For some immigrants who live and work in the valley, getting legal assistance can be costly, confusing and time consuming. But on Sunday it will become a bit easier for them when Legal Aid of Napa Valley visits St. Helena Catholic Church.

Legal Aid will hold an immigration law forum at the church that will feature 11 immigration lawyers including noted immigration law expert Mark Silverman, of Immigrant Legal Resource Center based in San Francisco. Each attorney will provide private, one-on-one consultations to participants.

"Everyone agrees immigration is broken and needs fixing, but nobody can agree how to fix it," Silverman said. "We're talking to people about their legal rights."

Silverman said he will cover how to spot dishonest immigration lawyers and consultants, pending laws that will affect immigration and how to become a U.S. citizen.

"People should document their work history," he said. "There is a proposal called the Ag Jobs Bill that would provide legal status to people maintaining California's ag industry."

Monsignor John Brenkle, head of St. Helena Catholic Church, said there is a growing demand for such services among his parish. In April, Catholic Charities and California Human Development Corporation held a similar legal forum at the church that provided help to 20 families, he said.

In May, Legal Aid held a forum in Napa at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. Two hundred people attended and received private one-on-one consultations.

"It was a success; that's why we are doing it for a second time in St. Helena," said Osvaldo Gomez, legal support intern at Legal Aid. "There is a big community of immigrants (in St. Helena) that aren't being served with respective legal matters, immigration problems."

The forum will cover such topics as requirements for U.S. citizenship, how to get permanent U.S. residence for victims of domestic violence and who can file immigration visa petitions.

Legal Aid is a nonprofit organization that provides free legal services to immigrants, seniors and low-income residents. The organization specializes in immigration law, family law, housing, domestic violence, public benefits, employment discrimination, civil rights and consumer problems.

Everyone is invited to attend the forum on Sunday at 11 a.m., at St. Helena Catholic Church School Gym, 1255 Oak St., St. Helena. For more information contact Legal Aid at 259-0579.

On the Net:

www.legalaidnapa.org