Language Access in Changing Times: Law, Policy, and Practice – 2026 Spring National Conference – Track I (Presented by National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives)

Chi-Ser Tran, Esq., Supervising Attorney, SSI Unit & Language Access Project | Community Legal Services

Chi-Ser Tran is a Supervising Attorney in the SSI Unit and Language Access Project at Community Legal Services (CLS) in Philadelphia. Her practice focuses on representing adults and children with disabilities who face challenges attaining and maintaining Supplemental Security Income benefits, while also leading CLS’s language access advocacy to improve access to legal services, courts, and government agencies for individuals with limited English proficiency. Ms. Tran began her career at CLS as a law student intern in 2015 and was awarded a fellowship by the Initiative for Public Interest Law at Yale upon graduation to continue her work at the organization — a distinction that reflects both the quality of her advocacy and the significance of the issues she addresses.

• Education & Credentials

Chi-Ser earned her law degree from Yale Law School, where she was awarded a fellowship by the Initiative for Public Interest Law to support her continued work at Community Legal Services upon graduation. Prior to law school, she built a strong foundation in public interest advocacy through her work as a Voting Rights Organizer at the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a Programs Fellow at the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy, and Project Coordinator of the inaugural Summer Youth Career Exploration Program at BPSOS – Delaware Valley. Her academic and pre-law credentials reflect a consistent commitment to advancing the rights of underserved communities.

• Recognition & Leadership

Chi-Ser’s recognition includes a competitive fellowship from the Initiative for Public Interest Law at Yale, awarded to support her fellowship project in CLS’s Employment Unit addressing barriers faced by low-wage, limited English proficient Asian immigrant workers. She has since advanced to Supervising Attorney at CLS, where she leads both the SSI Unit and the Language Access Project — dual leadership roles that reflect the breadth of her expertise and the trust her organization places in her advocacy and institutional leadership. Her work sits at a distinctive intersection of disability benefits law and language access advocacy, giving her a platform that is rare and highly valued in the public interest community.

• Professional Involvement

In addition to her direct representation work, Chi-Ser leads CLS’s language access advocacy, working to remove systemic barriers that limit access to legal services, courts, and government agencies for individuals with limited English proficiency. This dual focus — on SSI representation and language access — reflects a professional philosophy centered on dismantling the overlapping obstacles that vulnerable populations face when seeking to exercise their legal rights. Her work in both areas involves impact advocacy and systemic reform alongside individual client representation, extending her influence well beyond the cases she personally handles.

• Experience

Chi-Ser’s career at Community Legal Services began as a law student intern in 2015 and has grown into a supervising attorney role spanning two of the organization’s most critical practice areas. Her Yale fellowship project focused on the barriers low-wage, limited English proficient Asian immigrant workers face — experience that laid the groundwork for her subsequent leadership of CLS’s language access work. As Supervising Attorney in both the SSI Unit and the Language Access Project, she now oversees the representation of adults and children with disabilities in SSI matters while simultaneously leading systemic advocacy to expand access to justice for limited English proficient individuals across Philadelphia and beyond. Her career trajectory — from student intern to fellowship recipient to supervising attorney — exemplifies the depth of commitment and expertise she brings to public interest advocacy.

Violeta Arciniega, Esq., Project Head, Maximizing Access to Federal Disability Benefits Project | The Legal Aid Society

Violeta Arciniega heads the Maximizing Access to Federal Disability Benefits Project at the Legal Aid Society in New York City, where she provides free legal assistance to individuals seeking Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability benefits. Her representation spans the full scope of the appeals process — from administrative hearings and appeals council reviews through federal court litigation. A graduate of the City University of New York Law School with a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland, Ms. Arciniega has dedicated eight years to the Legal Aid Society’s mission of ensuring that vulnerable individuals can effectively advocate for themselves before all levels of government.

• Education & Credentials

Violeta holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctor from the City University of New York School of Law — an institution with a strong tradition of training public interest lawyers committed to social justice. Her economics background informs her understanding of the financial stakes that SSI and Social Security Disability benefits represent for low-income individuals with disabilities, while her CUNY Law education grounded her in the principles of community-centered legal advocacy that define her practice at the Legal Aid Society.

• Recognition & Leadership

Violeta leads the Maximizing Access to Federal Disability Benefits Project at the Legal Aid Society, one of the country’s most prominent public interest law organizations. Her eight years with the organization and her leadership of this specialized project reflect the confidence her institution places in her expertise and her commitment to the communities she serves. Her advocacy philosophy — that the fundamental purpose of public interest work is to help vulnerable individuals speak for themselves and amplify their voices before all levels of government — has guided a career defined by principled, client-centered representation.

