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Trusts and Estates senior counsel Sasha Bass has been involved in many pro bono matters at Loeb, but her latest efforts have focused on projects helping community members advocate for their healthcare rights.
Sasha’s work with the Inner City Law Center (ICLC) in 2022 included assisting a low-income LGBTQ+ community member attain the right to make healthcare-related decisions for their spouse. The client’s husband was originally ignored by medical staff when attempting to act on the client’s behalf during a period of incapacity. Sasha was able to work with the couple to prepare documents naming the client’s husband as his health care agent and authorizing medical staff to communicate with him directly.
“Now, the client feels confident that whenever he can’t speak for himself, the person who’s best able to advocate for his needs will be the one in the driver’s seat,” Sasha said.
Sasha also worked with the ICLC to assist a client in integrating their final wishes into legally binding documents to ensure that their wishes would not be disregarded by relatives. She was able to prepare documents affirming that the client’s organs would be donated prior to being cremated, which would likely have been opposed by his family based on religious grounds.
“The client expressed great peace of mind knowing that his wishes will be honored after his death, regardless of any objections raised by relatives whose values are very different from his own,” Sasha added.
ICLC is the only legal-services provider located in Skid Row, Los Angeles. The organization advocates for equitable housing policies and provides legal services to prevent and end homelessness. ICLC fights for housing and justice for low-income tenants, working-poor families, immigrants, people who are disabled or living with HIV/AIDS and homeless veterans.
