Increasing Access to Legal Services for Asian Americans in Georgia: 2011 Environmental Scan Project

Transcription

1 Increasing Access to Legal Services for Asian Americans in Georgia: 2011 Environmental Scan Project Asian American Legal Advocacy Center (AALAC) of Georgia August 2011

2 Table of Contents I. Executive Summary II. The Growing Asian and Pacific Islander Community: A booming population that cannot be ignored a. Undeniable increase in numbers b. Problems with Aggregated Data and lack of attention to Asian American and Pacific Islander issues III. Crushing the Model Minority Myth: Struggles with poverty, education and language IV. Asian Americans Limited Access to Legal Services: An analysis of the challenges that legal service providers face to effectively serve our growing population a. Linguistic barriers b. Cultural barriers c. Lack of organizational outreach V. Methodology: Behind the scenes of the environmental scan a. Making of the questionnaire b. Selection of legal service providers c. Method of surveying our state VI. Survey Findings: Results and statistics obtained from Georgia legal service providers a. General survey response b. Only 3 groups (13% of respondents) had Asian-speaking staff to assist clients c. Very few language services, policies and training d. More than three-quarters surveyed serve few to no Asian American clients e. Areas of law in urgent need of service VII. Policy Suggestions: Steps to a hopeful change for the near and far future a. Four policy suggestions b. A model of an Asian American- and language-accessible legal service provider VIII. Concluding Words IX. About the Authors Table of Authorities Appendix I Legal Services Questionnaire Appendix 2 The survey pool of non-profit legal services providers in Georgia Appendix 3 - List of non-profit legal service providers that responded to our survey 2

3 I. Executive Summary Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial population in the United States according to the 2010 Census, and the highest growth in the last decade was in the South. Georgia experienced the fourth highest growth of any state in the US and currently has more than 330,000 Asian and Pacific Islander residents. Perhaps surprisingly, more than 40% of Asian Americans in Georgia are Limited English Proficient (LEP). The term Asian American also encompasses a wide variety of ethnicities, diverse cultures and norms. Nonetheless, Asian Americans are rarely the focus of concerted outreach efforts by legal service providers and are often overlooked when it comes to advocating for greater social, economic, and legal rights. Faced with the legal issues that every other American encounters, Asian Americans, especially those that face linguistic and cultural barriers, have a tougher time getting the help they need. Language barriers often impede them from understanding legal terms; cultural barriers stand in the way of actively engaging legal service providers; and many in the Asian American community are unaware of available resources. In response to this pressing issue, we conducted an environmental scan of non-profit legal providers in Georgia. Inquiring into their language capacity, client make-up, and types of legal services provided, we found that there are little to no language capabilities for Asian languages. We also found that most serve little to no Asian American clients. Legal services in criminal law, employment law, and contracts law are especially lacking. In addition, free immigration services remain a key area of need for Asian Americans in our state. In order to assist our community members in getting much-needed assistance, our policy aims are summarized as follows: i. Advocate for more culturally and linguistically appropriate legal services from Georgia pro bono legal service groups and nonprofits. We encourage legal service providers to hire more Asian-American staff and provide training to improve the quality of interpretation and translation skills of staff. ii. Advocate for greater outreach by legal service providers given the conflict between the traditional intake model and many Asian and Pacific Islander cultural norms. This can partly be achieved through increased collaborations and partnerships with Asian 3

