27 Ever since Deaf Community Services of San Diego, Inc. established its Clubhouse in 2012, the organization’s deaf and hard-of-hearing members have enjoyed using the welcoming space to socialize, explore their interests, and pursue educational and vocational goals. When a member violated Clubhouse rules and misused the safe learning environment by brandishing a knife and threatening to stab fellow members and staff, the organization reached out to the Legal Aid Society of San Diego for help. Legal Aid in turn contacted Mintz Levin attorney Antony Nash, and the firm soon agreed to work with Deaf Community Services on a pro bono basis to seek a temporary restraining order against the violent man so that their members could attend the Clubhouse safely. Over the years, the firm has helped many victims of domestic violence to secure restraining orders against their abusers, but the procedure for obtaining a workplace restraining order is a bit different. With assistance from former Mintz Levin attorney James Taylor-Copeland, Antony researched the legal requirements and began to collect evidence to establish that the knife-wielding man had made credible threats of violence and should there- fore be barred from the Clubhouse. In the months leading up to the court date, the two attorneys worked to assemble the facts of the case. James had a number of meetings with employees and prepared the key witnesses, who communicate using American Sign Language, to testify in court with the help of a translator. Before Antony and James could serve the violent individual with a court order to attend the hearing, they had to find him. Since he was homeless, that task required some legwork. After making inquiries throughout the San Diego community, the team discovered that he was serving time in jail. At the hearing, the witnesses’ testimony, along with the attorneys’ written documentation, persuaded the judge that the Mintz Levin legal team had met the evidentiary burden of establishing that the defendant posed an imminent risk in the Clubhouse workplace. Learning that the three-year temporary restraining order was granted on the spot, “the client was over the moon,” Antony said. The defendant, for his part, indicated that he understood what he had done and agreed to comply with the terms of the order. “This was a wonderful opportunity to utilize the time and skill of Mintz Levin’s litigation attorneys to make a real difference for a worthwhile community organization,” Antony said. Safeguarding a Special Space “Legal Aid really appreciates Mintz Levin stepping in to handle a very dangerous situation. Mintz Levin’s litigation experience made a big difference in rapidly solving the problem for the client.” Sara Raffer-Lee Director of Pro Bono Services Legal Aid Society of San Diego