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The Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) seeks to advocate for and to improve the status and well-being of Maine's low-income noncitizens and their families by providing affordable legal services, and by educating and working with service providers, policy makers, and the public concerning legal issues unique to noncitizens.

Description:
ILAP is Maine's only nonprofit provider of free or low fee immigration and related legal services. ILAP serves low income Maine residents statewide, though over 50% of the people we serve come from Cumberland County. ILAP offers Education & Outreach to immigrant groups to give them accurate immigration law and related legal information, and operates an Immigration Clinic that provides attorney consultations and brief assistance, including immigration application assistance for persons who lack legal consultations but who are confused or intimidated by the immigration process. ILAP also provides full legal representation to persons with complicated immigration issues. ILAP assists Maine's noncitizens to gain asylum, obtain work permits, become permanent residents or U.S. citizens, and to be reunited with close family members.

History:
ILAP was formed in 1993 to provide free immigration law assistance to Maine's growing immigrant and refugee population who could not afford private attorneys. For years, ILAP consisted of a group of volunteer attorneys who provided full legal representation to 10 to 20 people annually. Due to a huge increase in requests for immigration legal assistance, ILAP became a staffed legal services agency in 1999. Currently, the organization has 6 full time staff members, 2 part time staff members, and over 40 attorney and non-attorney volunteers. ILAP is the only agency in Maine's history recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals as having sufficient immigration law expertise to be on the Immigration Court and the INS's list of free and low-fee legal services providers. ILAP assists over 2000 low-income Mainers annually, coming from more than 100 countries of origin, with their immigration questions and issues.

Contact people:

Beth Stickney, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Sue Roche, Staff Attorney, (phone), (email) Meg Bryan, Office Manager, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (207) 699-2313

Address:

309 Cumberland Avenue, Suite 201 Portland, ME 04101 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.ilapmaine.org

Directions:

Take Franklin Street (Exit 7 off of Route 295). Continue on Franklin. Turn right on Cumberland Avenue. Our building is on the corner of Cumberland Avenue and Elm Street. Parking is available at parking meters, on the street, or. . . (more) For maps or information, please see http://www.portlandmaine.worldweb.com/Transportation/PublicTransit

Miscellaneous Information

This agency has United Way funded programs
	Yes
The agency places volunteers in these categories:
	Physically disabled, Adults