FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     

The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii’s Center for Equal Justice (CEJ) celebrates its third anniversary this month.  Legal Aid concentrates its efforts on assisting low-income and disadvantaged individuals and families with their non-criminal legal matters.  Since opening in November 1999, the CEJ has proven itself to be a valuable part of Legal Aid’s service-delivery system by assisting over 3100 individuals with their civil legal needs.

An innovative “one-stop shop” for self-help legal services, the CEJ was created to improve access to information and legal resources for all members of the community.  “Not everyone has access to a computer or can afford an attorney,” says Katie Dzombar, legal advocate.  “The Center provides a variety of free services to help overcome these obstacles.  We look forward to expanding these services by using new video conference technology.”

Visitors to the Center can access the Internet through five computer workstations, draft correspondence or do research with the help of easy to follow brochures, browse through the Center’s law library, and take advantage of free notary services.  The Center also offers free, or low cost, advice from legal staff in the areas of consumer, family, housing, and public benefits law to eligible low-income individuals.

The Center for Equal Justice is located in Legal Aid’s Honolulu office at 924 Bethel Street, near Hawaii Business College.  Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 1:00-4:00 p.m.  For more information regarding the CEJ, please contact Legal Aid at 536-4302 or visit Legal Aid’s website at www.legalaidhawaii.org.

Contact:     Scott Morishige
Phone:       (808) 527-8069
E-mail:       scmoris@lashaw.org