Seen But Often Unheard: Limited-English-Proficiency Advocacy in Georgia
Dec 2012 Clearinghouse Review: Journal of Poverty Law and Policy (46 Clearinghouse Rev. 343 (2012))
Georgia Legal Services Program’s efforts to obtain, for the state’s large limited-English-proficient population, access to justice through direct and educational advocacy have been difficult because of Georgia’s anti-immigrant legislation, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Alexander v. Sandoval, and local aversion to following federal law. However, Georgia has two statutes creating rights to free interpreters, and the limited-English-proficient population has found allies at the Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. Department of Justice. The program’s efforts are instructive for advocates grappling with Title VI enforcement in other states.
Clearinghouse Review is the nation’s premier journal for legal aid lawyers, equal justice advocates, and others working with low-income people to share ideas and inspire legal and policy innovation. The Review supports the legal aid and public interest law community by connecting advocates to one another through discussion, commentary, and authorship on substantive law.
