Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto

If I could give zero stars, I would. I reached out to Legal Aid in Palo Alto for urgent help regarding severe tenant harassment, retaliation, and unlawful housing practices, and the experience was completely disappointing from start to finish. When you are facing housing instability and your safety is on the line, you expect an organization dedicated to helping vulnerable tenants to actually step up and advocate for you, but instead, you are met with closed doors, bureaucratic red tape, and an absolute wall of silence. I came to them with a meticulously organized case—complete with verified video evidence, official police reports, municipal code violations, and documented landlord misconduct. Yet, instead of actually looking at the evidence or offering real legal support, I felt completely dismissed, blown off, and ignored. The communication is atrocious; you go through their intake, leave messages, follow all their instructions, and are left waiting around getting nowhere while your housing is actively being jeopardized. It feels like they only want to take the absolute easiest cases possible and just shuffle everyone else out the door, leaving tenants high and dry when they need help the most. If you have a complex case, or if you actually need someone to look at your evidence and defend your rights against bad-faith actors, do not expect Legal Aid in Palo Alto to fight for you. Look elsewhere if you need actual legal representation and accountability.

Stacy Townsend is amazing. She listened, didn’t judge, and worked out a resolution that was fair to all involved. She is a really great attorney and I was lucky to have her help. This organization is a godsend for the community and anyone who says otherwise must be over privileged and/or mad that someone was willing to help the tenant they were hoping to be rid of.

They looking to make money off you. I'd stay away from them.