Santa Ana residents who live in the West End of the city and have questions regarding housing, family law or immigration issues can pop into one of two free upcoming legal clinics.
Councilmember Thai Viet Phan is hosting a clinic for Vietnamese-speaking residents in her Ward 1 district on Saturday, April 15, at the Newhope Library, 122 Newhope St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attorneys and representatives from various organizations will be on hand to answer questions one-on-one.
Another clinic, for Spanish and English-speaking residents, will be offered on Saturday, April 22, also at the library, from 1-5 p.m.
“As an attorney, I know how scary and complicated the law can be,” Phan said on social media. “These clinics will give residents a chance to ask an attorney a question, and if they qualify for free services, the organization may take on their case.”
While the event is advertised for Ward 1 residents, no Santa Ana residents will be turned away, she said.
The topics to be covered include evictions, rent control and housing benefits, immigration U-visas and asylum issues as well as family law matters like guardianship, child support and restraining orders.
Residents with questions on these topics will undergo a brief intake with a volunteer and then be assigned to speak with an attorney for a confidential appointment at the library. No appointments are needed, and the help will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
“I have always wanted to bring these clinics to Santa Ana as I did a lot of free legal clinics as a law student and as a young attorney,” Phan said.
Phan, the first Vietnamese American and the first Asian woman to serve on the Santa Ana City Council, works as the city attorney for Duarte and assistant city attorney for Menifee.
She is the vice president of the Vietnamese American Bar Association of Southern California, one of the organizations sending volunteers to the clinics. The other groups are VietRISE, Asian…
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