Susman Godfrey teams with legal aid organizations to secure protections for Los Angeles tenants
On April 15, 2026, a California state appellate court upheld a Los Angeles City tenant protection ordinance following an appeal by the Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) of a trial court ruling in favor of the ordinance. Susman Godfrey represented intervenors Community Power Collective and InnerCity Struggle, alongside co-counsel Public Counsel, the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA), and Bet Tzedek Legal Services.
The City’s Eviction Threshold Ordinance limits evictions for nonpayment unless the tenant owes more than one month’s fair market rent. The ordinance aims to prevent eviction for small or short-term rent arrears, giving tenants more time and flexibility to resolve temporary financial hardships without losing housing.
AAGLA, which advocates for landlords and residential property managers, filed a petition for writ of mandate challenging several of the City’s tenant protection ordinances on the basis that they were preempted by state law. In early 2024, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge sided with Susman Godfrey, co-counsel, and their clients in upholding the Eviction Threshold Ordinance before AAGLA appealed the decision.
“This outcome preserves an essential protection for tenants across Los Angeles and reinforces important safeguards against displacement,” said Anna Gorn, an associate with Susman Godfrey who argued the appeal. “We are pleased with the court’s decision that will provide more stability for city residents amid record high housing costs and rates of homelessness.”
Susman Godfrey has spent years protecting Los Angeles residents in need of access to justice. The firm represented tenant advocacy groups Strategic Actions for a Just Economy and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment in a case that obtained the first federal appellate decision affirming the constitutionality of the Los Angeles COVID-19 eviction moratorium.
In addition to Ms. Gorn, the Susman Godfrey team included partners Rohit Nath and Halley Josephs and former associate Ellie Dupler. The case is Apartment Association of Los Angeles County, Inc. vs. City of Los Angeles et al., case number B336071, in the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, Division Seven.
