Do you want to use your legal expertise to help end homelessness in Los Angeles County?
Join Better Angels’ Legal Advisory Board to make an impact on housing justice.
Why This Work Matters
Los Angeles County faces a deep homelessness crisis. More than 45,000 Angelenos are without homes as of 2024. Attorneys on our Legal Advisory Board can help protect vulnerable renters and shape fair housing policies, directly helping individuals avoid eviction and homelessness.
By volunteering your legal expertise, you support innovative solutions (like eviction-prevention loans and tech platforms) that provide a real safety net for people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness. Your civic leadership and advocacy make a tangible difference: helping Better Angels navigate complex legal challenges means we can serve more people and bring them home.
Role Overview
Volunteer Advisors will provide strategic counsel and guidance for our mission-driven programs.
As a Legal Advisory Board member, you will work with our leadership team to tackle legal and policy issues related to housing and homelessness. Your experience in real estate law, tenant/landlord law, employment law, or nonprofit governance will help shape our strategies.
You’ll collaborate with city and nonprofit partners, Better Angels staff, and fellow volunteers. Together, you’ll integrate legal insight into program design, risk management, and advocacy efforts. This is a hands-on volunteer role where your expertise informs real cases and guides active initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
*Attend and actively participate in one quarterly Legal Advisory Board meeting (typically 1–2 hours, held virtually or in Los Angeles) to review ongoing cases and organizational strategy.
*Provide up to ~3 hours per month of pro bono legal advice and consultation on specific cases, contracts, and policy questions. Recruit or refer qualified volunteers for direct legal support, including reviewing lease or loan documents, advising on tenant rights and eviction prevention, and guiding employment or nonprofit legal issues.
*Review program materials (e.g., eviction-prevention loan agreements, partnership contracts, policy briefs) for legal soundness and compliance. Offer recommendations to ensure our work is legally robust.
*Monitor relevant local, state, and federal laws/regulations affecting our programs. Alert staff to legal risks or changes and advise on proactive strategies to keep clients and operations safe.
*Collaborate closely with Better Angels staff and fellow board members. Maintain confidentiality and uphold professional ethics while contributing a solutions-oriented perspective to advance our mission.
Helpful Qualifications
*Licensed attorney in good standing in California ( preferably with several years of practice experience).
*Expertise in one or more of the following areas: real estate law, tenant and landlord law, employment law, or nonprofit/governance law. Experience advising REITs, nonprofits, or working on housing/homelessness issues is a strong plus.
*Demonstrated commitment to social justice, community advocacy, or public interest – for example, prior pro bono work or civic leadership roles. A passion for housing justice and helping underserved communities is essential.
*Excellent analytical and communication skills. You should be able to explain complex legal issues clearly to non-lawyers and work collaboratively with a diverse team.
*Comfort with a primarily remote volunteer role. Flexible scheduling skills and reliability are important, since community members and partners depend on our timely legal guidance.
*Ability to volunteer approximately 3–4 hours per month.
About Better Angels
Better Angels is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit founded in 2023 by tech entrepreneurs to tackle the region’s homelessness crisis. Our mission is “to solve LA’s homelessness epidemic by harnessing the power of the entire Los Angeles community”. We take a bold, holistic, technology-driven approach. In partnership with civic agencies and funders, we build programs and tools across prevention, services, shelter, and housing.
For example, our Short-Term Eviction Prevention (STEP) Fund provides rapid, zero-interest microloans to tenants facing financial emergencies. To date, more than 600 such loans (totaling more than $1.2M) have helped keep families in their homes
Better Angels also develops digital tools to empower homeless outreach workers, connect people in crisis with resources (like our recent disaster relief navigator for wildfire victims), or find shelter, and organizes community events to bring services directly to those experiencing homelessness. We collaborate closely with city officials and partner nonprofits to minimize duplication and maximize our impact.
Time Commitment
*Volunteers should plan for about 3–4 hours per month. This includes one quarterly board meeting (1–2 hours) plus additional time (up to ~3 hours) for case consultations or follow-up as needed.
*The role is primarily remote/virtual, with occasional in-person meetings or events in Los Angeles. We value flexibility: you can schedule consultation hours at your convenience during the month.
*Please note this is a volunteer (unpaid) position. Your reward will be the professional satisfaction of helping address one of LA’s most urgent issues and the opportunity to work alongside a mission-driven community, collaborating with other committed legal professionals to end the epidemic of homelessness in LA.
JOIN US!
Media References:
Better Angels - Go Deep Policy
https://www.betterangels.la/halo/policy/whybetterangels
L.A. launches online wildfire relief tool - Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-06/l-a-launches-online-wildfire-relief-tool
