Immigrants deserve equal access to the courts

Laura K. Abel and Tina R. Matsuoka write about how, this coming weekend, the American Bar Association will decide whether to issue standards for language access in the courts. Their view: “If it adopts the standards, it will show the nation that the legal profession is serious about ensuring that the courts are accessible to everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, language ability and income. If it rejects the standards, the consequences will be felt by vulnerable immigrant communities across the nation.”

One of Abel’s publications is Langauge Access in State Courts (2009).

KJ