Increasing Access to Justice for U Visa, T Visa, and VAWA Applicants
We made sure community partners were aware of the changes stemming from an ICLS lawsuit against Riverside County that made it easier for survivors or trafficking, domestic violence, and violent crime.
Previously, applicants for U-Visas, T-Visas, and VAWA were denied public benefits in Riverside County based on their residency status. After ICLS filed a lawsuit against Riverside County and reached a settlement on the wrongful denials, such survivors of violent crime, abuse, and human trafficking will have better tools to get back on their feet.
On the Coachella Valley Day of Giving, we hosted a virtual town hall featuring attorneys from ICLS’s Systemic Impact Team to discuss the recent settlement. Our panel of speakers taught community partners and elected officials about the unlawful practices that led to the initial filing, laid out the case journey, and broke down what the settlement means for U-Visa, T-Visa, and VAWA applicants.
Helping Launch California Pro Bono Portal, making it easier for attorneys to volunteer with legal aid organizations
Pro bono attorney volunteers now have an easier time finding volunteer opportunities in California, thanks to a new portal developed by A2J Tech in partnership with legal aid organizations, law firms, law schools, and community members across the state.
Inland Counties Legal Services has long recognized the need for such a platform and helped bring the portal to life, through the efforts of legal aid organizations, pro bono professionals, and community partners across the state over the past several years, and with critical support from organizations including OneJustice, the State Bar, and California Lawyers Foundation.
“This platform has been a true community effort, incorporating feedback from countless conversations with pro bono professionals and community members across the state,” ICLS Pro Bono Director Matt Kugizaki said. “It will be a game changer for increasing access to justice across, as we rely on pro bono partners to help meet the needs in our community.”
Bringing legal services directly to underserved residents with San Manuel Cares Grant
Inland Counties Legal Services received a grant from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (SMBMI) as part of their $12.6 million commitment to vital programs in the Inland Empire and Indian Country.
This funding will bolster our Community Lawyering Project, bringing legal services directly to underserved residents of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.
With this grant, we will expand our Lawyer in the Library (LITL) program, add new service sites, and provide direct legal aid to 150 additional community members. LITL is a national program that ICLS participates in through a partnership with the Riverside County Library System, providing free legal consultations to library patrons.
Breaking down barriers for non-English speakers with Spanish ICLS website launch
At ICLS, we know that the accessibility of legal aid is essential for people to maintain housing, health care, financial stability, and so much more. That’s why we are so proud to announce the launch of our new Spanish language website, designed to make legal information and resources more accessible to Spanish-speaking communities.
Our website previously used a Google Translate website plugin that had translation errors, making it more difficult for Spanish speakers to access clear, accurate legal information. With this new site, users will be able to find translated pages more easily via search engines like Google, access information edited and translated by our staff, and get the help they need with their civil legal issues.
Explore our Spanish website now.
Building better childhoods with ICLS’s Guardianship Program
To better support families in our communities, ICLS started our Guardianship Pro Bono Clinic in late 2022. Since then, our program has grown with foundation support, pro bono volunteers, and community outreach.
The Guardianship Project’s mission is to ensure that children and caregivers in the Inland Empire have access to superior legal guidance and representation when seeking guardianship through the court system. Guardianship helps to create stability for children who have been subjected to trauma, abandonment, neglect, domestic violence, and abuse, but the legal process of obtaining a guardianship can be complicated
Learn more about the impact our Guardianship Clinic has had since its inception in our Guardianship Impact Report!
Partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California to host a Civil Rights Roundtable
ICLS brought together community leaders to address pressing civil rights needs in the Inland Counties region.
The discussion focused on how the U.S. Attorney’s Office can support efforts to protect and defend those rights. We are proud to stand as partners in justice and remain committed to advocating for our community’s rights within the civil justice system.
