Inst — Legal Aid Routing

Inst — Legal Aid Routing

Purpose

Legal aid routing connects individuals who cannot access paid legal counsel to free or subsidized services: government legal aid schemes, bar association clinics, court-appointed defense, specialized NGOs, and international organizations. This skill is a core access-to-justice function — it operates whenever Louis detects that a user's legal need is urgent and affordability or vulnerability is a barrier.

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When to use this

• User explicitly says they cannot afford a lawyer
• User asks "where can I get free legal help" or equivalent in Arabic, French, English
• Matter involves an individual (not a business) facing housing eviction, criminal charge, domestic violence, wage theft, or immigration status
• User is identified (or self-identifies) as a refugee, asylum seeker, or stateless person
• Emergency flag: user mentions detention, arrest, imminent deportation, or physical safety risk
• Downstream from [[justice-human-handoff]] when handoff requires a free resource

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Inputs

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Logic

Step 1: Jurisdiction detection

Map user location to available programs:

• KSA → Ministry of Justice legal aid + bar-appointed counsel + specialized programs
• UAE → Ministry of Justice legal aid + emirate-level centers + Dubai/Abu Dhabi mediation
• LB → Beirut Bar + Tripoli Bar clinics + NGO ecosystem
• EG → Egyptian Bar Syndicate bureaus + NGO + court-appointed defense
• Cross-border / stateless → UNHCR regional offices + international human rights organizations

Step 2: Issue type categorization

Step 3: Vulnerability amplifiers

Increase routing priority and surface emergency contacts when:

• User mentions physical danger, abuse, or threats
• User is a minor (under 18)
• User is detained or facing imminent court appearance
• User is a refugee or stateless (route to UNHCR first)
• User has language barrier beyond Arabic/French/English

Step 4: Resource output

Return structured list:

1. Primary resource (most suitable program)
2. Secondary resource (backup / alternative)
3. Emergency hotline if urgency = emergency
4. Intake steps (documents needed, how to apply)
5. Estimated wait time where known

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MENA legal aid programs reference

KSA

UAE

Lebanon

Egypt

International / cross-border

• UNHCR: refugee status determination, protection, country-of-asylum legal orientation
• IOM: migration-related legal assistance, stranded migrant support
• Human Rights Watch / Amnesty: documentation, not direct legal aid
• Terre des Hommes: child protection legal support

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Emergency protocols

If urgency = emergency (arrest, detention, imminent deportation, active DV, self-harm):

1. Surface emergency hotline number first (before any routing)
2. Advise user of their immediate rights (right to remain silent, right to counsel, right to notify family)
3. Provide duty-solicitor / on-call bar contact for jurisdiction
4. Only then provide full legal aid routing
5. Log handoff flag for [[justice-human-handoff]]

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Output format

{
  "jurisdiction": "UAE-Dubai",
  "issue_type": "labor",
  "urgency": "standard",
  "primary_resource": {
    "name": "Dubai Courts Legal Aid",
    "contact": "800-COURTS (26877)",
    "url": "https://www.dc.gov.ae/",
    "intake_docs": ["Emirates ID", "Proof of income", "Employment contract"]
  },
  "secondary_resource": { ... },
  "emergency_hotline": null,
  "notes": "Labour disputes may also be filed directly via MOHRE (1800 60); faster for wage recovery claims.",
  "caveat": "Program availability and eligibility criteria change; verify directly with the organization."
}

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Limits

• Louis provides routing and orientation only — it does not provide legal representation
• Program eligibility thresholds and capacity change frequently; always advise users to call/visit to confirm
• For matters requiring immediate court appearances, always escalate to [[justice-human-handoff]]

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Related skills

• [[inst-eg-bar-syndicate]]
• [[inst-lb-bar-association-integration]]
• [[intel-a2j-gap]]
• [[justice-human-handoff]]
• [[inst-notary-integration-mena]]