LAAC focuses much of our energy on increasing diversity in the legal services community. Below are some helpful resources for advocates, attorneys, and executive directors.
A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Racial Justice Toolkit for Civil Legal Aid Organizations
Launched in January of 2021, the IDEAL Toolkit exists as a resource for pursuing DEI and Racial Justice work. We aspire to have it live as an active document to ultimately encompass varying policies, models, and procedures that uplift and support DEI/Racial Justice work in our organizations. If you have any questions about the IDEAL Toolkit, please do not hesitate to contact Theo Ser-Ramin at tser-ramin@laaconline.org or Reann Pacheco at rpacheco@laaconline.org. If would like to offer feedback or suggestions for future versions of the Toolkit, please do so through this survey.
We are currently updating the IDEAL toolkit! Please check back in March 2025 for a refreshed edition.
LAAC commissioned this January 2020 report, written by Kelly Carmody of Carmody and Associates, which includes a lot of information on the diversity of California’s legal aid community.
Outreach resources for diverse candidate recruitment
Bar Associations
San Francisco Bay Area Minority Bar Coalitions
Multicultural Bar Alliance of Southern California
LGBT Bar Associations
The LGBT Bar (National)
LGBT Bar’s Annual Lavender Law Career Fair
National Trans Bar Association
LGBTQ+ Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
Tom Homann LGBTQ+ Law Association (San Diego)
Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom
LGBTQI Law Section of the Sonoma County Bar Association
Disability Bar Associations
Disability Rights Bar Association
Women’s Bar Associations
Queen’s Bench Bar Association (San Francisco)
Ethnic Minority Bar Associations
African American
Charles Houston Bar Association (Northern California)
John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles
Native American
National Native American Bar Association
California Indian Law Association
Hispanic/Latino
Hispanic National Bar Association
La Raza Lawyers (San Francisco, East Bay, San Diego, Santa Clara)
Orange County Hispanic Bar Association
Mexican American Bar Association
Asian/Pacific Islander
National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area
Korean American Bar Association of Southern California
Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA) Los Angeles
Law School Student Organizations
Contact organizations to circulate opportunities to alumni.
National Asian Pacific American Law Student Association
National Black Law Students Association
La Raza (multiple)
Middle Eastern and South Asian Law Students Association (multiple)
National Muslim Law Students Association
Filipino Law Students Association (multiple)
National Native American Law Students Association
National Disabled Law Students Association
Association of Law Students for Disability Rights (Univ. of San Francisco School of Law)
Women’s Law Association (multiple)
Lambda Law Students Association (multiple)