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The Hispanic and Women Farmers Claims Assistance Network
Through contracts with USDA, both Farmers' Legal Action Group, Inc., and the National Agricultural Law Center are developing, training, and communicating with a network of lawyers and law school clinics that will provide individual assistance to Hispanic and women farmer claimants in completing and submitting claims forms. The Rural Coalition is conducting outreach to potential claimants. None of these named organizations or USDA may provide direct individualized legal advice to or represent claimants in this claims process. The goal of this project is to organize and train a network of lawyers and law school clinic participates that can provide this direct, individualized legal advice and representationin a non-adversarial, non-judicial process to resolve past claims of discrimination in USDA Farm Loan Programs.

Discrimination Lawsuits and Claims Processes
As part of USDA's efforts to make civil rights matters a top priority, USDA is committed to resolving past claims of discrimination in its farm loan programs. In recent years, USDA entered into settlement agreements in certified class action lawsuits filed on behalf of African American and Native American farmers. Class counsel assisted thousands of farmers to file their individual claims under those settlement agreements.

Lawsuits alleging past discrimination in USDA Farm Loan Programs were also filed on behalf of Hispanic farmers and women farmers. However, these cases were not certified as class actions. The United States government established a voluntary claims process to make available $1.33 billion or more to farmers who alleged discrimination by the USDA based on being female, or based on being Hispanic, in making or servicing farm loans during certain periods between 1981 and 2000. This non-adversarial, non-judicial claims process will be administered by the same neutrals that issued decisions in and managed the claims processes for African American and Native American farmers. Lawyers and law school clinics are needed to assist Hispanic and women farmers prepare and file their claims.

Period for Filing Claims: September, 2012 through February, 2013.
To find out more or indicate interest in assisting claimants, please reply to this message by completing the following and returning by facsimile to (651) 223-5335 or email at HWFRCP@flaginc.org, or call (651) 223-5400.

Informational Webinar
Informational webinar for attorneys interested in learning more about the HWFRCP network.
Thursday, September 13, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Central Time
The webinar will provide participating attorneys with a brief summary of the HWFRCP and how they can become part of the national referral network of attorneys willing to assist potential claimants in completing the official HWFRCP claims form.

To participate in the webinar, simply click https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/aglaw at 11:00 Central Time.
Prior to joining the webinar, please visit the following URL to confirm your ability to connect to the server: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/testconnect/.