Legal Services & Issues

Results: 22

• Adult Probation (5)
  FF-0500.6550-050

  Adult Probation

  FF-0500.6550-050
  
  Programs that provide formal supervision and support for adults who have been convicted of an offense and released into the community under the supervision of a probation officer, usually in lieu of incarceration. The individual must agree to standards of conduct specified by the court for a set amount of time, usually for one year. Violations of the agreement subject the individual to revocation of his or her liberty.
• Case/Care Management (1)
  PH-1000

  Case/Care Management

  PH-1000
  
  Programs that develop plans for the evaluation, treatment and/or care of individuals who, because of age, illness, disability or other difficulties, need assistance in planning and arranging for services; which assess the individual's needs; coordinate the delivery of needed services; ensure that services are obtained in accordance with the case plan; and follow up and monitor progress to ensure that services are having a beneficial impact on the individual. Case management is a collaborative process characterized by communication, advocacy and resource management to promote high quality, cost-effective interventions and outcomes.
• Child Abuse Prevention (2)
  FN-1500.1900-150

  Child Abuse Prevention

  FN-1500.1900-150
  
  Programs, often offered in the schools or in other community settings, that attempt to protect children from physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse or exploitation through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with children and/or the community at large. The sessions may offer suggestions for children and/or parents regarding ways of avoiding or handling an abusive or potentially abusive situation and/or information about the indicators and incidence of abuse, requirements for reporting abuse and community resources that are available to children who have been abused and to their families.
• Child Support Assistance/Enforcement (1)
  FT-3000.1600

  Child Support Assistance/Enforcement

  FT-3000.1600
  
  Programs that provide assistance which helps to ensure that parents fulfill their mutual obligation to financially support and provide health care for their children. Included are services for people who want to locate an absent parent; establish paternity; establish a child support order; request that the non-custodial parent provide health insurance for a child in conjunction with a child support order; change the amount of a child support award; dispute a child support award; or enforce payment of child support monies in cases where the supporting parent is delinquent in paying or refuses to pay or make health insurance arrangements altogether. Child support is money paid by one parent to another for the maintenance, including the education, of their children following the dissolution of their marriage or other relationship. Non-custodial parents enrolled in an insurance plan at work may be required to include the child under this coverage while those not covered by any insurance plan may be required to obtain medical coverage, if available at a reasonable cost. Child support assistance/enforcement may be provided by private attorneys, legal clinics, family law facilitators' offices or child support enforcement programs which are available in all states, often as a component of the district attorney's office.
• Coroner Services (1)
  PB-1600

  Coroner Services

  PB-1600
  
  Programs that conduct investigations, inquests, postmortem examinations and laboratory tests to determine the cause, manner and circumstances of death in all cases of natural death when the individual was unattended by a physician, and in all cases of unnatural death (homicides, suicides, accidents or deaths of a suspicious nature). The coronor's office is also responsible for correctly identifying the deceased and for making proper disposition of the remains. Also included are programs that pay for autopsies when required.
• Crime Victim Support (1)
  FN-1900

  Crime Victim Support

  FN-1900
  
  Programs whose objective is to help victims of crimes and their families recover from the trauma of their experience, get medical assistance when required, make their way through the legal system, have an opportunity to provide input to parole or clemency hearings, take appropriate steps, where relevant, to avoid becoming re-victimized, access the benefits to which they are entitled and rebuild their lives.
• District Attorney (1)
  FJ-6700.1800

  District Attorney

  FJ-6700.1800
  
  The chief prosecuting officer for the county who is responsible for initiating charges and prosecuting people, including juveniles, who have been accused of felony and misdemeanor offenses; enforcing laws which require responsible people to support their dependents; and investigating allegations of major fraud, organized criminal activity and corruption as well as unlawful conduct by public officials.
• Diversion Programs (4)
  FF-0500.1800

  Diversion Programs

  FF-0500.1800
  
  Community-based programs that provide and/or coordinate the delivery of individual, group and family counseling, training, employment assistance and other prescribed social services for individuals who have been arrested for a minor offense and directed to participate in an educational or treatment program in lieu of prosecution for the offense. In most cases, the courts suspend prosecution for a prescribed period and dismiss charges altogether against those who successfully complete the program. Included are jail diversion programs which ensure that mentally ill offenders receive treatment and support services rather than spend time in jail.
• Ex-Offender Reentry Programs (4)
  FF-1900

  Ex-Offender Reentry Programs

  FF-1900
  
  Programs that help people who have been released from a correctional facility (also known as returning citizens) make a successful transition to community life. Services generally include an assessment of the individual's needs, discussion of options and short-term case management involving coordination of needed services which may include housing location assistance, job training, job placement and retention services, legal assistance, literacy skills development, GED courses, parenting classes, life skills training, access to food and shelter resources, and other sources of support.
• Family Violence Prevention (1)
  FN-1500.1900

  Family Violence Prevention

  FN-1500.1900
  
  Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of child abuse, elder abuse and spouse abuse in family settings through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with families and/or the community at large.
• Housing Discrimination Assistance (1)
  FT-1800.3000

