Common Legal Issues When Representing Hispanic Clients

Given the continued Covid-related restrictions on in-person meetings, most attorneys are turning to videoconferencing to discuss important legal issues. I recently gave a remote video webinar presentation to the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association. As a Hispanic bilingual attorney, I was able to share my experiences in representing Hispanic clients in trucking and other civil cases.

Here are three common legal issues for attorneys to anticipate and navigate when representing Hispanic clients. Highly summarized, those three issues are as follows

1) The importance of using an experienced interpreter—legal matters often involve technical and complex topics that can be difficult to translate for any interpreter. An experienced interpreter will understand how to work as a team with a court reporter and re-word various terms of art to ensure accuracy during the legal process.

2) Immigration status and modern legal trends—a client’s immigration status is rarely relevant in civil cases, but there are complicated legal issues that can arise when the topic arises. In my recent presentation, I discussed how Courts have handled the issue of immigration status in various recent cases and shared a few tips on how to handle the issue when and if it arises. Immigration status should not limit the rights of an innocent person who suffers a serious injury at the hands of a semi-truck driver.

3) Culture and language play a dual role for Hispanic clients – I have several experiences where I helped Hispanic clients obtain justice in civil cases. Those experiences confirmed that there can be unique cultural considerations in cases that are just as important as resolving any language barrier. Like any type of client, there must be a strong bond of trust between a client and the attorney to obtain the best outcome in civil cases.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact me today. I represent Hispanics in catastrophic injury and trucking cases, and look forward to serving the Hispanic population and other lawyers in Kansas in the ongoing battle for justice.