Our courts face a crisis of access: a report by the Pennsylvania Civil Legal Justice Coalition concluded that the staggering number of unrepresented low-income litigants in civil legal matters adversely impacts the quality of justice, negatively impacts the courts’ administration of justice and undermines the rule of law. Solutions involve not only expanding the availability of legal representation, but also simplifying legal procedures and terminology, and offering information and help to people who must represent themselves. In collaboration with officials of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, clinic students are focusing on proceedings in which high numbers of litigants are unrepresented. The goal is to identify the informational and procedural obstacles that these litigants face, and to propose solutions, such as newly drafted educational and informational materials, simplified forms, and proposals for changes in court rules or procedures.
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Help to unrepresented litigants in Philadelphia
Our courts face a crisis of access: a report by the Pennsylvania Civil Legal Justice Coalition concluded that the staggering number of unrepresented low-income litigants in civil legal matters adversely impacts the quality of justice, negatively impacts the courts’ administration of justice and undermines the rule of law. Solutions involve not only expanding the availability of legal representation, but also simplifying legal procedures and terminology, and offering information and help to people who must represent themselves. In collaboration with officials of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, clinic students are focusing on proceedings in which high numbers of litigants are unrepresented. The goal is to identify the informational and procedural obstacles that these litigants face, and to propose solutions, such as newly drafted educational and informational materials, simplified forms, and proposals for changes in court rules or procedures.
Live stop (auto impoundment)
During a traffic stop, the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) impounds and tows a vehicle if the driver lacks a current license or registration, which may only be recovered after paying substantial towing and storage fees. Live Stop disproportionately targets immigrant communities because many remain ineligible for Pennsylvania licenses because of immigration status. It also disproportionately impacts low-income individuals who cannot afford to pay the fees to recover their vehicle.
In conjunction with the New Sanctuary Movement, our project focuses on providing critical research, investigation, and analysis about the Live Stop policy, including an examination of the impact of the law and a comparative analysis of other jurisdictions. Our report on Live Stop is available in English and Spanish.
Notario fraud
Each year, immigrants seek out help to navigate our nation’s notoriously complex immigration system. Some fall prey to fraudulent immigration services and suffer serious consequences, such as missed opportunities for legalization, deportation, or civil/criminal penalties for false claims. In 2014, Philadelphia enacted an ordinance to subject such providers to civil and criminal penalties. Even with this recognition of the problem, many challenges persist. With Friends of Farmworkers, we are conducting community education forums in order to empower communities and helping to advocate for the implementation of the law with city officials.
Our products include skits (in English and Spanish) for use in community education meetings.
Driver’s licenses
Current laws barring undocumented Pennsylvanians from obtaining driver’s licenses create economic hardship and public safety hazards. With the Lucha Pro Licencias coalition, students drafted Driver’s Licenses for All: The Key to Safety and Security.
Graduation tests
With the Chinese Youth Organizing Project at Asian Americans United, students drafted What’s Up With the Keystone Exams, analyzing the difficulties that immigrant youth face in obtaining a high school diploma as a result of the state’s new graduation tests.
Day labor organizing
With the Philadelphia Workers’ Association, Juntos, and PhilaPOSH, students conducted “know your rights” trainings for day laborers who were being harassed by police and exploited by employers. Students also created self-help legal materials for organizers running a wage theft clinic.