Do you want to use your legal expertise to help end homelessness in Los Angeles County?
Join Better Angels’ Mobile Identification Clinic 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. For many, the greatest barrier to escaping the streets is a complete lack of identification. Without a photo ID, birth certificate, or Social Security card, an individual is legally invisible and thus unable to access supportive housing, open a bank account, or secure employment.
Establishing identity from absolute zero is a bureaucratic minefield. Using your status as an attorney, you can bypass traditional roadblocks and reconstruct a client's legal identity, providing the foundational safety net they need to rebuild their lives. Your civic leadership and advocacy make a tangible difference: helping Better Angels navigate these complex administrative challenges means more individuals will be able to progress in their journey through homelessness.
Role Overview
Volunteer Clinic Attorneys will provide hands-on legal representation and strategic administrative advocacy at our on-site identification clinics. As a Clinic Attorney, you will serve as the authorized legal representative for unhoused clients who have no forms of identification. You will navigate vital statistics registries, the Social Security Administration, and the California DMV.
You’ll collaborate on the ground with shelter staff, social workers, and fellow legal volunteers. This is a highly active, direct-services volunteer role where your authority as a licensed attorney is the key required to unlock government records and get IDs into the hands of vulnerable neighbors.
Sample Responsibilities
*Act as an Authorized Agent: Prepare, sign, and submit vital records applications as "Attorney for Registrant" under California Health & Safety Code § 103526(c) and similar nationwide statutes, allowing clients without ID to securely obtain Authorized Certified Copies of their birth certificates.
*Execute Notary and Witness Workarounds: Coordinate and oversee the "Credible Witnesses Strategy" under California Civil Code § 1189, guiding clients and qualified witnesses through the notary process when direct attorney sign-off is unavailable.
*Build Alternative Evidence Stacks: Review and compile certified medical records and secondary identity markers to meet strict Social Security Administration guidelines (SSA POMS RM 10210.420) for establishing a client’s identity without photo ID.
*Advocate at the DMV: Accompany or prepare clients for the California DMV's "Inadequate Forms of Identification Review" (DL 002 Exception Process), escalating applications to supervisors on-site to secure Standard CA Identification Cards and coordinate Fee Waivers (Form DL 933).
*Manage Multi-Jurisdictional Requests: Research and execute paper-based identity reconstruction protocols for clients born out-of-state, in U.S. territories, or U.S. citizens born abroad requiring federal Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (Form DS-5542).
Role Requirement
Licensed attorney in good standing in California. Practicing attorneys, corporate counsel, and retired attorneys are all welcome.
Helpful Qualifications
*Comfort with a fast-paced, on-site clinic environment. Reliability is critical, as community members and outreach partners depend on your scheduled attendance to process their documentation.
Experience or comfort with administrative law, direct client services, or public interest advocacy. Prior experience navigating government bureaucracies (DMV, SSA, Vital Statistics) is a strong plus, though Better Angels will provide comprehensive training on our specific identity protocols.
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 interpersonal skills. You should be able to interview vulnerable clients with empathy, organize messy documentation, and confidently advocate before government agency staff.
Time Commitment
Volunteers should plan for about 4–6 hours per month. This typically includes attending one half-day on-site clinic shift (3–4 hours) plus 1–2 hours of remote follow-up or paperwork review as your clients' documents arrive.
The client-facing portion of this role is entirely in-person at our mobile clinic sites across Los Angeles County. Document preparation and follow-up can be completed remotely at your convenience.
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.
