Thursday, February 26
honoring Family Law Judge Harvey Silberman.
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Saturday, September 12, 2015
at the Skirball Cultural Center.
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Learn more about the work we do in the community.
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Levitt & Quinn was a 2014 Top-Rated Nonprofit!
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Our Founders
Ziva Sirkis Naumann
Ethel Levitt (1911-1995)
Grace Quinn (1915-2006)
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A Message from the Executive Director
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I am incredibly proud to share with you that Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center attorneys impacted the lives of thousands of children in 2014. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, Levitt & Quinn assisted 25% more families in 2014 than in 2013, while simultaneously increasing its free services 100% and reducing the cost of its sliding scale services for modest income families across the board. At the same time, Levitt & Quinn more than doubled the number of clients to which it provided extended services beyond counsel and advice.
In their first six months, the newly launched, child-focused Kids Fund and Stand Up for Gus projects provided representation to parents in cases impacting the lives of hundreds of children. In its first full year, the one-of-a-kind Veterans Project assisted over 150 veterans to address family law barriers to housing and employment, and Levitt & Quinn's Sargent Shriver Project expanded to two full time attorneys representing low income parents in complex, high conflict custody cases. Four years ago, none of these free services were available to Levitt & Quinn clients. Today, five attorneys provide representation through these new projects to parents struggling to safeguard the well-being of their children. Alongside these new programs, Levitt & Quinn continues our longstanding work providing representation in independent adoptions and on a sliding scale basis to modest means families.
Levitt & Quinn developed these new projects in response to the community's growing need for free family law representation. Eighty percent of Levitt & Quinn's clients are poor enough to qualify for traditional "legal aid" services, but are unable to obtain those services due to factors such as the type of case, immigration status or simply no available attorneys. More than 50% live below the national poverty level, meaning a single parent and child surviving for a month on just $1,310. Levitt & Quinn is often the last chance for these parents to be represented when addressing the most important issues in their children's lives. The outcomes of these cases determine critical issues such as how much time the child will spend with each parent and other loved ones; where she will live; or what school he will attend. The issues can be as simple as whether the child can continue to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports or tutoring; or as complicated as whether the family can afford to remain in their home. Representation by Levitt & Quinn means these families do not have to face these issues alone, and that representation is thanks to our supporters' generosity. 2014 was our biggest year ever, and your financial support made that possible. Thank you on behalf of thousands of children.
Tai Glenn
Executive Director
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Late last fall, a father came to Levitt & Quinn devastated. Mike* hadn't seen his five-year-old daughter for three years because the child's mother had been keeping her from him, and he no longer even knew where or with whom she lived. Unable to afford a private attorney, Mike went to court several times on his own. He managed to get an order for temporary custody, but not an order requiring the District Attorney to help him locate his child. Instead, the court ruled that he had not done enough to find the mother. He had no ideas or resources for continuing his three year long search for his daughter.
When he came to Levitt & Quinn, Mike felt he was at a dead end and had no options remaining. Levitt & Quinn's Stand Up for Gus project provides free representation to parents seeking to increase their involvement in their children's lives, and was designed to help in heartbreaking and complex cases such as Mike's search for his daughter. Attorney Jenny Skoble took the lead, helping Mike take further steps to find the mother and follow the court's instruction. With the new information in hand, Levitt & Quinn prepared a request for an order instructing the District Attorney to help locate the mother, which was granted three days before Christmas. This was a big step in a long road to reunification. The District Attorney on the case has an excellent track record of finding abducted children, and we have high hopes that she will be found soon. "I just wish I had come to you sooner!" said Mike. At Levitt & Quinn, it is our goal to help families like these achieve the stability and support they need to flourish and thrive.
*not client's real name.
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Q&A: Pro Bono Attorney Raymond Goldstein
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Raymond R. Goldstein is the managing partner at Center for Enforcement of Family Support, a private law firm established in 1979 and dedicated to the enforcement of support and other marital obligations. He frequently lectures on the subject, and authors a variety of State and Federal articles, books and treatises regarding enforcement, including many titles for California's CEB publications. Mr. Goldstein sits as Chair of the State Bar of California, Family Law Section.
LQ: Has volunteering at Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center been rewarding?
RG: Are you kidding? Probably more so than virtually any other volunteer service I could provide. My recent experience of representing Levitt & Quinn in the recovery of substantial attorney's fees was extremely gratifying. While I may be the volunteer, my thanks go to Levitt & Quinn for providing me the opportunity to contribute. I suggest that anyone in search of a richer experience with his or her work find ways to give back to an organization like Levitt & Quinn. I am currently an officer of the Los Angeles County Bar Family Law Section, and I am Chair of the Family Law Section for the State Bar Family of California. Participation on both these Executive Committees brings me a great deal of personal satisfaction, however, neither allows me to feel as involved at the most basic levels of service as I do when directly assisting families in need, through the good work of Levitt & Quinn.
LQ: Why did you decide to get involved with Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center?
RG: In my twenty years of practice, rarely do more than a few weeks go by without someone mentioning to me the efforts of Levitt & Quinn on behalf of family law litigants in need. It's hard sometimes to find anything in our profession that is, how shall I say it, unarguably true; but Levitt & Quinn's dedication to helping families certainly fits that bill. I very much enjoy my chosen practice niche regarding enforcement of family law awards, but, it's not the most profitable area of law, and as such, I don't always have the luxury of donating money in the sums I would like. But I do have the opportunity to contribute my time and expertise in support of Levitt & Quinn's service to the community, and for me, that's just as satisfying.
LQ: What would you say to someone who is thinking about volunteering for Levitt & Quinn?
RG: Stop thinking about it! Quite literally, there is today a child, a parent, or a family, that you can help, and it won't cost you a penny; only the generosity of your time and service to Levitt & Quinn. Yes, time is money, but, your time can make a difference beyond economic value.
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 The Levitt & Quinn Winter Newsletter was made possible by Feinberg Mindel Brandt & Klein, LLP. FMBK has long-supported Levitt & Quinn's mission to provide free and affordable legal representation in family law matters for low-income families in Los Angeles County.
"Notwithstanding the recent improvements of the economy over the last few years, the courtrooms are still flooded with unrepresented litigants in family law demonstrating the extreme unmet need for low cost family law representation in Los Angeles County," says Managing Partner Steve Mindel. "It is Levitt & Quinn's commitment to provide low cost family law representation that makes us so thankful for the services that they provide."
Feinberg Mindel Brandt & Klein, LLP is a sixteen attorney Southern California law firm with a reputation for high-caliber legal representation. FMBK concentrates on the following areas of law: Civil and Real Estate Litigation, Family Law, Family Law Mediation, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Litigation, and Business Transactions. The firm's goal is to achieve the best results for clients as efficiently, fairly and painlessly as possible.
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How You Can Support Levitt & Quinn
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In many ways, Levitt & Quinn Family Law Center's impact is tied to the overall financial commitment and participation of its donors. By contributing to Levitt & Quinn, you ensure that we can fulfill our mission today and in the future. Every gift, whether $10,000 or $10, makes a difference. There are many ways to give:
To learn more about giving to Levitt & Quinn, contact Tai Glenn, Executive Director at (213) 482-1800 or [email protected]. To contribute online, visit our donation page here.
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