4 American community-based organizations with reach into specific Asian-ethnic communities. iii. Increase awareness of legal services in the Asian American community and encourage more Asian Americans in need to seek help through the annual distribution of the legal services directory. iv. Educate foundations and individual donors on the unmet legal needs of the growing Asian population in the Southeast, and push for greater resources and a prioritization of funding to support legal services to mostly limited English proficient Asian Americans. All individuals, regardless of ethnicity or proficiency in English, should be able to access important legal services. After understanding the access issues and legal needs of our community members, we have developed the following report in order to engage, educate, and empower individuals to advocate for greater legal assistance to Asian Americans in Georgia. II. The Growing Asian and Pacific Islander Community: A booming population that cannot be ignored a. Undeniable increase in numbers As the fastest growing racial group in the United States, the Asian alone population grew by 46.5% between 2000 and 2010 according to the Census. This rapid growth was faster than that of any other major race group. By 2050, the population is projected to reach 40.6 million and to make up 9 percent of the total United States population. The Southern region had the largest change in the Asian alone population from 2000 to Georgia experienced an 81% growth in the Asian alone population during the same time period, making it the 4 th fastest growing state in Asian population in the United States. (U.S. Census Bureau). The Asian American population is one that cannot be ignored. b. Problems with Aggregated Data and lack of attention to Asian American and Pacific Islander issues Despite the fact that the Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) community is increasing in numbers, there is a severe lack of attention to and knowledge of API issues, especially in the South. The two greatest challenges to dispelling the model minority myth and properly addressing Asian American and 4

5 Pacific Islander community needs are the problem with aggregated statistical data, and the lack of public awareness on the unique issues facing Asian ethnic groups. When statistics related to poverty, educational attainment or employment for all Asian Americans are lumped together as one, this aggregated data masks the serious and ongoing challenges of many individual Asian-ethnic groups. The appearance that Asians as a monolithic group are doing fine leads to a de-prioritization by foundations and service providers alike, which results in less funding, fewer resources, and a lowered commitment to serving our growing community. There is also a lack of general knowledge and public awareness of Asian Americans, especially in the South where our community is relatively new. In the context of legal services, a lack of attention to Asian Americans may be due to the fact that many people in mainstream society, including those who work in legal services, are completely unaware of the struggles and experiences that these immigrant communities have faced. (Joann Lee article). III. Crushing the Model Minority Myth: Struggles with poverty, education and language On the contrary to what many people think, the Asian Pacific Islander community is not a population of phenomenal success but rather a diverse community of unique groups that face greater challenges than the general population. For example, several Asian sub-groups in the United States have higher rates of poverty and lower rates of educational attainment than the national average. For example, 37.8% of Hmong Americans and 29.3% of Cambodian Americans live below the poverty line. (AALDEF report). This phenomenon may be due to various reasons, including growth and over-crowding driven by immigration, difficulty of cultural adjustment, deteriorating housing conditions, and fierce economic competition. (Lee). There is also a sharp discrepancy in educational attainment between and among different Asian ethnic groups that aggregated data fails to reveal. For example, although 42.4% of all Asian Americans attain a college degree, only 16% of Vietnamese Americans and 5% of Cambodian Americans and Laotian Americans attain a college degree. Many Asian American students also struggle because they come from households with little or no formal education. For example, sixty percent of Southeast Asian parents have less than three years of formal education. (AALDEF). Educational success is also linked to language proficiency: linguistically challenged youth have lower graduation rates and are twice as likely as native English-speaking students to drop out of school. Approximately a quarter of all Asian youth in 5

6 Georgia are limited English proficient, and a larger percentage of Asian youth live in linguistically isolated homes. (Ann Morse report). There is also a strong correlation between limited English proficiency status and higher poverty rates. (Hammond article). Approximately 42% of Asian Americans in Georgia are limited English proficient. Asian-American seniors generally have even higher rates of limited English proficiency (some communities as high as 80%+ limited English proficient), making our aging population especially vulnerable. Their lack of proficiency in the English language not only prevents them from obtaining jobs and accessing important services, but also affects their daily living. (NAPABA report). Although limited English proficiency is not a definite, direct cause of poverty, the two are undoubtedly related. IV. Asian Americans Limited Access to Legal Services: An analysis of the challenges that legal service providers face to effectively serve our growing population a. Linguistic barriers One of the biggest challenges of serving the Asian Pacific Islander community is the large number of Asian languages. While other limited English proficient (LEP) populations, such as the Hispanic community, speak one to three languages, there are about 28 distinct Asian languages, not including dialects, spoken in the Asian American community. The wide range and diversity of languages make it much more difficult to provide translation and interpreting services for Asian and Pacific Islanders. Not only is there a lack of Asian language translators, there is also a lack of Asian language legal translators who are familiar with legal terminology in both languages. Additionally, the legal concepts that need translation are foreign not only in language, but also in concept. (Hammond). Currently, there are not enough resources and staff to provide such extensive interpreting services. b. Cultural barriers Cultural barriers also pose challenges in successfully accessing legal services. For example, the traditional intake model employed by most legal service providers which relies on the client to initiate contact -- does not fit with many Asian Pacific Islander (API) groups because of cultural norms that place greater importance on group uniformity to individualism, and that may discourage proactively seeking help from outsiders. API communities are typically insulated from services outside of their communities. (Hammond). Additionally, due to divides between western culture and non-western culture, Asian and Pacific Islanders are hesitant in taking the initiative to seek help. One example is that non-western cultures place greater importance on families and groups over individuals; 6

