Project Uplift Kicks Off

At Elder & Spencer, we believe that the work of a law firm extends beyond the courtroom. It extends into the community, and into the lives of people who need a hand.

Supporting Young Women

Project Uplift is a community service initiative of the CAOC Women's Caucus dedicated to supporting young women who are aging out of the foster care system as they transition into higher education or the workforce. These are young women navigating one of life's most challenging crossroads, often without the family safety net most of us take for granted.

The initiative is co-chaired by Chandra Spencer and Margaret Elder of Elder & Spencer and Rosa Florentino of Quest Settlements.

The Kickoff: Fashion for Good

On February 13th, Project Uplift officially launched with Fashion for Good, a Galentine's Day event held at Justice HQ in Downtown Los Angeles. The event brought together members of the local legal community to donate gently used professional clothing and workplace essentials: blazers, blouses, trousers, skirts, shoes, work bags, and more.

The response was extraordinary. Thanks to the generosity of donors across the legal community, Fashion for Good was a resounding success. Every item donated represents more than fabric and thread, it represents dignity, confidence, and a concrete signal to a young woman that her community is rooting for her.

More to Come

Project Uplift has an ambitious lineup of upcoming programming designed to support participants at every stage of their transition:

Resume and cover letter workshops will give participants the tools to present themselves compellingly on paper. Interview preparation sessions will help them walk into any room with confidence. Networking opportunities will connect them with professionals across industries. College application support will guide those pursuing higher education through a process that can feel overwhelming without a guide. And ongoing mentorship will ensure participants have a consistent, trusted voice in their corner.

All of this is made possible through partnerships and the collective energy of a legal community that shows up.

Why It Matters

The legal profession is built on advocacy, and advocacy doesn't stop when you leave the office. At Elder & Spencer, we are proud to support Project Uplift not just as sponsors or participants, but as co-architects of a program we believe in deeply. The young women this initiative serves have already demonstrated extraordinary resilience. Our job is simply to make sure they have every resource they need to succeed.

Get Involved

Get involved with Project Uplift. Whether you'd like to mentor, volunteer, or donate professional clothing and workplace essentials, there are meaningful ways to contribute. Reach out directly to Chandra Spencer; your involvement can make a real difference.

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David Elder

Of Counsel
David Elder earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and his master’s degree from the University of Louisville before receiving his Juris Doctorate from Western State University College of Law.

He began his career in criminal defense, where he developed strong advocacy and trial skills before transitioning to civil litigation. Mr. Elder now brings that experience to housing law, fighting to protect the rights of tenants across California.

Lanetta Rinehart

Of Counsel
Lanetta Rinehart earned her law degree from Loyola Law School in 2000, graduating near the top of her class. Even before becoming licensed, she served as a certified law clerk, representing hundreds of tenants in habitability cases, an experience that sparked a lifelong commitment to housing rights.

Over the past two decades, Ms. Rinehart has handled habitability matters involving thousands of tenants in every county in California. She has tried cases involving habitability and environmental exposure in San Francisco, Bakersfield, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, and San Diego.

Ms. Rinehart has studied under top national experts in exposure claims involving mold, pests, pesticides, asbestos, bromine, and other environmental agents. She has lectured on landlord-tenant law, negotiating habitability cases, and environmental exposures, and her work has been published in magazines.

Chandra Spencer

Partner
In 2007, Chandra Spencer founded her own law practice to provide quality legal representation to tenants and protect their housing rights. In 2013, she partnered with Margaret Elder to form Elder & Spencer LLP, expanding their impact across California.

Ms. Spencer earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Pepperdine University School of Law in 1996, along with a Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from California Lutheran University in 1994.

Chandra is a Board Member of the Consumer Attorneys of California and is the Community Service Chairwoman for the Women’s Caucus. Chandra is also an Executive Board Member for the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities, and will be their President in 2028.

Outside of work, Ms. Spencer enjoys SCUBA diving, traveling, and spending time with her family and three dogs.

Margaret Elder

Partner
With over 30 years of experience in housing law, Margaret Elder brings extensive knowledge, insight, and compassion to the tenants she represents. She advocates for clients facing slum housing conditions, discrimination, retaliation, and violations of rent control ordinances, and has successfully tried cases to verdict in both state and federal courts.

Ms. Elder began her legal career as a staff attorney at the Fair Housing Council of Orange County, where she worked to ensure government compliance with fair housing laws. She later joined an insurance defense firm representing landlords accused of housing violations. This experience gave her unique insight into the defense side of litigation. Ms. Elder then founded her own practice exclusively representing tenants, which expanded into Elder & Spencer LLP when she partnered with Chandra Spencer in 2013.

Ms. Elder graduated cum laude from Western State University College of Law. She earned three American Jurisprudence Awards, served on Law Review, and competed in Traynor Moot Court and Ferguson Honor’s Moot Court.

Outside of her legal work, Ms. Elder trains and competes as a master women’s rower.