Our Legal Services Program — La Familia Simón Foundation

Mission

La Familia Simón Foundation exists to help immigrant families understand the resources available to them, organize the information their case requires, and reach licensed legal professionals when representation is appropriate. Our role is to reduce confusion and remove barriers — not to substitute for a licensed attorney.

Scope of services

The Latinos Without Borders Legal Aid Initiative operates through trained volunteers, community navigators, and chaplains who provide the following non-legal, community-based services:

Community navigation. Helping individuals understand which public agencies, forms, and processes may apply to their situation.
Educational assistance. Plain-language explanations of publicly available immigration information and general processes.
Document organization. Assisting individuals in gathering, labeling, and organizing their own personal records for an appointment or referral.
Application readiness. Reviewing that self-prepared materials are complete before submission or before a scheduled attorney consultation — reviewed for completeness only, not for legal sufficiency.
Translation support. Language access in English, Spanish, French, and Haitian Creole so families can understand and be understood.
Attorney referrals. Connecting individuals to licensed immigration attorneys through our legal network, matched by jurisdiction and case type.
Legal network coordination. Administrative coordination between the individual, the Foundation, and the assigned licensed attorney — without inserting the Foundation into the attorney-client relationship.

Volunteer roles

Volunteers, community navigators, and chaplains serving in this program complete organizational onboarding covering confidentiality, ethical boundaries, cultural sensitivity, and the limits of their role. Volunteers are trained to recognize when a matter requires licensed legal judgment and to refer it accordingly — they do not evaluate the merits of a legal claim or advise on legal strategy.

Case management philosophy

Every individual is treated as the owner of their own case. The Foundation's role is to support informed decision-making: we help people understand their options and organize their materials, and we step back once a matter requires licensed legal judgment. This philosophy protects both the individual and the integrity of the legal process.

What we do

Explain publicly available immigration information
Help organize personal documents
Provide translation and interpretation
Refer to licensed attorneys through our legal network
Coordinate scheduling and follow-up administratively

What we do not do

Provide legal advice or legal opinions
Determine the merits of an immigration case
Represent anyone before a court or agency
Guarantee outcomes of any application or petition
Charge legal fees or act as a law firm

Frequently Asked Questions

Is La Familia Simón Foundation a law firm?

No. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It does not practice law and does not employ attorneys as staff. Legal representation, when needed, is provided by independent licensed attorneys within our referral network.

Will a volunteer tell me if I qualify for an immigration benefit?

Volunteers can share general, publicly available information, but only a licensed attorney can evaluate your individual case and advise you on legal eligibility or strategy.

Is there a cost for these services?

Community-based services described on this page are offered without legal fees. Any licensed attorney you are referred to operates independently and communicates their own fee structure directly with you, if any.

What happens to my documents?

Your documents remain your property at all times. We assist in organizing them; we do not retain legal custody of your records. See our Client Rights page for our privacy and confidentiality commitments.