7 such a cultural belief may significantly impede an immigrant or refugee from seeking services for herself that would jeopardize relationships with other family members (e.g., seeking assistance with domestic violence). (Hammond). Refugees who were treated unfairly in their home countries due to the harsher political systems may also develop a distrust of government services that would prevent them from seeking the help they need. Because many are new to the culture and society of the United States, most Asian immigrants and refugees are also unfamiliar with legal aid programs. All of these complex issues require a greater awareness, sensitivity, and a willingness to change existing intake models and partner with trusted community groups to successfully serve many Asian Americans in need. c. Lack of organizational outreach The lack of language capacity, resources and understanding of different cultural norms are all factors that contribute to a legal provider s struggle to effectively serve our diverse Asian American population. Because of this gap in outreach and service, many Asian Americans do not know who they can call to seek legal help. In response to these factors, we have conducted a survey of non-profit legal service providers in Georgia and compiled a legal directory for Asian Americans and others in Georgia. V. Methodology: Behind the scenes of the environmental scan In order to gather information from non-profit legal service providers in Georgia, a questionnaire was created and a survey conducted to examine both the quality and quantity of direct legal services provided to Asian Americans, especially to those that are limited English proficient. a. Making of the questionnaire The Legal Services Questionnaire (Appendix 1) comprises of 4 sections. The first section includes general questions, such as those inquiring the number of years in operation and primary funding source. The second section addresses the legal service provider s language capabilities, with detailed inquiries about their staff size, interpreting capacity, as well as their policy on delivering services to LEP clients. These questions were based on the quick indicators of basic language access deficiencies mentioned in Uyehara s article. (Uyehara, Making Legal Services Accessible). The third section asks about the client make-up of the legal service provider, including how many clients currently served and percentage of clients who are Asian. Finally, the fourth section is an inquiry regarding the legal services provided and fees charged, as well as any other legal service providers to which they refer their clients. The entire 7

8 questionnaire takes around 3-5 minutes to complete over the phone and was also offered online through for those who could not be reached by telephone. b. Selection of legal service providers Through internet research as well as recommendations from other legal service providers, over 160 mostly non-profits in Georgia were gathered from various online directories. From the comprehensive list, a total of 55 direct legal service providers, including multiple offices of particular nonprofit providers, were chosen to be part of the survey pool (Appendix 2). The final selection was based largely on our knowledge of whether these groups had any staff and / or offered any free direct legal service. c. Method of surveying our state Each non-profit legal service provider was first contacted by a phone call asking them to complete the questionnaire. If we were unable to reach them, we left a voic message and followed up with an e- mail attaching the online questionnaire. If there is still no response after these actions, we call the legal service provider again to ensure that they were reached. VI. Survey Findings: Results and statistics obtained from Georgia legal service providers a. General survey response Out of the 55 legal service providers selected for the survey, a total of 22 responded, yielding a high response rate of 40% (Appendix 3). 18 non-profit legal service providers completed the questionnaire by phone, while 4 filled out the survey online. We collected results from late June through early August 2011; please note changes in staff or service capacity may have changed since our survey. A majority of the providers that were surveyed provide free legal advice as well as legal representation in court. The overall findings were that there was an extremely small number of Asian-speaking staff and limited other language assistance at these groups; that little to zero Asian clients are being served; almost none of the groups kept metrics of their Asian clients; and there are huge gaps in terms of service for particular areas of law. b. Only 3 groups (13% of respondents) had Asian-speaking staff to assist clients Of all the survey respondents, only three organizations had Asian-speaking staff. Out of the total number of Asian-speaking staff, the only Asian-speaking attorneys identified in this survey worked for 8

