Bet Tzedek was founded in 1974 by a group of Jewish attorneys, law students and community members concerned about gentrification and housing issues living in the Beverly Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles.
[1] In its early years, most of Bet Tzedek's services were provided to low-income Holocaust survivors and other vulnerable seniors in need of assistance writing wills, obtaining unemployment benefits or dealing with landlord/tenant disputes.
[4] In the early 1990s, Bet Tzedek filed a lawsuit against a national HMO, alleging fraud and deceptive sales practices, through known racially targeted victimization of elderly Spanish-speaking enrollees.
[5] Bet Tzedek provided legal aid to affected businesses during and following the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which erupted after the acquittal of four LAPD officers involved in the beating of Rodney King, a black motorist.
[7][8] In 1997, three members of Bet Tzedek's staff and Board contributed to the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Committee on Slum Housing, whose suggestions were adopted by the L.A. City Council as the most thorough code program ever implemented locally.
[11] In 1999, Bet Tzedek's lawsuit against Hillhaven, one of the largest nursing home chains in the country, contributed to changes in business practices regarding violations of state and federal law which caused financial hardships for residents and their families.
Renamed the Kinship Care Program in 2014, Bet Tzedek continues to provide resources to educate lawmakers about the need for uniform application of probate laws, particularly as they relate to unaccompanied minors.
[15][independent source needed] Concurrently, in the same year, Bet Tzedek, with pro bono counsel, successfully represented Irene Gut Opdyke's estate in an eight-week trial regarding the rights to her life story, "righteous gentile" who saved numerous Jews during World War II.
[18] In 2003, Bet Tzedek engaged in international litigation for the first time by representing victims of Nazi persecution within the German court system, advocating for Holocaust survivors appealing denials of restitution payments.
Concurrently, in California, State Treasurer Phil Angelides collaborates with Bet Tzedek to persuade U.S. banks to waive wire transfer fees for payments to indigent survivors.
Bet Tzedek's advocacy led to a rewrite of the Social Security Administration's procedural manual, ensuring clearer guidance for eligibility workers and safeguarding benefits for survivors.
[30] In February 2017, Bet Tzedek co-sponsored Assembly Bill 900 (AB 900), ensuring human trafficking survivors are no longer denied access to life-saving resources through the California's Victim's Compensation Fund.
[31] Bet Tzedek represented senior citizens, many aged 90 and older and some Holocaust survivors, in a legal dispute with Watermark Retirement Communities, the new owner of the Westwood Horizons building.
[32][independent source needed] In 2018, Bet Tzedek, in collaboration with the L.A. City Attorney's office and other local organizations, secured over $1M in restitution for approximately 60 car wash employees in a wage theft case.
[37][independent source needed] In June 2019, Governor Newsom signed a budget that includes millions of dollars to eliminate the years-long waitlist for victims of wage theft seeking compensation.
Bet Tzedek’s attorneys filed a complaint to the Bureau of Field Enforcement (BOFE) and, in March 2020, the California Labor Commissioner’s Office issued a $2.1 million fine to the owners after determining they had failed to pay wages to 325 employees.
[42] In May 2020, the City of Los Angeles asked Bet Tzedek to join LA Represents, an unprecedented legal assistance initiative to help thousands of Angelenos who were facing extreme hardships due to the pandemic.
Bet Tzedek helped small businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis, providing access to pro bono legal assistance as entrepreneurs navigated new regulations, renegotiated leases, applied for relief programs, and complied with health and safety orders.
Through this partnership with the City and other government and community organizations, Bet Tzedek provided a broad range of services to small business owners like webinars, workshops, and direct assistance.
[46][47][48] On October 5, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1020: Health Care Debt and Fair Billing into law, a policy initiative developed in response to the experiences of Bet Tzedek’s Harbor-UCLA MLP clients.
Bet Tzedek’s services help trauma patients obtain restraining orders, secure safe housing, and maximize government benefits, all of which contribute to improving health outcomes for underserved and vulnerable communities.
[55] Bet Tzedek secured letters of interest for over 60 car wash workers at one job site so they can receive deferred action and immigration protection for participating in an investigation of labor violations.
Bet Tzedek co-sponsored this bill, authored by Senator Caroline Menjivar, along with CAMEO Network, Inclusive Action for the City, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area, Public Counsel, and Small Business Majority.
[57][58] In August 2024, Bet Tzedek attorneys Emily Chong and Jessica Marsella delivered written comments and in-person testimony to the Board of Supervisors who voted to approve measures addressing over $2.9 billion in medical debt affecting low-income residents of L.A. County.
In approving the measure, the County Supervisors demonstrated the importance of preventing anxiety from unpaid medical bills from weighing upon individuals in low-income and minority communities, as well as people suffering with chronic conditions.
[59][non-primary source needed] In March 2024, Los Angeles County agreed to a $12-million settlement to resolve allegations that its home improvement lending program wrecked the finances of many borrowers and left them vulnerable to foreclosure via PACE loans.
[63][independent source needed] Bet Tzedek provides comprehensive legal assistance to low-income seniors, dependent adults, and their families in Los Angeles, focusing on a variety of services to enhance their quality of life.
These include support for accessing justice in cases of elder abuse, assistance with advanced healthcare directives and estate planning, and legal guidance for guardianship and conservatorship matters.
[73] Bet Tzedek’s Transgender Legal Rights Program[71] offers clinics and direct representation for issues like health insurance denials, housing and employment discrimination, and public accommodations.
Additionally, Bet Tzedek assists with legal name and gender marker changes on identification documents to help individuals access public benefits, healthcare, employment, and education.