The APALRC seeks to fulfill its mission of advancing the legal and civil rights of Asian Americans in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan community through activities in two core program areas: Direct Legal Services and Advocacy. The APALRC's recent accomplishments in each of the program areas are highlighted in our latest newsletter.
Since 1998, the flagship project of the Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center has been its multilingual legal helpline. The helpline serves low-income and limited-English Asian Pacific Americans in the D.C. metropolitan area. Over 20 bilingual law students volunteer with the APALRC to assist helpline callers each semester. When an individual calls the helpline, an APALRC volunteer conducts an intake interview in the caller’s preferred language. Helpline assistance is free of charge to callers, but the level of service the APALRC provides depends on factors such as the caller’s legal issue and household income. We often refer callers to other legal service providers, and we work to ensure that a caller is able to access legal assistance once we have made a referral. In addition, the APALRC provides legal advice and representation to clients through several initiatives, which are described in detail below. We provide legal assistance to eligible individuals free of charge.
The APALRC has made enormous strides towards developing its helpline into a model service delivery system. Through a partnership with the
Asian American Justice Center (AAJC) and support from the Open Society Institute’s Program on Law & Society, the APALRC has documented the development and implementation of its helpline model into a handbook entitled,
Developing and Maintaining a Successful Legal Referral Helpline for Immigrant Communities: A How To Handbook. This publication provides guidance and support to immigrant groups across the country interested in starting similar project efforts. To receive a hardcopy of the handbook, please place your order using this
Order Form.
