Technology that enables language access in the delivery continuum Claudia Johnson,Pro Bono Net Leah Margulies, LawHelp New York Rachel Medina, LSNTAP Ed Marks, Ohio

Why language Access Growth in LEP population across the nation Legal requirement for Federal Fund recipients (HUD, Recovery Act, DOJ, LSC, etc), ABA guidelines and attorney ethics Bilingual/multicultural attorneys/staff hard to hire into legal aid and hard to retain Different communities learn/interact differently Adoption/use of technology is fast paced in certain regions (Asia, Latin America, etc)

Technology can be inserted at any point In Web sites In the attorney’s office In court hearings After court hearings In self help centers for those in court and without lawyers (in the hearing room or outside of the hearing)

Web Based In statewide website: Fully bilingual websites-Minesota/NY Court Channels-NY LiveHelp-NY and Illinois, Montana Videos/tutorials—example Georgia Forms/online document assembly

Online tools Medium to larger projects/staff based (hotlines) Available online and in multiple settings Discrete Projects Larger projects Multilingual Websites Webchat and Bilingual Document Assembly Informational Tutorial Video

Discrete tools for language access Informationals—Georgia JING presentations for routine actions Video—there are TIG grants funding video projects ithe Legal Aid Community, and Law Schools and other universities also doing legal videos These are discrete projects that can be inserted int many forums. They are tech based, but are not a long term tech investments.

Larger Web Based Projects Multilingual web sites Online Document Assembly forms (NPADO/LHI) LiveHelp These are strategic long term technology investments that need ongoing tech development and staffing to succeed. Once created, they can be leveraged over and over in different configurations by large groups.

Georgia’s series in Spanish Medicaid Marriage Issues Civil Procedure Rights of Parents

Georgia’s informationals

In attorney’s offices Document assembly Multilingual hotlines (Lafla/APALC) Online Tutorials and videos (GA and PA) Multilingual hotlines providing counsel and advice onthe phone and more (Bay Area Legal Aid, Oakland)

Technology that bridges gaps in Courts In Self Help Centers Document Assembly LiveHelp (web chat) Multilingual staff/workshops/centers

Shared Infrastructure LHI LawHelp Interactive hosts online interviews to assembly letter or pleadings by attorneys or SRLs. Interviews are assembled in HotDocs with A2J Author as an optional interface depending on the audience. Courts are now using this shared infrastructure to enhance the services their self help centers provide LiveHelp is now being used in self help centers Courts are now creating SHCs to serve specific language groups

Multilingual Forms LawHelp Interactive will have Spanish interface in 2010 States are creating Spanish interviews w/A2J States are planning to create bilingual interviews w/HotDocs

How Does It Work? h

Document Assembly Can be used for simple letters or complex pleadings Can be created in English/with voice over in other languages Can be created in Spanish Can be used in lawyers office, in courts, in social welfare agencies that work with legal aid Can be used for triage and referrals

LHI LEP uses Ask questions in Spanish, print in English. Ask questions in English, print in Spanish. Ask question in either S or E, print in both. *Ask questions in English w/translated Spanish as an option, do any of the above. Attach instructions in E, S, or both. Examples of states: Idaho, Georgia, Illinois, upcoming CA/TX*

Video Projects Can be done by legal aid, pro bono programs, or by law Schools Some law schools have access to multilingual students and video facilities/faculty New video projects surfacing in youtube and this next round of LSC TIG projects Video can now be inserted into A2J Author

Video informationals University of PA, Program on Documentaries and the Law

In hearings Florida’s 9 th District example—Orange and Osceola 103 hearings needing interpreters 15 hearings per hour requiring interpreter (7 locations/67 court rooms spread out over 2200 sq miles) From presentation by Matt Penafiel, presented at the CTC in Denver Colorado interpreter/downloads/CentralizedInterpretingPresentation.pdf

Florida’s 9 th District

Interpreter’s view into court room

After hearings Culturally Competent Orders Forms that assemble with plain language instructions In self help centers systems/tools

Other innovations New Mexico Training Institute for Interpreters Medical Legal Collaborative led by the Courts, University of NM,Community College and hospital system TED distributed volunteer translation cooperative

Online Translation Coops Globalvoices—journalism coop TED-technology, entertainment, design, ideas worth spreading

Ted Translation Project

GlobalVoices

Larger Web Based Projects New York Online Forms LiveHelp

Next steps for legal aid community

Questions? Ideas? Review?