Fourth District residents looking for help with navigating through the Superior Court system will soon have another free resource available. This comes after Supervisor Don Knabe and his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors approved funding to open a free Self-Help Legal Access Center (SHLAC) inside the Torrance Courthouse.
All residents of Los Angeles County with business at the Torrance Superior Courthouse are eligible to access the Center, regardless of income. Although exact hours of operation have not yet been set, the agreement requires the Center to be open during regular court days and hours.
I am very happy that we will be bringing a second Self-Help Legal Access Center into the Fourth District, said Supervisor Knabe. My colleagues and I on the Board of Supervisors are committed to providing excellent service to the residents of Los Angeles County, and these Centers will provide residents, who might not have the ability to pay for an attorney, with free access to basic legal resources and information.
The SHLAC is not a new concept in Los Angeles County. Six other Centers already exist and have proven highly successful in other parts of the County. The Fourth District’s first Center opened last April at the Long Beach Courthouse and has been a big success.
While employees and volunteers of the SHLAC will not be able to provide legal advice or offer direct representation, staff members will be able to provide information on preparing forms, service of process, courtroom procedures and appropriate courtroom demeanor.