• Professional Involvement

As head of the Maximizing Access to Federal Disability Benefits Project, Violeta leads the Legal Aid Society’s efforts to ensure that New York City residents with disabilities receive the SSI and Social Security Disability benefits to which they are entitled. Her work spans the complete administrative and judicial appeals process, from hearing-level representation through federal court, reflecting a comprehensive engagement with the full scope of disability benefits litigation. Her practice is rooted in a conviction that public interest advocacy must not simply resolve individual cases but equip clients to effectively navigate government systems on their own terms.

• Experience

Violeta has worked at the Legal Aid Society for eight years, building expertise in SSI and Social Security Disability appeals at every level of the adjudication process — administrative hearings, appeals council reviews, and federal district court litigation. As the head of the Maximizing Access to Federal Disability Benefits Project, she provides free legal assistance to some of New York City’s most vulnerable residents, ensuring that disability and income do not become barriers to accessing the federal benefits system. Her background in economics and her training at CUNY Law equip her with both the analytical rigor and the advocacy values that define her approach to this work, and her eight-year tenure at the Legal Aid Society reflects a sustained commitment to the organization’s mission of equal justice for all.

John S. Whitelaw, Esq. Advocacy Director | Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI)

John S. Whitelaw is the Advocacy Director at the Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI) in Delaware — the first person to hold that position when he rejoined the organization in December 2017. With more than 35 years of experience representing low-income and other vulnerable clients across legal aid programs in multiple states, John has dedicated his career to government benefits advocacy and Social Security representation. He has represented claimants at all administrative levels and in federal and state court, and has been a national trainer on SSI and Social Security Disability matters. He is also a member of the Delaware Board of Bar Examiners, believed to be the first legal aid attorney in Delaware to hold that distinction.

• Education & Credentials

John is a licensed attorney with more than 35 years of experience in legal aid practice across multiple states, including Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Minnesota. He is a member of the Delaware Board of Bar Examiners — a position that appears to make him the first legal aid attorney in Delaware to serve in that role. His extensive experience spans government benefits law, Social Security disability, and capital habeas litigation, reflecting a broad and distinguished legal career across diverse practice areas and jurisdictions. (Specific academic credentials are not included in the provided biography.)

• Recognition & Leadership

John’s appointment as CLASI’s first Advocacy Director reflects the organization’s recognition of his strategic vision and leadership in systemic advocacy. His membership on the Delaware Board of Bar Examiners — a distinction he appears to hold as the first legal aid attorney in Delaware to do so — further underscores the professional respect he commands across the state’s legal community. As a national trainer for the AARP National Training Project on SSI and Social Security Disability, he built a reputation as one of the country’s most traveled and trusted educators in these practice areas, presenting at national and regional trainings throughout his career.

• Professional Involvement

In his role as Advocacy Director at CLASI, John works with advocates to develop creative strategies to address systemic problems faced by clients, while also providing supervision and mentorship on government benefits and SSA matters. He has been a presenter at numerous national and regional trainings and previously traveled across the country as a trainer on SSI and Social Security Disability for the AARP National Training Project. His service on the Delaware Board of Bar Examiners adds a professional standards dimension to a career already defined by mentorship, education, and systemic advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations.

• Experience

John’s legal career spans more than 35 years of legal aid practice. He began in Minneapolis, Minnesota (1987–1990), moved to Beckley, West Virginia (1990–1995), and then to CLASI in Wilmington, Delaware (1995–1997), before spending a year with the Federal Public Defender Association’s Capital Habeas Unit in Philadelphia (1997–1998). He then served for nearly 20 years as Co-Director of the Aging and Disabilities unit at Community Legal Services in North Philadelphia, before rejoining CLASI in December 2017 as its first Advocacy Director. Throughout his career, John has represented clients in matters involving TANF, General Assistance, SNAP, Medical Assistance, and Social Security — at all administrative levels and in federal and state court — making him one of the most broadly experienced government benefits attorneys in the country.

I. Language Access in Changing Times: Law, Policy, and Practice | 8:30am – 9:45am

On March 1, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14224, “Designating English as the Official Language of the United States.” The Order rescinded a long-standing policy that had established language access protections in federal agencies for the past 25 years. This session will provide an overview of current SSA language access rules and policies, review the legal framework protecting language access, and examine recent federal developments and their impact on enforcement and advocacy strategies. We will also discuss emerging ethical considerations surrounding the increasing use of machine translation, as well as practice tips for representing individuals with limited English proficiency.