On Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. (EDT), The Legal Services Corporation will host an online webinar entitled, Language Access and LSC’s TIG Program: Legal Aid and Court Collaborations.

Last month, the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates adopted the Standards for Language Access in Courts as official policy during its midyear meeting. The Standards provide comprehensive guidance to courts to ensure that language barriers do not deny access to justice for people who have limited proficiency in English. The ABA’s adoption of the Standards is an important step towards ensuring equal access to justice, a goal that LSC shares with the courts.

The goal of the webinar is to raise awareness about language access issues and to encourage collaborations and the use of technology to improve access to justice for people who are limited English proficient. LSC will highlight the following three TIG-funded projects that are engaging in this work:

• Atlanta Legal Aid Society: Project to assist Spanish-speakers with completing family law forms.
  Speaker: Kristin Verrill, Innovation Practice Manager
  Partnership involving: Cobb and Gwinnett County Superior Courts, Fulton County State and Magistrate Courts
   
• Illinois Legal Aid Online/Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago: Project to launch the Spanish-language version of the statewide legal aid website incorporating Google Translate API.
  Speakers: Adela Carlin, Director of Community Engagement (LAFC) and Teri Ross, Program Director (ILAO)
  Partnership involving: Forty three legal self-help centers in courthouses and libraries across Illinois, Latinos Progresando
   
• Lone Star Legal Aid: Texas Court Help Project creates a website gateway to help self-represented litigants understand and navigate the court system and will include multilingual video, Spanish and Vietnamese A2J Author interviews, and forms.
  Speaker: Lewis Kinard, Supervising Attorney
  Partnership involving: Texas Office of Court Administration, Texas Legal Services Center, Texas Access to Justice Commission.

Click here to register for this event:
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/240964975