Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund

Who We Are

Founded in 1974, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) is a national organization that protects and promotes the civil rights of Asian Americans. By combining litigation, advocacy, education, and organizing, AALDEF works with Asian American communities across the country to secure human rights for all.

What We Do

AALDEF focuses on critical issues affecting Asian Americans, including immigrant rights, civic participation and voting rights, economic justice for workers, language access to services, educational equity, housing and environmental justice, and the elimination of anti-Asian violence, police misconduct, and human trafficking.

AALDEF engages in the following activities:

• litigates cases that have major impacts on the Asian American community
• provides legal resources for community-based organizations and facilitates grassroots community organizing efforts
• conducts free, multilingual legal advice clinics for low-income Asian Americans and new immigrants
• educates Asian Americans about their legal rights
• comments on proposed legislation and governmental policies
• trains students in public interest law and encourages them to use their legal skills to serve the community

AALDEF has a 14-person staff, including seven lawyers. We are assisted by over 300 volunteers, including pro bono attorneys, community workers, and students. AALDEF receives financial support from foundations, corporations, individual contributions and special fundraising events. AALDEF receives no government funds.

Who We Serve

Area(s): Bronx County, Kings (Brooklyn) County, Nassau County, New York (Manhattan) County, Queens County, Richmond (Staten Island) County, Rockland County, Suffolk County, Westchester County

Language(s) Spoken

• Cantonese Chinese / 粵語
• Korean / 한국어
• Mandarin Chinese / 官話
• Tigrina / Ge’ez

Circumstances and languages in which interpreters are provided

AALDEF has a bilingual staff attorney who speaks Malayalam. We have access to bilingual individuals who speak Gujarati, Tagalog, and Hindi.

Is this organization accessible by wheelchair?:YES

Does this organization provide access for the hearing impaired?: NO

Type of Help

This group provides the following types of services based on your legal needs and its resources:

• Full Legal Representation
• Brief Advice