9 Atlanta Legal Aid Society (one Chinese-speaking and one Korean-speaking attorney). The other Asianspeaking staffers were not attorneys and worked in other departments of two agencies but were available to assist with translation if needed by their legal departments. World Relief, a refugee resettlement group, has 1 Vietnamese and 2 Burmese case workers. Catholic Charities Atlanta, a social services group, has 1 Chinese, 2 Vietnamese and 2 Burmese staff persons. Korean 0% Languages Spoken by Staff Chinese 0% English 69% Burmese 1% Other (almost exclusively Spanish) 29% Vietnamese 1% Total No. of Staff: 507 No. of Staff with Spanish-Language ability: 147 (28.9%) No. of Staff with Asian-Language ability: 8 (1.5%) In stark contrast to the number of Asian-language speaking staff, almost a third or 147 of all staff people speak Spanish. Although the Latino population is about 2.6 times larger than the Asian population, legal service groups provide almost 20 times more staffed language assistance to Latino clients. Whether the lack of Asian-speaking staff is indicative of fewer Asian clients seeking assistance, or a lack of organizational commitment to that population (which leads to fewer Asian clients), or both, it is clear that there is not enough linguistically capable staff to serve Asian Americans in need. c. Very few language services, policies and training In the absence of staff with Asian-language proficiency, the majority of respondents said they refer limited English proficient clients out to other sources. A few of those surveyed also encouraged a client s relatives or friends to translate. 9

10 Atlanta Legal Aid and Georgia Legal Services Program had the best language resources and both reported using a language interpreting service to assist clients in multiple languages. However and depending on how intake is handled at each office, it is unclear if language assistance is available as soon as a limited English proficient client makes a call. No group reported having trained telephone interpreters except for World Relief Atlanta. In terms of formal policies and training, only eight of the survey respondents reported having a formal policy on how to deliver services to limited English proficient clients, and the clear focus is on the Spanish-speaking population. Moreover, only World Relief, Latin American Association, and Georgia Legal Service said they provided training to staff on interpreting techniques. d. More than three-quarters surveyed serve few to no Asian American clients Seventeen out of the 22 total respondents (77%) served no Asian clients or had so few that they collected no data. Only 5 offices representing 4 organizations reported having served Asian American clients. Offices that serve Asian American clients 5 Offices Had Asian Client Data 15 offices 2 Offices Asian Clients Served but No Data None Served / N/a Of the four organizations that provided information on Asian clients served, a total of 1,469 Asian Americans, or 0.44% of the total Asian population in Georgia, received legal or other services this past year. Of that number, more than half was served by Catholic Charities Atlanta, a social service agency 10

11 that provides a variety of direct services to individuals and families facing adversity. Catholic Charities assisted about 847 Asians or 4% of its clients; however, only a small number of those clients (77 Asian clients) received legal services Number (and %) of Asian Clients Served Asian Clients Non-Asian Clients 0 ALAS 1% Asian Catholic Charities 4% Asian Truancy Prevention Less than 1% Asian World Relief 70% Asian Moreover, only one group reported Asians making up a significant number of its clients. World Relief Atlanta, a refugee resettlement agency, serves 350 Asian-refugee clients which make up 70% of its current clients; however, the respondent said out of that total only a few of those clients actually received legal assistance (no number was provided). World Relief has no lawyers on staff, and their legal assistance is basically limited to green card and citizenship adjustment for refugees provided by two BIA accredited staff. World Relief principally serves Burmese and Vietnamese refugees. e. Areas of law in urgent need of service Atlanta Legal Aid Society (ALAS) provides the broadest number of basic legal services including family law, consumer law, landlord/ tenant and public benefits. Another principal area of free legal support provided by other nonprofits is basic immigration law assistance. Unfortunately and often due to a lack of resources, nonprofits that do provide immigration law services do a very narrow range of work and select a relatively small number of individual cases. Moreover, only two immigration service providers Catholic Charities and World Relief provide Asian language assistance. Immigration is one of the areas 11

