COVID-19

From everyone at LAAC, we hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy during this time.

If you are looking for resources for the public, please check out LawHelpCA‘s Disaster Relief Information page. 

COVID-19 Trainings for Attorneys:

• DLAC Partner Portal (for password: email EHoward@LAACOnline.org) National Disaster Legal Aid Advocacy Center created a calendar list of curated online events relevant to the COVID-19 legal aid and pro bono response.
• PLI is making all of their coronavirus briefings free to the public, so any interested organization or volunteer can access the programming that they make available on this issue. Click here.
• See LAAC’s trainings calendar for additional upcoming webinars on COVID-19.

Tech COVID-19 Resources:

Technology and Resources to Serve Clients:

• Pro Bono Net’s Remote Legal Support Guide 
• The National Center on Law & Elder Rights held a webinar on Strategies for Providing Remote Legal Services to Older Adults. You can view the recording and slides here.
• Transcend is offering free translation for Plain English & Plain Spanish COVID-19 messaging, up to 150 words per language.  Send your text to end@transcend.net
• ADA Effective Communication Requirements
• ADA Technical Assistance Manual
• Accessible Technology Procurement Toolkit
• Web Accessibility Initiative’s Accessibility Resource Hub

Remote Technology and Resources to Work From Home:

• TechSoup COVID-19 Resources (discount software for nonprofits).
• Abhijeet Chavan’s presentation on tech tools (including many resources).
• LawSite’s List of Free Resources for Legal Professionals

Court-related Technology Access:

• California court updates
• Tyler Technologies has released their California Accessible eFiling website.
• NCSC: “Remote Court Operations Incorporating A2J Principles“
• The National Center for State Courts is producing a series of short, annotated videos focused on court operations in the time of COVID-19 with an access to justice perspective. They are calling themTiny Chats, and the first two are now available:
  1. Introducing Tiny Chats and Considerations for Court Users
  2. Clear Communications
• All LAAC member programs are eligible to join the One Legal Community Partnership Program.  One Legal community partners receive: 
  • Free eFiling/eService (in eFiling counties)
  • No area/distance surcharges
  • 25% discount on any physical services
  • Exclusive opportunity to request sponsorship of fundraising events
  • Priority customer support
  • Account success manager for trainings
   Nonprofits are responsible for any court-based fees not covered by fee waiver. To learn more, visit One Legal.

Employer Resources:

• National Council for Nonprofits
• CARES Act: How to Apply for Nonprofit Relief Funds
• California government page for businesses and employers
• IRS guidance for tax relief
• CalNonprofits: COVID-19 Resources for California’s Nonprofits
• CalNonprofits Insurance Services: COVID-19 Updates and Resources
• CompassPoint’s HR and Financial Professionals peer networks.
• U.S. Department of the Treasury, “Assistance for Small Businesses.”
• CDC guidance for employers
• DHS Announcement: Flexibility in requirements related to Form I-9 compliance
• ADA guidance from EEOC
• Department of Labor: Families First Coronavirus Response Act FAQ
• The Paul, Weiss Coronavirus Relief Center is an online portal with a repository of Federal, state, local and non-profit relief programs for businesses, employees and other individuals hit hard by the pandemic. Several law firms have an online resource center as well, so check with your local firm for that information. We are not recommending one resource center over others.  

How to serve clients and how to explain COVID-19 work:

