Department of Justice (DOJ) LEP Guidance

After a period of public comment, the DOJ Guidance was republished on June 18, 2002. This version advised recipients of Federal funding they were required to take reasonable steps ensure meaningful access by LEP persons. The 2002 DOJ Guidance is Available Here

The Four Factor Test                                                                           

The DOJ recommended recipients of Federal funding consider four factors when developing LEP plans:

1. The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by the program or grantee;
2. the frequency with which LEP individuals come in contact with the program;
3. the nature and importance of the program, activity, or service provided by the program to people's lives; and
4. the resources available to the grantee/recipient and costs.

DOJ Letters and Compliance Tools                                                  

The DOJ sent a letter to Federal agencies in 2002 explaining their obligations, is available here.  A letter was also sent to to each state court systems, in 2003, available here. The DOJ also provided agencies with a sample article for inclusion in a possible agency newsletter, here.

In the 2002 letter, the DOJ described tools to ensure compliance with EO 13166, available here. A copy of each of these tools is listed below:

1. The brochure "Affirming LEP Access & Compliance in Federal and Federally Assisted Programs" Click here for a PDF copy
2. The brochure "Know Your Rights" for LEP Individuals, available in the following languages: Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Creole, English, Hmong, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese
3. Self-Assessment Tool for recipients of Federal funds here (PDF)

A June 10, 2005 letter to all recipients of Federal assistance describes the new LEP materials and how the DOJ will provide training to state and county law enforcement agencies to ensure meaningful access by LEP individuals.  A copy of this letter is available here and in the resources below.

DOJ LEP Video                                                                                       

In September 2004, the DOJ also released a video entitled “Breaking Down the Language Barrier: Translating Limited English Proficiency Policy into Practice.” See the press release. 

The video demonstrates through three scenarios the meaningful access that must be provided to LEP individuals. The first scenario is an LEP individual in an emergency room. The second sequence involves an LEP woman applying for Food Stamps. The last scenario involves police interacting with an LEP individual. Available at the LEP.gov website, under Multilingual Materials.

Other DOJ Resources                                                                           

• Commonly Asked Questions And Answers Regarding Executive Order 13166
• Complaint Form for the Coordination and Review Section of the Department of Justice
• DOJ Publications Page
• June 10, 2005 DOJ Letter
• Federal Protections Against National Origin Discrimination, 2001 DOJ, Available in these languages:
  • Arabic (PDF)
  • Cambodian (PDF)
  • Chinese (PDF)
  • Farsi (PDF)
  • French (PDF)
  • Haitian Creole (PDF)
  • Hindi (PDF)
  • Hmong (PDF)
  • Korean (PDF)
  • Laotian (PDF)
  • Punjabi (PDF)
  • Russian (PDF)
  • Spanish (HTML or (PDF)
  • Tagalog (PDF)
  • Vietnamese (PDF)

Last Updated: August  11, 2008 ● Empire Justice Center © 2008