12 of law in greatest need for the growing Asian American population, and more services and well as greater linguistic accessibility to those services are urgently needed. The three areas of law that were least covered by non-profit legal service providers were criminal law, employment law, and contracts law. While a majority of the surveyed organizations provide legal help in family law, only one covers criminal law, four cover contracts law, and none cover employment. Employment law is an area that is of significance to the Asian American community because they have above average rates of having 3 or more workers in the family. (Community of Contrasts 2006). Also, mandatory E-Verify policies in Georgia will generate a greater need for employment and contract law assistance from Asian American small business owners and workers. VII. Policy Suggestions: Steps to a hopeful change for the near and far future a. Four policy suggestions Based on our survey results and the perceived gaps between non-profit legal services and community needs, we offer the four following policy suggestions to improve access and the quality of legal services for Asian Americans in Georgia. i. More culturally and linguistically appropriate legal services from Georgia pro bono legal services and nonprofits are needed. We encourage legal service providers to hire more Asian-American staff and provide training to improve the quality of interpretation and translation skills of staff. Although the Latino population is about 2.6 times larger than the Asian population, legal service groups provide almost 20 times more staffed language assistance to Latino clients. Legal service providers should staff and equip their organizations to serve a greater number of Asian American clients. Moreover, because there is such a high number of Asian languages spoken but limited resources, we recommend that at least the top 3 Asian languages used in Georgia (Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese) be prioritized, in addition to Asian-ethnic refugee languages like Burmese for those providers that target refugee groups. Moreover, only one group surveyed reported having professional interpreters and translators on staff, and a small number reported providing training. Because of the complexity of legal terminology, we believe service providers should invest more in interpretation training and to hire professional translators, whether as staff or on a contract basis. 12

13 ii. Advocate for greater outreach by legal service providers given the conflict between the traditional intake model and some Asian and Pacific Islander cultural norms. The traditional intake model of legal service providers poses barriers for many Asian and Pacific Islander immigrants because of cultural norms that place greater importance on group uniformity to individualism, and that may discourage proactively seeking help from outsiders. Many new immigrants also lack knowledge about free legal services and have a general mistrust of government base on their experiences in their home countries. Because of these various complex cultural factors, first developing relationships and trust with community groups is essential to effective outreach. Increased organizational partnerships between Asian American community-based organizations and non-profit legal service providers will help build capacity and partnerships and increase the number of Asian Americans seeking assistance. iii. Increase awareness of legal services in the Asian American community and encourage more Asian Americans in need to seek help through the annual distribution of the legal services directory. We know Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Asian-ethnic refugees face a host of legal problems but often lack the knowledge or funds to get help. We want to raise awareness within our communities about the importance of knowing your legal rights and seeking help when needed, and empower individuals to actively seek help. AALAC will raise awareness principally through the annual distribution of a legal services directory. We also hope to track any changes or progress being made by providers to better serve Asian Americans, revise our report and directory accordingly, and conduct direct outreach efforts to specific Asian community groups throughout the year to raise awareness. iv. Educate foundations and individual donors on the unmet legal needs of the growing Asian population in the Southeast, and actively advocate for greater resources and a prioritization of funding to support legal services to mostly limited English proficient Asian Americans. Even with the identification of needs and a willingness of local legal providers to outreach and serve a greater number of Asian clients, it is extremely difficult to achieve any change without the necessary resources to hire staff and contractors, provide training, and conduct outreach. Foundations and individual 13

