Pasadena residents facing housing disputes, family law questions, or mounting debt can walk into the Jackie Robinson Community Center on Saturday, Aug. 8, and sit down with a volunteer attorney at no cost.

The Community Legal Clinic runs from 9 a.m. to noon at 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave. No appointment is needed. Attendees are served first-come, first-served.

The monthly clinic is a partnership among Public Counsel, All Saints Church, and the City of Pasadena's Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. Volunteer attorneys handle housing, family law, bankruptcy and consumer debt, probate, civil matters, public benefits, expungements, and other issues.

The timing matters. As we reported Monday, two-thirds of Eaton Fire survivors remain displaced. FEMA extended rental assistance through Oct. 9 and homeowner assistance through July 9, 2027, but navigating those programs often requires legal guidance. Rep. Judy Chu said in June that "Altadena and Pasadena continue to rebuild from the Eaton Fire" and called the extended assistance critical for homeowners and renters during recovery.

Kelly Evans, senior supervising attorney at Public Counsel, oversees the Pasadena clinic. Bilingual English/Spanish volunteers are specifically recruited, though the organization has not confirmed whether Spanish-language consultations are guaranteed at every session.

One practical point: bring every document related to your case. According to Pasadena Now, "the value of a single consultation depends almost entirely on whether the attorney can see the notice, the lease, the filing or the correspondence in question." Leases, court papers, notices, correspondence — all of it.

Anyone who has attended the clinic twice in the past 12 months will be served after new participants, beginning at 11 a.m., capacity permitting.

Residents unable to attend Saturday can reach Public Counsel at (213) 385-2977. For information about the Jackie Robinson Community Center, call (626) 744-7300.

Other upcoming legal resources at Jackie Robinson Center:

• Aug. 19: Homelessness Prevention Legal Clinic, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Includes a "Know Your Rights" presentation and one-on-one attorney consultations. Walk-in, first-come, first-served.
• Thursday, Aug. 20: Fair housing workshop co-hosted by the City of Pasadena and the Housing Rights Center.