & Objectives
Indicators
# | Type | Name | Baseline | Target |
---|---|---|---|---|
2 | Service Delivery | Number of businesses attending Know Your Rights Webinars | 200.00 | |
7 | Service Delivery | Number of Know Your Rights webinars | 8.00 |
Indicators
# | Type | Name | Baseline | Target |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 | Service Delivery | Number of businesses attending trainings on small business topics | 1050.00 | |
6 | Service Delivery | Number of business webinars | 10.00 |
Indicators
# | Type | Name | Baseline | Target |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Service Delivery | Number of businesses attending legal academies | 0.00 | |
5 | Service Delivery | Number of Legal Academies conducted | 2.00 |
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 |
Indicators
# | Type | Name | Baseline | Target |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Program Outcome | Number of businesses attending all trainings | 1250.00 |
Indicators
# | Type | Name | Baseline | Target |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Service Delivery | Number of applications for assistance | 650.00 | |
4 | Service Delivery | Number of applications | 800.00 | |
8 | Performance | Number of unique businesses receiving 1:1 consultation | 800.00 |
Indicators
# | Type | Name | Baseline | Target |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Program Outcome | Number of unique businesses that understand the process needed to resolve their legal matter | 0.00 | 1450.00 |
Indicators
# | Type | Name | Baseline | Target |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Program Outcome | Number of applications for one-on-one legal consultations | 800.00 | |
1 | Program Outcome | Number of applications for one-on-one legal consultations | 650.00 | |
1 | Program Outcome | Number of unique businesses referred to DEO for additional services | 0.00 | |
1 | Program Outcome | Number of unique businesses that have completed legal service and have resolved their issue, drafted appropriate documents, negotiated leases, etc. | 0.00 |
Indicators
# | Type | Name | Baseline | Target |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Program Outcome | Number of businesses with multiple legal cases | 200.00 | |
1 | Program Outcome | Number of businesses with multiple legal cases | 200.00 |