  Housing Discrimination Assistance

  FT-1800.3000
  
  Programs that provide assistance for people who believe that they have been denied an opportunity to purchase, lease or rent the home or apartment of their choice due to their age, gender, family composition (including families with children under the age of 18 and pregnant women), race or color, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation or marital status, actions that are prohibited by the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the federal Fair Housing Act Amendments Act of 1988 in the U.S. Federal fair housing law also extends limited protection to recovering alcoholics who actively and regularly participate in a medically based treatment or AA program, and people with a drug use disorder including those who have prior convictions for illegal drug use (but not for drug dealing or manufacture). Assistance may also be available to other individuals who are protected from housing discrimination by state or local laws with a broader set of protected categories, or which cover properties that are exempt from federal fair housing laws but are protected under state law.
• Immigration/Naturalization Legal Services (1)
  FT-3600

  Immigration/Naturalization Legal Services

  FT-3600
  
  Programs that provide legal assistance for immigrants, nonimmigrant visa applicants, asylum seekers and lawful permanent residents who are seeking naturalization. Services are generally provided by nonprofit immigration law offices and may involve information and consultation about benefits under immigration law including procedures for obtaining student, visitor and employment-based visas; family immigration; asylee status; lawful permanent residence status; or citizenship.
• Individual Advocacy (1)
  FP-0500.3300

  Individual Advocacy

  FP-0500.3300
  
  Programs that intercede on behalf of individuals to help them establish eligibility for or obtain needed services when they have been denied benefits or services for which they are eligible, when they need assistance to communicate their needs to a service provider or to otherwise effectively represent themselves, or when they have a complaint about a service. Individual advocacy attempts to reach equitable settlements without resorting to litigation and seeks to meet individual needs without attempting to change social institutions.
• Juvenile Courts (1)
  FC-8200.3500

  Juvenile Courts

  FC-8200.3500
  
  State courts that have jurisdiction over minors who have been charged with an offense that would be considered criminal if committed by an adult, who have committed status offenses or traffic violations, or who have been neglected or physically or sexually abused.
• Juvenile Detention Facilities (1)
  FF-1500.3500

  Juvenile Detention Facilities

  FF-1500.3500
  
  Facilities that provide for the detention of minors who have been arrested for violating a federal or state law or a municipal or local ordinance pending a court hearing or release; and/or which provide for the confinement, treatment, employment, training and discipline of juveniles convicted of a criminal offense and sentenced by Youth or Juvenile Court to serve a period of time in a juvenile detention facility which may include juvenile hall, juvenile probation camp or a state reformatory site.
• Juvenile Probation (4)
  FF-0500.6550-350

  Juvenile Probation

  FF-0500.6550-350
  
  Programs that provide formal supervision and support for young men and women who have been convicted of an offense and released into the community under the supervision of a probation officer, usually in lieu of incarceration. The individual must agree to standards of conduct specified by the court for a set amount of time, usually for one year. Violations of the agreement subject the individual to revocation of his or her liberty.
• Law Enforcement Agencies (3)
  FL

  Law Enforcement Agencies

  FL
  
  City, county, state or federal government agencies or university departments that are responsible for preserving peace, protecting life and property, preventing and detecting crime and apprehending and arresting suspects. Also included are special purpose public police forces that have full peace officer powers but only within limited jurisdictions, e.g., public parks, public transit facilities, public housing projects, local school district campuses.
• Law Libraries (2)
  TJ-4400.8100-450

  Law Libraries

  TJ-4400.8100-450
  
  Special libraries that are used primarily by judges, attorneys and their law clerks; government officials; legislators, law students and teaching staff; historians and other scholars; and sometimes members of the general public to research the law. They may be operated by government, public or private educational institutions, nonprofit societies or private law firms. Law libraries may also have law librarians who help researchers navigate the library's collections.
• Lawyer Referral Services (1)
  FT-4800

  Lawyer Referral Services

  FT-4800
  
  Programs that maintain lists of private attorneys and link people who need legal assistance with lawyers who specialize in the required area of law.
• Legal Counseling (2)
  FP-4000

  Legal Counseling

  FP-4000
  
  Programs that are staffed by lawyers who offer information and guidance regarding legal matters, proposed lines of conduct, claims or contentions including opinions on the party's rights, responsibilities and liabilities; and who offer suggestions for an appropriate course of action, but do not represent clients in court.
• Legal Issues Education/Information (2)
  FR-4700

  Legal Issues Education/Information

  FR-4700
  
  Legal aid programs, bar associations and other organizations that provide basic information about family law, landlord/tenant law, immigration law, consumer law, elder law, patient rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, the criminal justice system, the civil court system and other legal topics via workshops, classes, speaking engagements, printed materials, websites and other similar educational avenues.
• Public Defender (1)
  FJ-6700.6500

  Public Defender

  FJ-6700.6500
  
  An elected or appointed public official (usually of a county), who is an attorney regularly assigned by the courts to defend people accused of crimes who cannot afford a private attorney. Counties may also have alternate public defenders, attorneys who represent persons charged with a crime who cannot afford to hire a private attorney in situations where the public defender has a conflict of interest. In each Federal Judicial District there is also a federal public defender, an attorney who is appointed by the court to represent individuals charged with federal offenses who cannot afford to retain their own attorney. Some states have a state public defender to supervise the provision of attorneys to convicted indigent individuals for appeals.