Pinoy Helping Pinoy: Don’t Wait Too Long for Tulong

By: Janice Dantes

 

As one of the few Pinay attorneys who represents many Filipino clients, it saddens me when I am in court waiting for my case to be called when I see a fellow kababayan attempting to represent himself/herself in court because they cannot afford legal representation. The odds of a fair and equitable outcome is unlikely in situations like these, especially when there is a clear language and cultural barrier.

I am so proud to announce that the Filipino legal community in the Chicagoland area has come together to open a pro bono legal clinic focused on serving the needs of our community. My hope is that I will no longer see Filipinos attempting to navigate our justice system without any legal advice.

With the support of the Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment (AFIRE), Chicago Volunteer Legal Services (CVLS), and the Filipino American Lawyers Association (FALA), the Filipino community now has the opportunity to speak with a pro bono attorney about their legal matters. The clinic will focus on family law, basic estates/probate, and legal issues affecting the elderly. Further, we hope to serve the many Filipino veterans who have served in the armed forces of the United States. However, please come to the clinic even if your legal matter does not fall into these categories because we do have the ability to refer you to private attorneys specializing in your matter. Please spread the word!

Below are important dates to know about our legal clinic:

Saturday, April 28, 2018: Grand Opening at Seafood City, 2 pm – 6 pm. Meet the volunteer attorneys and learn about our pro bono clinic while enjoying some free food from Grill City at Seafood City. We would be happy to gather your information and schedule an appointment for our legal clinic launch on Saturday, May 5, 2018. My fi rm will be giving out free grocery bags.

Tuesday, May 1, 2018: Volunteer Training, 5 pm – 7:30 pm @ CVLS, 33 N. Dearborn Suite 400, Chicago, IL 60602. We are looking for attorneys and non-attorneys interested in helping with our clinic. Law students interested in gaining legal experience are welcome to assist in our intake process. Further, if you speak Tagalog or any other dialect, we would love to have you assist our attorneys as interpreters. The training will be held downtown at the CVLS headquarters and Filipino food will be provided.

Saturday, May 5, 2018: Legal Clinic Opening, 2 pm – 4 pm @ AFIRE, HANA Center, 4300 N. California Ave, Chicago, IL 60618. Please encourage your family and friends who are unable to afford legal representation for their legal matter to visit our clinic. Appointments encouraged, but walk-ins welcome. For more information, please contact me at (312) 546-5077 or janice@pinaylaw.com.

Thank you for reading. Until we meet again, love one another.