Safety Planning in the Workplace: Protect Yourself and Your Job (PDF) (NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund) - A guide for women who are victims of domestic violence. 4 pages, last updated 2001.

Your Rights to Interpretation And Translation From Maryland State Agencies (Maryland Legal Assistance Network) - Information about and explanation of the Maryland law that requires many of the Maryland state government agencies and programs to help you if you have trouble with English. (May 2007).

Your Right To An Interpreter in Court - You have the right to have an interpreter when you have a case in the Maryland courts. This brochure describes your rights. The Maryland Legal Assistance Network and the Maryland State Bar Associations' Committee on the Delivery of Legal Services created the brochure. You can print it out and take it to court as one way of asking for an interpreter. You can give the brochure to the clerk. There is an English section that tells the clerk which language you speak and notifies the court staff person that you wish to have an interpreter. (2 pages - 2007)

District Court Information - Go here for an introduction to and an explanation of MarylandÕs District Court system.

District Court Forms and Brochures (District Court of Maryland) - The District Court of Maryland provides brochures in Korean to explain the process for different matters that take place in the District Court. These matters include:

• Bad Checks (PDF)- How to file for bad check violation/restitution. 3 pages, last updated May 2006.
• Criminal Complaints (PDF) - How to file a criminal complaint. 2 pages, last updated August 2002.
• Criminal Defendants (PDF) - The rights and process afforded to a person charged with a crime. 1 page, last updated December 2003.
• How to Collect Property (PDF) - The means to retake possession of property you believe you are entitled to through the processes called ÒDetinueÓ and ÒReplevin.Ó 4 pages, last updated August 2004.
• How To Remove a Criminal Record (PDF) through a process called expungement. 2 pages, last updated April 2002.
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes (PDF) - Rights of landlord and tenants in various disputes and the legal process for resolving them. 8 pages, last updated May 2006
• Small Claims Action (PDF) - Explanation of what is a small claim, and how to file one. 24 pages, last updated October 2003.
• How To Collect a Judgment (PDF) - Explanation of means available to collect a judgment when you have won a claim in District court. 10 pages, last updated November 2002.
• Transcripts and Recordings (PDF) - Explains how you can obtain transcripts and/or recordings of court proceedings. 2 pages, last updated October 2003.

Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants (PDF) (USCIS)ÑA guide created by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (English) that discusses a wide variety of issues pertaining to being an immigrant in the US, such as rights and responsibilities as an immigrant, maintaining current status, federal benefits, and much more. 75 pages, last updated January 2005.

Finding Legal Help

The Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN) supports the work of the organizations providing free legal help to people in Maryland with low and moderate incomes. Many organizations provide help in other languages.  This section is a gateway to the written information currently available in Maryland. 

You may also contact these legal organizations that can provide help using over-the-telephone interpreters in over 145 languages. If you are comfortable reading some English or  have a friend who can help, you can find more information on these legal organization and others by searching this directory.

Other sources of legal help:

• Free Legal Advice for Howard County Residents - Foreign-Born Information and Referral Network (FIRN) (410-992-1923) is a Columbia, Maryland based non-profit organization that provides free legal advice on immigration, housing, domestic violence, health, and employment issues.  Korean translation is available with advance notice.  Please have an English speaker call to set up an appointment for you.  You must be a Howard County resident to be eligible for this service; exceptions are made in emergency situations.  FIRN is open Monday, Thursday, and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 
  

• Legal Referral Hotline staffed by Law Students speaking Korean - The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (202-393-3572) is a non-profit, legal referral hotline staffed by bilingual law students in the Washington, DC area. They can help locate agencies or attorneys who can give you legal help, mainly in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.  APALRC has interpreters available for your meeting with your attorney.  The hotline runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.  You may be eligible for free or reduced fee legal help based on your income.

Finding Free Translation

Unfortunately, we have not been able to translate all of the material on this website into your language.  There is a great deal of material here that might be of interest.  One way to get an idea of what any website or document says is to use one of the free machine translation websites listed below.  While a machine can only give a very general idea, it can help you to decide which sections might be worth finding a human translator to help you read.  In order to use the sites, you will need to be able to read enough English to follow the instructions.

• Babel Fish offers an easy and quick translation from English to Korean.  The initial translation page is in English (so you may need help from a friend).  Either enter in text or a URL (website address) to be translated.  Go to the box after “Translate from” and click the down arrow to choose “English to Korean”.  Click the “Translate” box and your text or URL will be automatically translated into Korean, at no cost. 

Finding Information on the Web

• Cash assistance for person in need or help with state government social programs – The Maryland Department of Human Resources (DHR) is the state agency that administers the social service programs in Maryland, including family investment and child care.  Even though the website is written in English, if you click on “Korean” in the middle of the left-hand side of the page (along with other languages), all the site’s text is automatically translated into Korean.  Get help from a friend to read the topic headings in the top left-hand corner, which are in English.  For example, once you click on “Services” (in English) in the topic headings, you will be able to search through the services DHR offers in Korean.  You can also search, in Korean, for a job at DHR once you click on the “Job Listings” topic heading in English.
  

• Social security, retirement and survivors benefits, disability benefits, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits  - The Social Security Administration (SSA) is the federal government agency that administers social security, a way for Americans to automatically save money for the future.   The SSA offers many of its documents online in Korean.  Here you can find general information on topics such as the various social security programs, applying for retirement, disability and Supplemental Security Income benefits, a glossary of social security terms, and the appeals process. Also, you can call 1-800-772-1213 to request a free interpreter to assist in social security issues.  However, an English Speaker must go through the phone tree to request the interpreter for you.
  

• Employment Discrimination - The Department of Justice – Office of Special Counsel for Immigration Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC) is a federal agency division that investigates employers charged with discrimination based on national origin and citizenship status.   The OSC offers a worker brochure in Korean on employment discrimination, which includes hotline numbers and the list of acceptable documents for work eligibility verification.  You can also call the toll free information number and worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688.  Once you get through, dial “0” and say "Korean only," then wait on the line for an interpreter.

Korean Legal Dictionaries/Glossaries Available Online

Legal terms can be confusing. These links provide access to legal dictionaries and glossary in Korean that come from reputable sources, such as state courts, state legal services associations, and federal agencies. Because the glossaries are organized alphabetically by the English word, if you are looking for the English equivalent of a particular Korean word it may be helpful to go over the glossary with someone who understands English, such as a friend or an attorney. While they may require some searching, these glossaries are all helpful resources in trying to understand legal issues and terminology in your native language.

• English-Korean Glossary of Selected Legal Terms (PDF) (WashingtonÕs Office of Administrator of Courts) - A glossary of commonly used legal terms that was created by the State of WashingtonÕs Office of the Administrator of Courts. 44 pages long, last updated in 1994.

Last review June 25, 2007 (MLAN/GG)