14 donors alike have been slow to recognize that not only is the South the flashpoint for Asian growth, but also that Georgia serves as the central hub of Asian concentration and growth in our region. This growing population has a host of legal needs, and AALAC hopes that this study will educate and inspire more donors to prioritize funds to support appropriate legal services to our growing community. 2. A model of an API- and LEP-accessible legal service provider A model legal service provider that is accessible to Asian Pacific Islanders and limited English proficient individuals is able to provide assistance in all Asian languages, or has access to interpreting services that include those languages. Its staff comprises of bilingual staff case handlers, staff interpreters/translators, professional in-person interpreters, professional telephone interpreters, professional translators, and volunteer interpreters/translators. It does not encourage relatives or friends to translate for the client unless absolutely necessary, and its intake database has a mandatory data field for the client s primary language. All staff are also properly trained in interpreting technique, all letters and written communication are translated, and there is articulated policy on delivering services to LEP clients. (Making Legal Services Accessible, Uyehara). Additionally, the legal service provider actively forms partnerships with API community based organizations to understand the issues and needs of the community, and endeavors to enlist personnel who are familiar with all areas of the law. (O Connor, Rodriguez and Wenzler article). VIII. Concluding Words All individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, or proficiency in English, should be able to access important legal services. Yet, after conducting a survey of all non-profit legal service providers in Georgia, we discovered that currently, Asian Americans are still struggling to access important legal services. In order to help our Asian American community and to expand the coverage and language capabilities of these legal services, change must be brought about. While transforming the non-profit legal provider community to better serve the Asian American and limited English proficient community in Georgia will take time, we are hopeful that, with small and immediate steps including improving interpreting techniques, training staff in translating skills, and forming partnerships between legal service providers and Asian American community based organizations, Asian Americans will finally be able to get the legal help that they desperately need. 14

15 IX. About the Authors Squeenie Tsang, a 2011 summer intern at AALAC, is currently a second-year undergraduate student at Emory University, and is studying majors in Political Science and East Asian Studies. Helen Ho is the Lead Attorney and Executive Director of AALAC. 15

16 Table of Authorities 1. AALDEF, National Asian American Education Advocates Network, Recommendations for the Obama-Biden Transition Team: Asian Americans and Educational Equity. 2. Muneer I. Ahmed, Interpreting Communities: Lawyering Across Language Difference. 3. Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans in the United States Asian American Justice Center, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, Asian Law Caucus, and Asian American Institute, A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States Census Bureau, 2010 Census survey. 6. Gabrielle Hammond, Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California, Expanding Legal Services: Serving Limited English Proficient Asians and Pacific Islanders, November Joann H. Lee, A Case Study: Lawyering to Meet the Needs of Monolingual Asian and Pacific Islander Communities in Los Angeles. 8. Ann Morse, National Conf. of State Legislatures Children s Policy Initiative, A Look at Immigrant Youth report, March National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Increasing Access to Justice for Limited English Proficient Asian Pacific Americans, May Lee A. O Connor, Steve Rodriguez, Marcy Wenzler, and Indiana Legal Services, Report and Recommendations for Implementing a Policy for Serving Limited English Proficient Clients, May Paul M. Uyehara, Language Access Project Community Legal Services, Inc., Making Legal Services Accessible to Limited English Proficient Clients. 12. Paul M. Uyehara, Opening Our Doors to Language-Minority Clients. 16

17 Appendix 1 Legal Service Questionnaire A) General 1. Name of Legal Service Provider: 2. Contact Information: a) Phone Number: b) Address: c) Website: d) Address: 3. Type of Entity (circle one): Non-Profit Governmental Other (please explain) 4. Number of Years in Operation: 5. Name of Lead Staff Person: 6. Primary Funding Source (e.g., private or government funds): 7. What is your annual staff turnover rate? 8. What is your annual operating budget? B) Language

18 1. In what languages do you provide assistance? 2. What is your staff size? 3. Of that number, how many lawyers do you have on staff? 4. How many of your staff are bilingual or multilingual? 5. Which languages do they speak? (please check) Spanish Portuguese Chinese (Mandarin or Cantonese) Korean Vietnamese Burmese Laotian Thai Indonesian Japanese Hindi Other: 6. Has your staff been trained on interpreting techniques? Yes No 7. How many of your staff are (please provide numerical count in blanks) bilingual staff case handlers staff interpreters/translators professional in-person interpreters professional telephone interpreters professional translators volunteer interpreters/translators If no professional interpreters, do you have any formal arrangements in place to obtain them? Yes No 2

