Free CLE on October 29! Plus, Take Action to Protect Voting RightsStrengthen language access, defend access to justice, and help keep voters safe this November.
Vermont Asylum Assistance Project is a legal services and technical assistance organization that exists to mentor no-cost and low-cost immigration lawyers and legal workers; educate and serve VT immigrants and community members; maximize impact across sectors; and advocate to protect immigrants’ rights. Join us: www.vaapvt.org.
Want to read this newsletter in Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Dari, or Portuguese? Visit www.vaapvt.org/newsletters and select your language in the top right corner.
¿Desea leer este boletín en español, francés, criollo haitiano, dari o portugués? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters y seleccione su idioma en la esquina superior derecha.
Quer ler este boletim em espanhol, francês, crioulo haitiano, dari ou português? Visite www.vaapvt.org/newsletters e selecione seu idioma no canto superior direito.
Voulez-vous lire ce bulletin en espagnol, français, créole haïtien, dari ou portugais? Visitez www.vaapvt.org/newsletters et choisissez votre langue en haut à droite.
Vle li bilten sa a an panyòl, fransè, kreyòl ayisyen, dari oswa pòtigè? Ale sou www.vaapvt.org/newsletters epi chwazi lang ou anlè adwat.
آیا میخواهید این خبرنامه را به اسپانیایی، فرانسوی، کریول هایتی، دری یا پرتغالی بخوانید؟ بهwww.vaapvt.org/newsletters بروید و زبان خود را در گوشهٔ بالا سمت راست انتخاب کنید.
FREE CLE 10/29 &
ELECTION SAFETY 11/3
FREE CLE 10/29: Working Effectively with Interpreters
2:30–4:00 PM | Vermont State House, Montpelier
As part of the 2026 Celebrate Pro Bono Conference hosted by the Vermont Bar Association and Vermont Bar Foundation, VAAP Pro Bono Director Maggie Frye and Staff Attorney Bria Yazic will moderate a panel of practitioners and interpreters to explore the importance of interpretation in ensuring access to justice for everyone.
The panelists will include:
Sara Stowell, VAAP volunteer and Vermont Migrant Education Program staff member
Katy Gimma, VAAP volunteer interpreter
Dr. Kate Paarlberg-Kvam, VAAP board member and volunteer interpreter
Becky Fu von Trapp, Esq., Vermont-based immigration attorney
Together, they'll discuss the role that quality interpretation plays for attorneys fulfilling their ethical obligations, and attorneys' responsibilities to recognize and address interpretation challenges.
Importantly, this conversation is relevant to attorneys across practice areas, not just immigration law! Whether working in immigration courts, state courts, or before state agencies, attorneys have a responsibility to ensure that language barriers do not prevent clients from meaningfully participating in legal proceedings.
The conference is free, with a suggested $75 donation to the Vermont Bar Foundation. The full-day program runs from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM, with breakfast and lunch included, and offers 5.5 MCLE credits, including ethics and DEI credits. A reception follows at 5:00 PM.
It is also an opportunity to learn about VAAP's growing range of pro bono opportunities, including detention visits, legal research, individual case placements, and interpretation.
We hope to see you in the State House!
ELECTION SAFETY 11/03: Call to Action!
Training on October 23 4:00-6:00 PM | Volunteer on November 3
The League of Women Voters of Vermont is recruiting volunteers to help protect voters from intimidation and interference on Election Day. Poll observers will be stationed outside polling locations to document and report any incidents. The effort is nonpartisan, nonviolent, and non-confrontational, and no prior experience is required.
An online training on October 23 from 4:00–6:00 PM will prepare volunteers for their roles, including how to respond to potential interference by immigration enforcement. Sign up to get trained here!
On the Ballot: Strengthening Workers’ Rights and Equal Protection
This November, Vermonters will vote on two proposed constitutional amendments with important implications for immigrant rights, workers' protections, and equal treatment under the law.
Proposal 3: Right to Collective Bargainingwould establish constitutional protections for workers' rights to organize and collectively bargain over wages, working conditions, and workplace safety. These protections are particularly relevant to immigrant workers, including those in industries where exploitation and unsafe working conditions are concerns.
Proposal 4: Equal Protection of the Lawwould explicitly prohibit unequal treatment under state law based on characteristics including race, ethnicity, religion, and national origin. These protections would apply to immigrant communities as well as other Vermonters.
Want to learn more? Join the League of Women Voters of Vermont for a virtual lecture on Proposal 4 on Wednesday, October 21, from 7:00–8:30 PM, featuring Cary Brown of the Vermont Commission on Women and Big Hartman of the Vermont Human Rights Commission.
Thank you for continuing to show up for access to justice and the protection of our immigrant neighbors’ rights, in whatever ways you can!
