LEGAL GENIE WINS SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ACADEMY COMPETITION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF ORANGE COUNTY’S LEGAL GENIE WINS SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ACADEMY COMPETITION

Private Investors, Foundation, Academics Select Online Self-Help Tool as Viable Social Enterprise

Santa Ana, CA (September 22, 2009) - - A panel of judges consisting of private investors, retired business executives, a professor and a foundation named Legal Aid Society of Orange County’s (LASOC) Legal Genie as winner of the 2009 Social Enterprise Academy. Legal Genie is an innovative technological solution for middle-income self-represented litigants who make too much money to qualify for the services offered by LASOC but not enough to retain the services of an attorney.

Last week, Anna Lisa Biason, LASOC’s Director of Development, competed as a finalist in the Social Enterprise Academy Social Enterprise Showcase. After three months of preparation, a first round of presentations held in August and after being selected to continue to the final Showcase, Biason had ten minutes to persuade a panel of judges that LASOC’s Legal Genie is a unique and viable product that can earn revenue while addressing a significant social problem. The event drew an audience of nearly 100 individuals from the private, public and non-profit sectors - all of whom also voted for their favorite social enterprise.

Created by Legal Aid Society of Orange County, Legal Genie is an online fee-for-service Internet-based application which fills out court forms by asking simple questions and putting answers in the correct place. It also prints instructions on what to do with the forms and how the court process works.

"Through combining LASOC's self-help technology with the professional services of the private bar, Legal Genie makes the justice system accessible to those who otherwise simply could not afford legal services," said LASOC Executive Director Robert J. Cohen.

“We are pleased to support high impact Orange County charities with the opportunity to increase their entrepreneurial skills and mindset,” said Betsy Densmore, an executive with the Social Enterprise Institute. “Legal Aid Society of Orange County won because its Legal Genie program provides a big social and financial return and could easily become a national model.”

“It is exhilarating to know that representatives of the private sector and the non-profit community recognize the need for Legal Genie,” Biason noted. She added, “Those are two distinct audiences and both were united by the fact that legal help for those who don’t qualify for legal aid but cannot afford a private attorney is a compelling need for so many who are caught in the middle.”

About Legal Aid Society of Orange County

Founded in 1958 by the Orange County Bar Association, Legal Aid Society of Orange County (LASOC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide civil legal services to low-income individuals and seniors and to promote equal access to the justice system through advocacy, legal counseling, innovative self-help services, in-depth legal representation, economic development and community education. In 1984, LASOC expanded its service area to southeast Los Angeles County, where it is known as Community Legal Services (CLS). LASOC's areas of priority are: 1) providing support for the family; 2) preserving the home; 3) maintaining economic stability; 4) ensuring safety, stability and health; 5) assisting populations with special vulnerabilities; 6) continuing the delivery of legal services (including direct representation); and 7) giving advice, counsel and referral.

LASOC's practice areas and special programs in its Santa Ana, Anaheim, Compton and Norwalk offices include: Health Consumer Action Center; MedLaw Project: A University of California, Irvine Medical Center-LASOC Medical-Legal Partnership; Domestic Violence Prevention Program; Domestic Violence Legal Assistance Center; Homeless Outreach Program; Housing and Landlord/Tenant Issues; Foreclosure Prevention; Senior Citizens Legal Advocacy Program; Asian Language Legal Assistance Program; Low Income Taxpayers Clinic; Government Benefits; Special Education; Consumer Law; and Bankruptcy. Other LASOC-affiliated special programs are: Legal Resolutions Center, Lawyer Referrals Service, and Small Claims Advisor Program.

About The Social Enterprise Academy

The Social Enterprise Academy is a competitive training program for not-for-profits that want to diversify or expand their income from the sale of mission-related products or services. Participants are coached in marketing and financial planning, and in how to develop a plan that captures the attention of potential investors. Developed by The Social Enterprise Institute and The Volunteer Center of Orange County, the Academy draws on the expertise of volunteers from Tech Coast Angels, Vistage, Executive Coaches of Orange County, SCORE and local universities to provide workshops and mentoring. A panel of experienced business and social investors select the winners, who are awarded a cash prize and ongoing support to refine their plan, secure financing, and to take their product or service “to market.”

Academies are sponsored by local businesses and foundations who want to support not-for-profit organizations in becoming more self-sufficient and sustainable. The major sponsors for this Academy were Wells Fargo Foundation and Boeing Corporation. Over thirty agencies participated. This year, LASOC was one of two first place winners selected by the Academy.


Contact:
Anna Lisa Biason
Legal Aid Society of Orange County
Direct: (714) 571-5220
Fax: (714) 571-5270
abiason@legal-aid.com
www.lasoc.com