Grant to fund immigration-law education program

The Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association was recently awarded a grant by the American Bar Association Immigration Pro Bono Development and Bar Activation Project to produce an immigration-law continuing legal education program for lawyers in southwest Missouri.

The $1,500 grant was given to help lawyers in southwest Missouri become acquainted with immigration issues when they arise in whatever area of practice the lawyer handles.

This was one of only 18 such grants awarded throughout the United States. The purpose of the grants is to increase private bar involvement in providing legal assistance to newcomers to the United States.

Recent statistics show that the 16 fastest growing school districts in the state of Missouri, by percentage of change, are within southwest Missouri.

Likewise, four of the 11 fastest growing counties in the state of Missouri are here, as well.

In southwest Missouri, the Hispanic population increased 37.7 percent between 1990 and 1996. The Asian American population increased 43.3 percent during that same time frame.

Greene and Jasper counties have the largest concentrations of Hispanic population. Those two counties, along with Newton County, account for three-quarters of the Asian American population in the region.

An immigration lawyer from Legal Aid of Western Missouri will present the seminar Oct. 5.

After the seminar, lawyers will be able to identify when immigration issues have an impact on various other areas of law, such as criminal matters, domestic relations, housing, business and employment, etc.

Though these lawyers will not become experts in immigration law overnight or with one program, they will be able to give brief service on many questions. They also will be able to identify issues and streamline the process for the majority of those newcomers (or their employers) who need assistance.

To attract participants, the bar will offer free admittance to any lawyer agreeing to take two pro bono cases through the Volunteer Lawyers Program.

We are very excited at the prospect of being able to offer these legal services to the newcomers who are residing in and coming into southwest Missouri.

There are many people who cannot easily access good, competent legal services with respect to immigration issues without going outside this geographic area.

We see this as a low-cost, yet high-impact program that has the potential to benefit numerous newcomers to southwest Missouri now and in the future.

(Lois Zerrer is executive director of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association.)