19 8. Are relatives or friends encouraged to interpret for clients? Yes No 9. Does your intake database include a mandatory data field for the client s primary language? Yes No 10. For clients who don t read English, are letters sent to them translated into their primary language? Yes No 11. Do you have an articulated policy on delivering services to LEP (Limited English Proficient) clients? Yes No 12. If a potential client speaks a language outside of your language capabilities, what action is taken? C) Client Make-up 1. How many clients do you currently serve? 2. What percentage of your clients are Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian-ethnic refugees (collectively Asian Americans )? 3. How many Asian Americans have been served in all of client history? 4. Are you partners with any API community-based organization? Yes (please list) No D) Services and Fees 1. What types of legal services are provided? 2. Do you provide free legal advice? Yes No 3. Do you provide legal representation in court? Yes No 3

20 4. What legal subject areas do you cover? (please circle) Family Law Immigration Law Criminal Law Bankruptcy Consumer Law/Credit Issues Contracts Law Housing/Landlord-Tenant Issues Other: 5. Have you ever discontinued any programs? Yes (please list) No 6. Do you charge fees for any of the legal services provided? Yes (please list) No 7. What other non-profit legal service providers do you use or recommend? 4

21 Appendix 2 The survey pool of non-profit legal services providers in Georgia American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia (ACLU); Appalachian Family Law Information Center; Athens Justice Project; Atlanta Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service; Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. (ALAS); ALAS Cobb Office; ALAS Decatur Office; ALAS Gwinnett Office; ALAS Seniors Hotline; ALAS South Side Office (South Fulton & Clayton); Bridging the Gap Project; Catholic Charities Athens Community Outreach Center; Catholic Charities Atlanta; Cobb Cherokee Immigrant Alliance; Dekalb County Family Law Information Center; Disability Law and Policy Center of Georgia, Inc.; Elizabeth H. Matherne, Esq.; Family Violence Clinic of University of Georgia School of Law; Farmworker Division of Georgia Legal Services Program; Fulton County Family Law Information Center; Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc.; Georgia Asylum and Immigrant Network; Georgia Innocence Project; Georgia Law Center for the Homeless; Georgia Lawyers for the Arts; Georgia Legal Services Program Atlanta Central Office; GLSP Albany Regional Office; GLSP Augusta Regional Office; GLSP Brunswick Regional Office; GLSP Columbus Regional Office; GLSP Dalton Regional Office; GLSP Gainesville Regional Office; GLSP Macon Regional Office; GLSP Piedmont Regional Office; GLSP Savannah Regional Office; GLSP Valdosta Regional Office; GLSP Waycross Regional Office; Georgia Public Defender Standards Council; Georgia State University College of Law Tax Clinic; Gwinnett Family Law Clinic; HIV/AIDS Legal Project, Savannah Regional Office of Georgia Legal Services Program; Indus Bar of Georgia; International Rescue Committee; Justice Center of Atlanta; LAMBDA Legal Defense & Education Fund; Latin American Association; Long-term Care Ombudsman; Metro Fair Housing Services; Office of the Georgia Capital Defenders; Office of the Public Defender Conasauga Judicial Circuit; Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta; Southern Center for Civil and Human Rights; TeamChild Atlanta; Truancy Intervention Project and Kids In Need of Dreams; World Relief Atlanta List of non-profit legal service providers that responded to our survey Appendix 3 Appalachian Family Law Information Center; Atlanta Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service; Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. (ALAS); ALAS Cobb Office; ALAS Decatur Office; ALAS Gwinnett Office; Catholic Charities Atlanta; Cobb Cherokee Immigrant Alliance; Dekalb County Family Law Information Center; Family Violence Clinic, University of Georgia School of Law; Farmworker Division of Georgia Legal Services Program; Georgia Advocacy Office, Inc.; Georgia Legal Services Program Atlanta Central Office; GLSP Augusta Regional Office; GLSP Brunswick Regional Office; GLSP Columbus Regional Office; GLSP Gainesville Regional Office; Georgia State University College of Law Tax Clinic; LAMBDA Legal Defense & Education Fund; Latin American Association; Truancy Intervention Project and Kids In Need of Dreams; World Relief Atlanta