Appendix
Santa Ana Division
Legal Clinic
At the Santa Ana Division, an on-site legal clinic operated by Public Law Center (PLC) operates two days a week. Funding for the clinic comes from the Attorney Admission Fund, the American College of Bankruptcy Foundation, and donations from numerous lawyers and law firms in Orange County. PLC also provides pro bono representation in chapter 7 cases with attorneys from the local bar, when available. In 2014, 149 volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students provided 738 consultations to self-represented parties through 97 chapter 7 clinics and 12 reaffirmation clinics. The clinic opened 95 cases in-house and closed 94 cases (some of these, but not all overlap). PLC volunteers attended one training in 2014, “Basic Chapter 7 Bankruptcy,” with approximately 45 attendees. The training was free in exchange for volunteers donating two hours to the chapter 7 bankruptcy clinic.
The legal clinic is co-sponsored by the Orange County Bar Association, Orange County Bar Association – Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Section, and the Orange County Bankruptcy Forum. Orange County Legal Aid also holds a weekly chapter 7 clinic and assists debtors in filing on their own if it is a no asset case.
Reaffirmation Agreement Clinic
The Santa Ana Division also has a Reaffirmation Agreement Clinic similar to the one in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. The clinic is operated by the Public Law Center with volunteers from the local bar.