Countywide : Asian Immigrants to Be Offered Free Legal Aid

Asian attorneys in the county are sponsoring a Law Day on Saturday for Asian immigrants and refugees who may need free legal assistance. It will be held at St. Anselm’s Episcopal Church in Garden Grove.

“I just see so many cases where new Asian immigrants are victimized because they are not involved in the legal system,” said Central Municipal Judge B. Tam Nomoto, who originated the idea. “Because I’m an Asian, I want to do what I can to help them.”

Aided by the staff at St. Anselm’s Immigration and Refugee Community Center, at 13091 Galway St. in Garden Grove, Nomoto and the other lawyers will provide interpreters for a variety of Asian languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian and Tagalog (a Filipino language).

In most cases, however, the visitors can be counseled without need for an interpreter because they will be assigned to attorneys who speak their language.

Mary Ann Blank, executive director at the center, said the sessions will be one-on-one.

“I’m sure that in many cases the immigrant will decide that he or she needs further legal assistance,” Blank said. “But at least this will be a starting point.”

The free legal assistance will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.