Civil Law Center proposes expanded outreach and elder-justice services; staff to share needs-assessment

Carol, CLC managing attorney, told the Public Defender Service Corporation board on Feb. 25 that the Civil Law Center continues to meet performance targets and is preparing a needs assessment to guide possible service expansion.

Carol said 97 assessments have been completed and that about 115 indigent clients completed priority-level evaluations in the center's intake sample. She said she has spoken with Micronesian Legal Services and Guam Legal to map the types of services those organizations provide; Micronesian Legal Services offered a list of civil services that largely overlaps with CLC's priorities (guardianships, divorce, custody, public-benefits appeals, landlord-tenant representation for tenants, probate and other civil needs). Carol said Micronesian Legal Services indicated it could not serve all affected populations on Guam without an additional office and expressed support for CLC expanding certain uncontested civil services to indigent clients, within available resources.

Carol also described ongoing outreach: staff have visited senior centers (two per week by one staffer), performed mall outreach and a University of Guam outreach, and conducted home and hospital visits when social workers refer homebound seniors. Carol said staff will work with IT to create a "pro se litigant" resource form that would direct people to appropriate agencies (for example, referrals to Guam Legal for disability matters) and that she will circulate a compiled list of services provided by partner agencies to the bar.

Board members asked Carol to provide the compiled list of services to the board and to the bar so attorneys can refer clients to appropriate providers. No formal board action was taken at the Feb. 25 meeting.