LAS Founding Mothers (L to R): Willie James, Jane Welch, Doka Clausen
Legal Assistance for Seniors (LAS) was founded in 1976 by three local women who identified a significant community need for free legal services for low-income older adults in Oakland. LAS still exists because older adults continue to face financial fraud, elder abuse, unfair housing practices, or challenges navigating other legal matters. But that’s just a part of how we help people in our communities.
Fulfilling our mission is complex too, as our team of dedicated staff and volunteers work tirelessly to protect the rights of older adults through direct support, education, healthcare counseling, and advocacy. Our vision is for all seniors to live safely and with the greatest possibility for independence, regardless of their economic, social, or health circumstances.
We prioritize client accessibility to our services across communities in Alameda County. We meet people in their homes, at court, within senior housing and community centers, online, and over the phone. Additionally, LAS utilizes translation services and offers multilingual educational materials, all at no cost to clients.
In 2026, we’ll be celebrating our agency’s 50th anniversary. We hope we won’t need to exist in another 50 years, because the rights of seniors will be respected and their needs met. As we’ve seen the current trends in government funding decreases for social services, LAS will continue to exist to serve seniors in need of assistance and will likely need to grow to support the increasing older adult population we serve.
AGENCY MILESTONES
LAS obtained its first federal funding in 1978 and became incorporated as a private nonprofit organization in 1984. In 1988, LAS began offering our Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) as part of our services in order to provide seniors with assistance in understanding the complex rules governing Medicare and other health insurance programs.
In 2000, we expanded our service base to include limited legal assistance to HICAP clients in Contra Costa County.
In 2005, LAS recognized the need to bring together leaders in the elder care field to recognize, prevent, and address elder abuse and began hosting the annual Conference on Elder Abuse, where the latest research and techniques could be shared with front line services providers.
In 2015, LAS celebrated ten years of the Conference on Elder Abuse as it continues to educate and empower service providers to help seniors live with independence and dignity.
LAS is focused on providing the seniors of Alameda County with the best possible service. Learn more about our individual programs here >>