Hispanic Law Center

Indiana Legal Services - 030094

Abstract Number: 030094

May 2003

Indiana Legal Services (ILS) created the Hispanic Law Center (HLC) to provide high-quality legal services to Indiana's rapidly growing Latino population. ILS established the HLC in 1999 to serve two primary functions: First, it was created to ensure that Spanish-speakers can access ILS' services irrespective of their English abilities. To meet this goal, HLC staff members provide support and resources to ILS employees and the entire state justice community. Second, HLC offers legal expertise in areas of law particularly relevant to recent immigrants such as immigration law, language access issues, and consumer issues in addition to more customary practice areas such as public benefits law, housing law, and employment law.

ILS dedicated two bilingual attorneys to HLC in addition to a number of ILS staff attorneys who work informally with HLC. ILS also has set up a state-wide toll free telephone hotline with bi-lingual employees to conduct initial interviews of Spanish-speaking clients. The hotline ensures that Spanish speaking clients within ILS' service area can receive services regardless of whether or not ILS' field office nearest to the client has bilingual personnel.

HLC has undertaken comprehensive efforts to make sure that Spanish-speakers and the justice community are aware of HLC's services. Some of these efforts include:

• Outreach: HLC has conducted outreach and informal presentations in over 14 cities throughout Indiana at churches and community organizations which serve Latinos. The United Way of Madison County awarded HLC a grant to conduct weekly outreach at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Anderson, Indiana.
• Media-related Outreach: HLC has appeared numerous times on Spanish radio and television programs to take telephone calls and to discuss HLC and issues of interest to the Hispanic community. HLC staff members also have been interviewed by Spanish and English newspapers regarding issues of interest to the Hispanic community.
• Trainings and Seminars: We have conducted numerous substantive trainings for the private bar as well non-profit agencies and community organizations. Among the private bar, these trainings helped establish a network of pro bono attorneys.
• Work with Other Agencies: HLC is working with the Mexican Consulate in Indianapolis and the Indianapolis law firm of Lewis & Kappes to produce a series of "Know Your Rights" brochures which focus on legal issues faced by Latinos on a wide variety of legal issues. HLC also worked with the Indiana Supreme Court to translate its pro se pleadings and instructions into Spanish. These pleadings are available on the Indiana Supreme Court's web site. In addition, HLC was a founding member of the Immigrant Services Coalition of Indiana, a coalition of service providers which serve Hispanics and other immigrants. HLC also works closely with the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic (NCLS) in Indianapolis. HLC provides back-up to NCLS on technical issues and wrote and narrated a Spanish video on immigration law which was produced by NCLS.

Through these efforts, the number of Latinos obtaining assistance from ILS has increased dramatically. In the future, HLC intends to work towards the adoption of a uniform system for the certification and provision of interpreters in Indiana's courts.

Contact Information:

Lee A. O'Connor
Indiana Legal Services
105 E. Jefferson Blvd., Suite 600
South Bend, IN 46601
Phone: (574) 234-8121
Fax: (574) 239-2185
Email

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