Limited English Proficiency Advisory Committee

The Limited English Proficiency Advisory Committee was established to address the needs of the increasingly diverse community that the Maine Judicial Branch services. The Committee advises Judicial Branch leadership in developing and maintaining a comprehensive system for providing and improving access to Maine courts for individuals with limited English proficiency or hearing loss. It implements policies and Administrative Orders, addresses cultural competency issues, and identifies and removes barriers that may affect access to justice.

Type: SJC Standing Committee
Established: August 7, 2012
Chair: Nickole M. Wesley, Communications Access Specialist

Charter

Annual Report (2022)

MJB Language Access Plan 2023-2024

Membership Roster

Updated November 20, 2023

Terms expire October 1, 2023:
Abeir Ibrahim, Co-Founder, Cross Cultural Consulting Group (1)

Terms expire October 1, 2024:
Hon. Jennifer Archer, Justice, Maine Superior Court (2)
Hon. Maria Woodman, Judge, Maine District Court (4)
Ted Ross, Director of State Judicial Marshals (2)
Fatuma Hussein, Executive Director, Immigrant Resource Center of Maine (3)
Michelle Ames, MHRTC, ESC, ASLPI 4, Program Director: Deaf Services, Disability Rights Maine (2)
André R. Frechette III, Clerk Lewiston/Auburn Courts (1)
Constant Kabuyenge, Rostered Court Interpreter, Interpreter Coach (1)
Luis Garcia, MD, Federally Certified Court Interpreter (1)

Terms expire September 1, 2026:
Hon. Robert E. Mullen, Chief Justice, Maine Superior Court or designee (2)
Francine Ngabu, President, Maine Association for New Americans (2)
Anna R. Welch, Esq., Sam L. Cohen Refugee and Human Rights Clinical Professor, Cumberland Legal Aid Clinic, University of Maine School of Law (2)

Standing Members:
Nickole M. Wesley, Communication Access Specialist, Chair
Allison Gray, Esq., Court Access Coordinator
Jenny Anderson, Director of Court Services

Hon. Catherine R. Connors, Associate Justice, Maine Supreme Judicial Court Liaison