Community Legal Services of Arizona

Community Legal Services is a nonprofit law firm committed to increasing fairness in the civil justice system by advocating, litigating, and educating on behalf of Arizona's most underserved communities. CLS serves Maricopa, Mohave, Yavapai, Yuma, and La Paz Counties, from offices in Phoenix, Kingman, Prescott, San Luis and Yuma.

CLS desires to be Arizona's leading legal voice for communities in need by protecting rights, increasing fairness and providing access to justice for underserved communities. It is dedicated to providing legal assistance, advice or representation, self-help materials and legal education so people can know their rights. It believes that clients and communities are stronger when they understand their legal rights.

Consistent with its mission, CLS is committed to increasing fairness in the civil justice system. In order to accomplish this, CLS advocates, litigates and educates. As part of the advocacy, CLS has initiated firm-wide strategic advocacy to focus on issues and efforts that make an impact on the entire low-income community. Through needs assessments, CLS identifies systemic problems and defines objectives intended to meet CLS' mission and address those identified problems. CLS sets strategies with measurable outcomes to meet those goals. In addition, CLS

engages in direct service and brief service as described in its priorities. In order to educate the community, CLS provides training and outreach to the community and client groups in person and through the media. CLS provides access to forms, pamphlets, and other materials. CLS is one law firm with multiple offices that work together to meet the needs of clients and communities. The CLS core values are humanity, respect, collaboration, and excellence.

CLS is governed by a 26-member Board of Directors made up of attorneys and client-eligible members from the service area. Attorney members are appointed by a state or local bar association or law school. Client board members are financially eligible to receive program services at the time of their appointment to the board.

CLS main areas of legal practice include Family Law, Housing, Health Care and Economic Stability, Employment Law; and Consumer Law. CLS also directs a robust and successful Volunteer Lawyers Program.

CLS also provides self-help initiatives and community education and awareness through its Community Outreach and Education component. CLS works in its client communities to maximize impact and outcomes using advocacy and education. Through strategic advocacy, CLS works to achieve lasting, systemic changes for clients and all members of the community. CLS focuses on helping survivors of domestic violence; assisting victims of consumer fraud and abuse; protecting tenants from unlawful/unfair practices by landlords; foreclosures; legal problems affecting agricultural workers; wage claims and other employment matters; and federal and state programs affecting peoples' health and economic stability.