LACDA

Los Angeles County Dependency Attorneys, Inc. (LACDA), submitted a proposal to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to provide representation to indigent parents and children in juvenile dependency proceedings in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Although LACDA’s proposal allegedly was the lowest monetary bid, the contract to perform these services was awarded to real parties in interest Kenneth Krekorian and Los Angeles Dependency Lawyers, Inc. (collectively, Krekorian). The AOC made the award without submitting the proposed contract to the Department of General Services (DGS) for its review and approval. After unsuccessfully pursuing administrative protest proceedings, LACDA sought a writ of mandate against the AOC for allegedly failing to comply with requirements applicable to the award of the contract and to the conduct of the protest proceedings, and against DGS for allegedly failing to perform “a clear, present and ministerial duty to review and approve contracts of respondent AOC pursuant to Public Contract Code[ ] section 10295.” The trial court sustained the demurrer of DGS without leave to amend, concluding that section 10295 does not require DGS to…