People rely on the courts and government agencies to solve serious legal problems, find help, and achieve stability. But inequitable practices can make navigating these complex systems impossible – especially for those who cannot afford legal representation.
The consequences can be devastating and life changing. Denied access to rights and resources, families may be unjustly evicted, lose custody of their children, struggle to escape domestic violence, or become caught in a cycle of debt and poverty.
At MA Appleseed, we believe no one should need a law degree to avoid catastrophe. Through our Access to Justice initiative, we work to:
An examination of court-based self-help centers from across the country that offers best practices for these centers to address the civil justice gap.
An examination of virtual court hearings and their impact on self-represented litigants in small claims debt collection cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
An examination of the ways in which the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families is failing to provide federally mandated language access to limited English proficient families.
How the Massachusetts Trial Court Could Deploy a Virtual Court Service Center to Assist Self-Represented Litigants
An investigation of the ways in which cell phone bans in courthouses harm self-represented litigants’ ability to navigate the court system, advocate for themselves, and achieve equitable access to justice.
New Directions and Emerging Opportunities: Exploring Cutting-Edge Developments Moving Us Closer to Our Goal of Justice for All
MA Appleseed co-founded and leads the Mass Speaks Coalition alongside MIRA Coalition, Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, and the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts. Mass Speaks is fighting to eliminate language barriers at state agencies and ensure immigrant and limited English proficient residents have equal access to the services and information they need.
Stories are one of the most effective tools we have in our advocacy toolbox and help us center the voices of individuals closest to this issue. If you or someone you know has faced language barriers that kept services and information from a Massachusetts state agency out of reach, we encourage you to fill out the form below (available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and Simplified Chinese) or contact us!
MA Appleseed is a long-time member of the Massachusetts Language Access Coalition, a group of legal advocates working to promote the rights of all residents to access justice and public services in their preferred language.
“Unlocking Access, Ensuring Justice” shares the stories of Juan and Claudia – two Bay Staters who know firsthand how critical language access is to keeping families safe, stable, and whole.
“It’s inclusion. It’s a question of humanity. For you to be able to understand things and to be understood in your language.”
Claudia Balliana
An Act Relative to Language Access and Inclusion
An Act to Create Access to Justice
An Act Promoting Access to Counsel and Housing Stability in Massachusetts
Federal discrimination complaint against the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families in response to the agency’s failure to provide federally mandated language access to the LEP families they serve.
Filed July 14, 2021 with Lawyers for Civil Rights