UCLA Law students aid Angelenos impacted by fires
The Eaton fire that ignited in January struck close to home for second-year UCLA School of Law student Amber Grimmer ’26, damaging her 90-year-old grandmother’s house and devastating the Pasadena neighborhood where Grimmer spent vacations growing up.
“It was a very emotional and stressful experience for our whole family dealing with the impact of the fires and watching the neighborhood change so drastically,” says Grimmer. “For that reason, I was very motivated to give back to the Los Angeles community.”
The early 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires displaced over 100,000 Angelenos, about a quarter of them older adults, like Grimmer’s grandmother. As she helped her grandmother fill out an online FEMA application form, Grimmer experienced the challenges of navigating the disaster assistance process. As a volunteer with UCLA Law’s Judge Rand Schrader Pro Bono Program, she got training and opportunities to help others.
Through shifts at FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) sites at UCLA Research Park in West L.A. and in Pasadena, Grimmer is getting a firsthand look at some of the legal problems that persist even months after the initial disaster, including issues involving homeowner associations or determining who is responsible for loss when there is a sublease in place. In continuing work, she and her fellow UCLA Law classmates are helping residents fill out insurance claims, navigate technology challenges, identify resources, establish trusts, and more.
In all, more than 120 students have logged more than 947 pro bono hours toward assisting those impacted by the January fires through partnerships with local public interest legal organizations, including the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), Bet Tzedek, Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County, and multiple bar associations.
“Seeing so many of our students volunteer their time is a wonderful testament to their value of giving back and has been an enormous benefit to the Los Angeles community,” says Erin Han, director of the Schrader Program. “Our partnerships with local legal aid organizations allow students to provide needed assistance and receive training they can take with them as they begin their legal careers.”
Robina Henson ’25 was motivated to help the community in the aftermath of the fires and has worked eight volunteer shifts. “Through this work, I have become better able to continue pro bono work in the tenants, immigration, and FEMA spaces, and I am grateful to LAFLA for partnering with UCLA to provide students with this opportunity,” she says.
In addition to gaining specific legal skills related to disaster relief, Grimmer, Henson, and their fellow students are learning how to address issues around meeting the needs of immigrant communities, protecting tenants’ rights, and addressing the lack of affordable housing.
“The community benefits from free legal assistance on critical areas thanks to the support of students volunteering at the DRC, and it’s wonderful to witness such a strong commitment among the next generation of lawyers,” says Carlos H. Valdes, the pro bono manager at LAFLA. “Many wildfire survivors seeking help would otherwise struggle to navigate legal processes on their own. This support can prevent homelessness, unfair evictions, and financial exploitation during this critical time.”
The students also attended trainings touching on non-legal matters, like how to work with people who have undergone trauma, which Grimmer says is essential to providing support for her grandmother and others.
“We learn about issues in class, but working directly with clients shows us that the law is personal and requires a human touch,” she says. “We are helping people rebuild their lives.”