State Bar encourages Michigan attorneys to volunteer on MLK Day
All Michigan attorneys are encouraged to participate in a day of service on the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. The State Bar of Michigan has created an online resource guide to help lawyers find community service and pro bono volunteer opportunities within their local communities on Jan. 19.
The new Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service resource guide will help lawyers search for pro bono service opportunities by county. Attorneys can also find younger attorneys to mentor on SBM’s mentor board or look for community service volunteer opportunities in their local communities. Attorneys who can’t dedicate time to voluntary activities on MLK Day are encouraged to donate money to the Access to Justice Fund.
The State Bar asks attorneys who participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service to submit their activities to the A Lawyer Helps program, to inspire other lawyers to participate in the program next year.
New materials offer info on best practices for language access in Michigan courts
An audio recording and materials from a program outlining best practices for language access in Michigan's courts are now available to the public on the State Bar of Michigan website.
The Michigan Supreme Court adopted language access rules in September of 2013 to assure access to justice for people with limited English proficiency. All of the state’s trial courts have adopted plans to improve access to the courts for those with limited English proficiency, and they are working with legal practitioners and their local communities to implement the new rules.
The panel discussion, moderated by SBM Equal Access Initiative co-chair Maya Watson, reviewed MCR 1.111, MCR 8.127 and the American Bar Association Standards for Language Access in Courts. The panel included Hon. Christopher Yates, Hon. William Kelly, Donna Bos and Angela Tripp. They showed attendees how to use the request and order form for interpreters on the Michigan Legal Help website and introduced the Spanish version of the website. The panel discussed judicial discretion in determining the need for interpreters, criteria and tests for certification of foreign language interpreters and practical tips for how to work with interpreters.
LAD to conduct free outreach clinic Jan. 5
Legal Aid and Defender Association Inc. (LAD) will conduct a free outreach clinic on civil legal services for income-eligible residents of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties, including the city of Detroit, on Monday, Jan. 5, from 9 a.m. to noon at Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency, 196 Cesar E. Chavez Ave. in Pontiac. Attendees are asked to bring copies of their documents and register before 10 a.m. as a LAD attorney will assist only those persons who have done so by that time. For additional information, contact Stacey Felder, paralegal at LAD’s Oakland County office in Pontiac, at 248-253-1548, ext. 4005.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
