Like many immigrant communities, an obstacle in the Vietnamese-speaking community is the lack of language-proficient attorneys, resulting in challenges to accessing legal services. Even among attorneys of Vietnamese-heritage, the lack of ability to speak the language fluently often result in hesitation in taking pro bono matters or volunteering at a legal clinic for this limited-English community. Below is a collection of Vietnamese-language glossaries found online that may be helpful to practitioners in legal, social services, and government settings.* We hope that these resources will encourage practitioners to be confident in volunteering or taking on pro bono matters in the Vietnamese-speaking communities.
Legal Terms – English-Vietnamese Glossary by Mark Nguyen Franklin
Key Election Terminologies – Federal Election Assistance Commission – English-Vietnamese Glossary
General Social Services – Vietnamese English Glossary
Social Security Administration – English-Vietnamese Glossary
Superior Court – Sacramento County – Vietnamese Legal Glossary
Taxes – Internal Revenue Services English Vietnamese Glossary
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services – Vietnamese Resources
*These resources are not maintained or created by the VABANC Law Foundation; as such, VLF cannot guarantee its accuracy or currentness.