• California Disaster Legal Services (DLAC).
• California Disaster Legal Services (DLAC COVID-19 resources).
• Western Center on Law and Poverty, “COVID-19 Information, Response, and Considerations“
• The National Disaster Distress Helpline 24/7/365 crisis counseling & emotional support continues to be available for anyone experiencing distress or other mental health concerns during the ongoing COVID-19 infectious disease outbreak. Calls (1-800-985-5990; press “2” for Spanish) and texts (text TalkWithUs to 66746) are answered by trained counselors from a network of independently operated crisis centers located across the U.S.
• The Self-Represented Legal Network has a COVID-19 page with resources on remote service delivery, best practices in legal hotlines, and remote pro bono delivery.
• The National Low Income Housing Coalition maintains a COVID-19/Housing and Homelessness News and Resource page here.
• The National Housing Law Project put together resources for attorneys, advocates, policymakers, and others for assistance during the COVID-19 national public health crisis.  They will continue to update this page with NHLP resources and other resources as they become available.
• The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) has created a new COVID-19 & Consumer Protections page to provide updates on their current efforts to protect renters, homeowners, and consumers and advocate for student loan borrowers whose ability to repay their loans may suffer due to lost income, insufficient paid leave, or lack of access to childcare. The NCLC is also offering free access to the digital edition of Surviving Debt: Expert Advice For Getting Out of Financial Trouble, NCLC’s most comprehensive guide to navigating debt for consumers and consumer advocates.
• The Anti-Eviction Mapping Project released a nationwide map of eviction moratoriums and tenant protections: https://covid19-evictions-moratorium-map.glitch.me/. They will keep building on it over the next few weeks and adding new information and policies as they emerge. If you’ve heard of anything you want to add to the map, you can use the “Submit your updates” button to add your knowledge to the map. They will also be working towards translating into multiple languages to increase accessibility.
• Matthew Desmond and the Eviction Lab and Professor Emily Benfer from Columbia Law School developed a COVID-19 Housing Policy Scorecard based on the thousands of newly-released emergency orders, declarations, and legislation. They evaluate each state’s matrix of protections and then score the state based on which measures they included to protect renters. It also includes resources for tenants.
• Voices for Civil Justice has a COVID-19 Media Guidance for Civil Justice Advocates page: https://voicesforciviljustice.org/for-advocates/covid19/.
• Several legal aid organizations are publishing public-facing information. Check out LSNC‘s as an example.

Self-Care Resources:

• As a LAAC Member you are eligible to receive several great discounts, including discounts to ClassPass. Although ClassPass service providers are not able to physically offer classes because of the current COVID-19 outbreak, you can still access FREE online resources, including guided meditations, fitness classes, yoga, and much more.
• Self Care: Tips From the World Health Organization
• CDC: Daily Life and Coping
• The Legal Talk Network has compiled a sample of episodes related to the pandemic.
• TalkSpace is offering several free mental health resources right now, including  free therapist-led Facebook support groups,  Talkspace’s COVID-19 Highlight on it’s Instagram channel, and tons of self-care content related to COVID-19 on their blog. 
• It’s normal to experience loneliness during isolation. Here are some tips for getting through it.
• Need to get out and go somewhere? A little escapism never hurt. Take a virtual tour of one of our beautiful National Parks or a world-class museum.
• COVID-19 can be especially difficult for people maintaining sobriety and recovery. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides hotlines for many types of substance abuse-related support needs and other crises. Alcoholic Anonymous has also moved to virtual rooms.
• Concerned about parenting and homeschooling during sheltering-in-place? The American Academy of Pediatrics has some great suggestions and resources for families.
• This can be a truly trying time for people struggling with anxiety and depression. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has put together an essential list of resources and videos to explore to help people cope. 
• Meditate. Check out SRLN’s guide to meditation.
• “Strategies for Coping with Isolation and Loneliness During the Coronavirus Pandemic” describes different types of isolation and includes tips for managing each type. The article also features perspectives from members of the Counseling@Northwestern community on how they are personally managing isolation and social distancing.
• “60 Digital Resources for Mental Health” provides a comprehensive list of resources for anyone seeking information about and/or help for a range of mental health issues.

Listservs:

If you would like to continue to connect with the broader legal aid communities’ response to COVID-19, the info for joining the state and national listservs for legal aid and COVID-19 is below.

Statewide:

• Use this link to apply for membership and view the message archives
• If you have trouble joining or have any other questions, contact Bruno at bhuizar@one-justice.org

Statewide, Technology Specific:

• Use this link to apply for membership and view the message archives
• If you have trouble joining or any questions, please contact Theo at tser-ramin@LAAConline.org

National:

• To join, send a blank email to covid–19-subscribe@mail.lawhelp.org.
• When you join/subscribe, you will receive a confirmation email. Please note you have to click on the “confirm” link in the email you receive to start sending and receiving list emails.
• The listserv archive will be available in the DisasterLegalAid.org Advocacy Center: https://www.disasterlegalaid.org/advocates/groups. If you are not yet a member of the Advocacy Center, please visit https://www.disasterlegalaid.org/advocates/join/ to submit a membership request.