What’s in a Name? CLS’s “First Name Unknown” Name Change Project, 0317 COBJ, Vol. 46 No. 3 Pg. 13
| Author | Elizabeth A. Och, J. |
The SideBar
Elizabeth A. Och, J.
The Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado kicks off its annual Associates Campaign for Justice on March 1. Now in its 1 3th year, the Associates Campaign is an important funding source for Colorado Legal Services (CLS), the only agency in Colorado that offers free civil legal services to underserved populations in every single county in Colorado. Nearly all CLS clients are living at or below 125% of the federal poverty guideline, which means an annual income ceiling of $14,850 for an individual and $30,375 for a family of four.
The Associates Campaign is exactly what the name suggests-a fundraising campaign run by associates at law firms across the state. It is a chance for associates to take on leadership roles early in their careers, but more important, it is an opportunity for young attorneys to make a direct impact in the lives of people across the state with a monetary donation. The campaign includes a friendly competition among firms that recognizes efforts such as funds raised per capita, non-associate involvement, and law firms that reached 100% associate participation Last year, 36 firms achieved 100% associate participation. A total of 699 associates, or 86.94% of all associates at participating firms, donated to the campaign in 2016, raising a total of $135,807.56 from 1,139 individual donors (including 440 non-associates).
CLS provides a host of services to its clients across the state, ranging from helping people with disabilities obtain public assistance to preventing evictions to helping families secure or maintain health insurance. Donations made as part of the Associates Campaign support all aspects of CLS’s operations, but this article focuses on one recent addition to CLS’s services: the First Name Unknown (FNU) Name Change Project.
A Thank You with a Typo
When U.S. troops were in Afghanistan, they relied on Afghan citizens as interpreters, drivers, and numerous other roles. These Afghan citizens saved countless American lives, but in doing so put their own lives and the lives of their families at risk. In 2007, Congress, recognizing this sacrifice, gave the U.S. State Department authority to grant Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) to certain Afghan citizens in appreciation for their service to the U.S. military, allowing them to safely move to the United States. But because of cultural confusion regarding the treatment of names on Afghan passports, the official visa for each individual was issued with the first name “FNU,” which stands for “first name unknown,” with the person’s actual given name as his or her surname. Thus many Afghans have visas that show their...
To continue reading
Request your trial