Inner City Law Center holds 25th annual award lunch

The Inner City Law Center's 25th Annual Awards Luncheon was celebrated Wednesday at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel in downtown Los Angeles--a gathering that brought together attorneys, advocates, civic leaders and donors for an afternoon of recognition and resolve.

The event, which raised over $100,000, honored individuals and institutions fighting for housing justice.

"This is the moment when we must come together--those of us who believe that no human being should have to sleep on our streets, that everyone should have a safe place to lay their head every night," said ICLC's CEO Adam J. Murray during the opening ceremony.

Murray didn't just invoke ideals--he presented results.

He said that last year the nonprofit's 146-member staff had "recovered over $20 million for Inner City Law Center clients."

He spoke candidly of the daily crises their clients face--people "too scared to come to court and therefore losing their homes," and those "threatened with ICE reports," and many relying on fragile safety nets now "in jeopardy."

He said that the organization had filed over 100 discrimination complaints against landlords who illegally refused Section 8 tenants.

Longtime farmworker rights leader Dolores Huerta, 94, received the Humanitarian Award for her lifelong commitment to labor and civil rights--and more recently, to housing justice.

Joining her was Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who was also awarded the Humanitarian Award. Raman, who took office in 2020, has made homelessness prevention a cornerstone of her work--focusing on renter protections, affordable housing preservation, and systemic reform. Under her leadership, her district has seen a 38% reduction in unsheltered homelessness.

"If we treat homelessness like a solvable problem," she said, "we'll start acting like it."

Two law firms were honored with the "Katharine Krause Award" for their transformative pro bono contributions: Robins Kaplan LLP and Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP.

Robins Kaplan played a central role in a landmark legal victory for disabled homeless veterans at the West Los Angeles VA Campus, helping secure a ruling that mandates new housing and health services. Meanwhile, Brown Goldstein & Levy LLP was celebrated for its deep partnership with ICLC, providing over 960 hours of free legal representation in just two years.