The Legal Aid Program at the Lisbon Project was one of the first programs to be launched back in 2018, initially to help migrants and refugees achieve a greater understanding of the legalisation process in Portugal. At the time, it wasn’t so much a program, but rather an informal session where community members could ask questions.
Over the years, we have counted on the support of different legal partners to help provide this essential service to our community. In 2020, with the growing demand for legal advice, we decided to formalise the program by inviting a friend, Dr. Lenita Bandeira to become the LP’s Legal Aid Program Manager.
Growing the department allowed us to expand our legal remit, and we began offering different types of services, from workshops to legal clinics for beneficiaries with a view of gathering information and assessing their needs. We have been holding these weekly clinics ever since.
Lawyer Lenita Martins Bandeira has spent the past two years building up our Legal Aid Program as our Program Manager, providing solid legal advice and support throughout her tenure at the LP.
We’d like to say a huge thank you to the very talented and hard-working Lenita, who has been an invaluable and instrumental force of change at the LP. Lenita is set to embark on a new adventure in Viseu but will remain a part of the Lisbon Project, kindly providing legal support as a pro bono lawyer partner.
We are extremely excited to welcome Guiomar Soromenho as the new Legal Aid Program Manager! She will be working alongside the dedicated and amazing Anna Thomson, our legal aid assistant. The program is very safe in their hands as they continue to work with our various partners and lawyers offering pro-bono support!
The Legal Aid Program is essential for protecting and educating members of our community by clarifying their rights and responsibilities as residents of Portugal. Some of the outcomes we are achieving through this program are as follows:
Beneficiaries have increased knowledge about their rights related to immigration, health, employment, education, and safety
Beneficiaries have increased knowledge about the legal processes related to immigration, health, housing, employment, education, and safety
Beneficiaries have fair and legal employment
Beneficiaries have improved understanding of the legal processes related to their particular circumstances
Beneficiaries feel supported while navigating the legal system
For more information about legal aid at the Lisbon Project, please contact info@lisbonproject.org