Language Access in Court Forms

The Language Access Coalition (LAC) is a recently formed group of legal services advocates focused on the legal rights of limited English proficient (LEP) persons. We are collecting data and examples of LEP persons’ experiences when interacting with the trial courts, specifically when they are denied language services (this includes interactions outside of the courtroom, in the clerk’s office, mediation, etc.). We would also like to capture similar stories of individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing who commuicate using American Sign Language (ASL).

We need your help in collecting examples.  Attached is a form to collect data.  Please complete the attached form in English on behalf of any client/litigant/witness denied language services.  Please send the form directly to :

Sandy Yeung

Greater Boston Legal Services, Asian Outreach Unit

197 Friend Street

Boston, MA 02114

Phone: 617-603-1521

Fax: 617-371-1222

syeung@gbls.org

If you would like the form in any other languages, please contact us.  You can also fill out the form electronically at: http://www.masslegalservices.org/language-access-in-court-form

(Note: This is not meant to be a remedy for individual cases, rather a means of collecting information to inform and direct LAC’s advocacy strategy around LEP issues in the courts over the coming months.)

Timeline for Project: 3 months: February, March and April

Why is this important?: LAC is discussing strategies of how to best address LEP issues in the trial court, how we go about this will largely depend on the type of stories and experiences we hear from these forms.

We are very determined to make sure the examples we are collecting are representative of the various courts within the Trial Court, geographically and by the appropriate language needs. If you are interested in assisting with this project or have questions, please contact Sandy Yeung (syeung@gbls.org) or Moriah Nelson (mnelson@vlpnet.org).