State Court Administrative Office								(Rev. 05/25)
Model Local Administrative Order 42 – Language Access Plan				

[LOCAL COURT LETTERHEAD]

Administrative Order [year] - [number]
Insert when applicable Rescinds Administrative Order [year]-[number]

LANGUAGE ACCESS PLAN

In accordance with Supreme Court Administrative Order 2013-8, the court establishes this Language Access Plan (LAP) to provide for the language access needs of court users.

This LAP is the plan for the court to ensure meaningful access to court services for persons with limited English proficiency (LEP).  A limited English proficient person is a person who does not speak English as his or her primary language, and who has a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English, and by reason of his or her limitations, is not able to understand and meaningfully participate in the court process.

The purpose of the plan is to provide a framework for the provision of timely and effective language assistance to LEP persons who come in contact with the court.  The court has appointed a language access coordinator to be a contact person for the public, court staff, and the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO) concerning this plan and its implementation.  The language access coordinator may be contacted through the court administrator’s office.

IT IS ORDERED:

Section I.  Needs Assessment

A.	Census Data
The court will make every effort to provide service to all LEP persons in the court’s service area.  The following list shows the non-English languages most frequently spoken in the court’s physical jurisdiction according to the most recent U.S. Census data.
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B.	Court Experience
Based on court usage, the following list shows other non-English languages spoken in the court and not reflected in the US Census data.  [If the census data accurately reflects what the court experiences, leave this section blank].
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C.	Identification of LEP Persons
Court staff use the following methods to identify LEP persons:  [List the ways that court staff identify an LEP person and determine the language he or she speaks, such as using “I Speak” cards; posting signage in multiple languages; assistance from bi-lingual employees; information provided by other departments, law enforcement, or other government agencies, etc.  Note:  The court may use other methods not identified here.].

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Section II.  Language Assistance Resources
A.	Interpreters Used In the Courtroom
The court will offer assistance to LEP persons in the courtroom by providing foreign language interpreters as required by Michigan Court Rule 1.111.

B.	Language Services Outside the Courtroom 
The court will take reasonable steps to ensure that LEP persons have meaningful access to services outside the courtroom.  This is one of the most challenging situations facing court staff, because in most situations they will first encounter LEP persons without an interpreter present.  LEP persons may come in contact with court personnel via: [in the space below, list most common points of service outside the courtroom, such as the phone, counter, information desk]. 
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Court staff will consult with the court’s language access coordinator to determine what type of language service should be made available, based upon the nature and importance of the court service to be provided, and the resources available.  The following language services are available:  [in the space below, list language services available outside the courtroom such as “I Speak” cards, bi- or multi-lingual employees, telephonic interpreter services, in-person interpreters].
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C.	Service Referrals
The court will make reasonable efforts to ensure that any non-federally funded entity to which the court refers LEP persons for services has provisions for addressing their language access needs.  The court will consider alternative referral sources if language access services are not provided by such a non-federally funded entity. 

D.	Forms & Documents
The SCAO makes select translated forms available to the courts at http://courts.michigan.gov/Administration/SCAO/Forms/Pages/default.aspx. 

Competent and reliable information and forms are also available in Spanish at Ayuda Legal de Michigan, http://michiganlegalhelp.org/es, which is part of the Michigan Legal Help Program.

1)	Additional translated forms available to court users include:  [If the court provides any translated forms or documents, please list them and the corresponding foreign language(s) in the space below.  If there is a link available to an online version of the form, please provide that link; if the court does not provide any additional translated forms, leave the section blank].
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When in-person interpreters are hired for court proceedings, they are expected to provide sight interpretation of documents for LEP persons.  

2)	Courthouse translation for LEP persons [list resources available to help LEP persons translate written materials in the courthouse, including signage in frequently encountered languages, clerk of the court interactions, translated materials available on the court website, etc.]
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E.	Other Provisions
In an effort to provide LEP persons language access to court information, the court also provides the following: [If the court has made its website, phone system, or other information accessible in foreign languages, please explain here; if it has not, leave this section blank].
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Section III.  Training
The court is committed to training its judges and court staff and coordinating with county clerks on providing LEP persons with meaningful access to court services.  When the court provides training sessions it will include a component addressing LEP policy and procedure and the court’s LAP.  The court is aware that staff members having contact with the public are more likely to need in-depth training on LEP policy and procedure. 
The court will work with the SCAO and the Michigan Judicial Institute to ensure that all employees are trained on LEP policy and procedure.  Training will be offered to assist judges and staff to:  identify and respond to LEP persons, increase awareness of the types of language assistance services available, provide guidance on when and how to access those services, and effectively use language assistance services.
The court provides to judges and court staff and offers to county clerks the following training regarding language access:  [If the court provides any training on assisting LEP persons, please explain here.  If there have not been any trainings, leave blank].
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Section IV.  Public Notification and Evaluation of Language Access Plan
A.	Language Access Plan Approval and Notification
The court’s LAP has been approved by the SCAO.  The court will post its LAP on its public website (if available) or public notification area within the courthouse and will make copies of the LAP available upon request.

The court consulted with the following members of the community in creating its LAP:  [In preparing its plan, the court may want to seek input on providing language access from the LEP community it serves.  If the court chooses to do so, please indicate what outside sources it consulted; if not, leave blank].
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B.	Evaluation and Review of the LAP
At the direction of the SCAO, or on its own initiative, the court will assess whether the LAP needs to be updated.  The LAP will remain in effect unless modified or updated.  Review of the following areas may indicate a need to update the LAP: 

•	Number of LEP persons requesting court interpreters or language assistance services
•	Funding provided or available for language assistance services
•	Current language needs to determine if additional services or translated materials should be provided
•	Feedback from LEP communities within the county and/or the court’s jurisdiction
•	Court staff (turnover, new hires, etc.)
•	Feedback from trainings provided by the court or the SCAO/MJI
•	Viability of identified language assistance services and resources
•	Problem areas identified and corrective action strategies adopted
•	Updated LEP community data

C.	Language Access Coordinator
The language access coordinator for this court ensures this plan is followed, advises the court on potential updates to this plan, and coordinates the language access needs for the court as they arise.  The court has identified the name and contact information of the language access coordinator and advised the SCAO.  

D.	Grievance Process
The court is committed to providing LEP persons with meaningful access to court proceedings and services and to addressing grievances regarding access to language services promptly and thoroughly.  

Specific issues regarding interpreters or interpreter services should be brought immediately to the attention of the language access coordinator.  Specific issues with the court or a particular judge should be brought immediately to the court administrator.

Effective Date:  

Date:  ______________	Chief Judge Signature:   _______________________________________