A fresh wave of training has started in Arizona, aiming to create a new generation of legal advocates primed to work at community-based organizations throughout the state. These advocates will offer gratis, finite-scope legal assistance to clients grappling with domestic violence and housing matters.
Originated from a partnership between the Arizona Supreme Court and Innovation for Justice (i4J) – a program stationed jointly at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona and the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, the training is preparing a company of 37 advocates. These legal aides will manage caseloads primarily for community-based organizations (CBOs) in Arizona.
The advocates, as an extension of the social services provided via their respective CBOs, will be licensed to deliver finite-scope, gratis legal advice to their clientele once they’ve finished their training and passed a certification exam.
Notably, this training is an extension of a pilot program that was formerly recognized as the Licensed Legal Advocate Program. The program was developed by i4J and approved by the Supreme Court back in 2019. It aimed to train and certify lay legal advocates to counsel victims of domestic abuse.
This year, the court renamed and extended the program, now authoritative as the Domestic Violence Legal Advocate Pilot Program, and magnified its scope. With the introduction of this version of the program, more organizations statewide have the possibility to participate, catapulting its footprint further across Arizona.
The court followed this by formulating an additional program, the Housing Stability Legal Advocate Pilot Program. This initiative allows advocates to deliver general legal data and advice on housing issues.
In both scenarios, the court’s directives modify Arizona’s prohibitions on unauthorized law practices. It effectively empowers those who gain certification via these initiatives to provide finite-scope legal advice as a staple of their everyday services.
Prerequisites for earning the certification include completing the course of study outlined by i4J and successfully passing an examination. Among the current group of 37 advocates, 28 will be specializing in housing matters, five will focus on domestic violence issues, and one will be dually trained.
i4J reported that these programs were conceptualized and established upon realizing that survivors of domestic violence and people impacted by housing instability would prefer to get legal assistance from trusted CBOs. Additionally, CBOs have expressed a desire for their staff to be equipped with the training required to deliver this assistance.
“As part of the global movement for legal empowerment, these trainings invite us all to critically reflect and dream of a legal future premised on a shared right to legal knowledge and power,” stated Antonio Coronado, project lead for i4J’s community legal education initiatives.