Bet Tzedek was founded in 1974 by a small group of lawyers, rabbis, and community activists who sought to act upon a central tenet of Jewish law and tradition: “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof – Justice, justice you shall pursue. " This doctrine establishes an obligation to advocate the just causes of the poor and helpless. Consistent with this mandate, Bet Tzedek provides assistance to all eligible needy residents throughout Los Angeles County, regardless of their racial, religious, or ethnic background.

Achieving social change through strategic lawsuits is a priority for Bet Tzedek. The agency's Impact Litigation program takes on cases that have the potential to change the lives of great numbers of people by modifying the law or by transforming public policy. Recent examples of such cases include: litigation against a local municipality for religious discrimination; challenging an ordinance's impact on elderly mobile home park tenants; litigation against a bank for unfair and unlawful practices after foreclosure; and representing tenants impacted by slum housing conditions. All of Bet Tzedek's work is driven by a vision of creating long-term change, but the Impact Litigation area creates that change in broad, sweeping motions. Impact litigation can and does lead to changes in the law that better protect workers, seniors, consumers and community members in general.

Bet Tzedek accomplishes these impressive results by engaging volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and other professionals in a dynamic way. The organization's positive reputation in the Los Angeles community makes recruitment an easy task. Volunteers, in fact, regularly come to us. Major law firms and corporate legal departments consistently deploy attorneys to do pro bono work for Bet Tzedek.

The need for our work is growing. Large numbers of people continue to live in poverty. Our population is aging. Our economy is plagued by systemic worker abuse. And new unmet needs will continue to surface. We want to continue to make a difference in the face of these challenges. But our resources will continue to limit growth and so strategic focus and innovation are required.

We protect vulnerable populations through: direct representation and aggressive impact litigation; education to help people know their rights; self-help guidance; and legislative advocacy. We are recognized nationally for effectively leveraging a small number of staff and many volunteers, including pro bono legal services from over 100 firms, to impact many thousands of people.