Audience: Large Law Firms, Legal Services Providers, Support Centers

The legal community in California has an unprecedented opportunity to foster increased affirmative litigation to protect and enforce the rights of low-income and underserved Californians. With the recent removal of the LSC restriction on attorneys' fees, the possible lifting of the restriction on class actions, and increased interest by legal services field programs in litigation, now is the time for law firms and nonprofits to build more effective partnerships around litigation as a systemic tool. This session will bring together litigation leaders in the nonprofit sector with pro bono coordinators from large law firms to identify where litigation is needed in California and articulate how the legal services community can work together with firms from the beginning to build partnerships and expand the legal services community's capacity to undertake litigation when needed.