Why designate your cy pres award to The Legal Aid Association of California?
The Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC) is the statewide membership association of over 100 public interest law nonprofits that provide free civil legal services and legal aid to low-income people and communities throughout California. LAAC member organizations provide legal assistance on a broad array of substantive issues, ranging from general poverty law to civil rights to immigration, and also serve a wide range of low-income and vulnerable populations.
By designating your cy pres award to LAAC, you can support LAAC as California’s unified voice for legal services and advocate advancing the needs of the clients of legal services on a statewide level. LAAC is also able to use cy pres awards to support our important training program for legal aid attorneys throughout the state.
What is cy pres (also known as residual funds)?
Cy pres is a French term that means “as near as possible.” Cy pres awards are designated when there are residual funds that remain in class action lawsuits, probate cases, and other matters. It solves the problem of what to do with residual funds that cannot be distributed to the class members or beneficiaries. The residual funds are put to the next best use, or cy pres, by the court by making a nonprofit charitable organization the beneficiary of the awards. This area of law is governed by California Code of Civil Procedure Section 384.
Thank you for designating LAAC as the beneficiary of a cy pres or residual fund award.
In naming LAAC as a recipient of cy pres, you will help us support and advocate for legal aid organizations in California and promote and increase access to justice. Contact LAAC’s Executive Director, Salena Copeland, at SCopeland@LAACOnline.org.