NAPABA Applauds Reestablishment of Office of Access to Justice at DOJ

For Immediate Release:
October 29, 2021

NAPABA Applauds Reestablishment of Office of Access to Justice at DOJ

WASHINGTON- The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) applauds the U.S. Department of Justice for announcing the reestablishment of the Office for Access to Justice as a standalone component within the Department, and the public release of two reports focused on access to justice. The Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable 2021 Report, Access to Justice in the Age of COVID-19 and the Attorney General’s September 15, 2021 Report to the President, as well as the Department’s announcement, can be found here.  

“Lawyers play a pivotal role in ensuring the public’s faith in the rule of law,” said A.B. Cruz III, president of NAPABA. “One of the core values of NAPABA has been to promote equal access to justice for AAPIs, particularly for those who face increased challenges due to limited English proficiency (LEP).

“Language barriers prevent meaningful access not only to the justice system, but also to educational and economic opportunity, and participation in civic life. We look forward to seeing the Justice Department’s revitalized effort to help close these gaps, especially for AAPI communities.”

The two reports were issued in response to President’s Biden’s May 18th Memorandum on Restoring the Department of Justice’s Access-to-Justice Function and Reinvigorating the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable.

The first report, Access to Justice in the Age of COVID-19 focuses on leveraging federal resources, interagency dialogue, and expanding strategic collaboration across the whole of government to advance access to justice. 

The second report, in response to President’s Biden memorandum, outlines the Department of Justice’s plan, including a reinvigorated Office of Access to Justice, and priority areas developed through a 120 day strategic review which include enhancing the navigability of the justice system through technology, disability, language, and cultural access; pursuing environmental justice, supporting public defenders and indigent defense, and fostering health justice, and expanding legal representation in immigration proceedings, to name a few.

The timing could not be more critical. As the Roundtable Report notes, even prior to the pandemic, “low-income individuals, people of color, people with limited English proficiency, and people with disabilities faced systemic barriers to accessing legal assistance and the courts. The challenges raised by the COVID-19 crisis have “exacerbated longstanding challenges with housing insecurity , access to employment, medical debt, and access to civil and criminal court systems, and government programs.”

AAPIs are no exception. Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the United States and this population includes a significant proportion who are LEP. NAPABA’s longstanding commitment to this issue is embodied in its groundbreaking reports on progress and challenges on language access in the American judicial system issued in 2007 and 2017. The Attorney General also recently announced the establishment of a full time Language Access Coordinator within the Department. The justice system can only provide equal justice under the law if all communities have equal access to it. 

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The National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), represents the interests of over 60,000 Asian Pacific American (APA) legal professionals and nearly 90 national, state, and local APA bar associations. NAPABA is a leader in addressing civil rights issues confronting APA communities. Through its national network, NAPABA provides a strong voice for increased diversity of the federal and state judiciaries, advocates for equal opportunity in the workplace, works to eliminate hate crimes and anti-immigrant sentiment, and promotes the professional development of people of all backgrounds in the legal profession.