Why Nominate Inner City Law Center for a Cy Pres Award?

Inner City Law Center has been serving the poorest and most vulnerable individuals and families in Los Angeles County since 1980. Founded on the basic principle that every human being should be treated with dignity and respect at all times, ICLC, through its staff of 30 attorneys, advocates, tenant organizers, social workers, and other professionals, provides free legal representation and social service advocacy to over 2,000 homeless and working poor clients each year.  In the past five years, ICLC has recovered more than $15,000,000 for its low-income clients. For many clients, ICLC is the first step out of homelessness and into safe and dignified housing.

As the only full-time provider of legal services headquartered on Skid Row, ICLC is widely recognized for its expertise in housing issues, as well as government and veterans benefits.

What is Cy Pres?

Cy Pres is a doctrine that permits a court to award any unallocated, unclaimed, or undeliverable funds from a class action settlement or judgment to a nonprofit organization. Pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure § 384 (b), California courts may order that any unpaid residuals in class action litigation be paid to “... to support projects that will benefit the class or similarly situated persons...or to nonprofit organizations providing civil legal services to the indigent.” Federal courts also may consider cy pres awards of unclaimed settlement funds to nonprofit legal services organizations. Before approving a class action settlement, the court generally makes a determination that the settlement is fair, adequate, and reasonable. Part of this process includes determining if the settlement will include a cy pres award and which organizations will receive any such award. The court and the attorneys involved may nominate nonprofit organizations to receive any cy pres award.

For more information on nominating ICLC to receive a cy pres award, please contact:

Adam Murray
Executive Director
1309 East Seventh Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 891-2880
www.innercitylaw.org
Inner City Law Center is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
Tax Identification Number 95-3697572