LIST=Legal Issues Taxonomy

This category covers issues in the criminal system including when people are charged with crimes, go to a criminal trial, go to prison, or are a victim of a crime.

This category covers issues and laws specific to Native Americans and indigenous populations. It includes special legal protections, programs, services, and options that members of Native American tribes may have, as well as the tribal court system, tribal enrollment, and native-based legal services. It also may cover particular problems that are unique to Native American communities.

This category covers the logistics of how a person can interact with a lawyer or the court system. It applies to situations about procedure, rules, how to file lawsuits, how to hire lawyers, how to represent oneself, and other practical matters about dealing with these systems.

This category covers services that people request from the government, including licenses for firearms, businesses, and hunting, as well as requests for information, and other privileges from the government.

This category covers problems with traffic and parking tickets, fees, driver's licenses, and other issues experienced with the traffic system. It also concerns issues with car accidents and injuries, cars' quality, repairs, purchases, and other contracts.

This category covers issues around pollution, hazardous waste, poisons, and other issues with the environment.

This category covers issues faced by people who run small businesses or nonprofits, including around incorporation, licenses, taxes, regulations, and other concerns. It also includes options when there are disasters, bankruptcies, or other problems.

This category covers problems that one person has with another person (or animal), like when there is a car accident, a dog bite, bullying or possible harassment, or neighbors treating each other badly.

This category covers issues with paying your rent or mortgage, landlord-tenant issues, housing subsidies and public housing, eviction, and other problems with your apartment, mobile home, or house.

This category covers people's fundamental rights, that the government should protect and others should respect. It applies to situations of discrimination, abuse, due process, the first amendment, indigenous rights, and other key rights.

This category covers issues related to natural disasters and public health emergencies, including people's rights, getting benefits and assistance, clearing title to property, and dealing with insurance.

This category covers issues, laws, and services specific to people who have served in the military. It could include issues with discharge status, denial of Veterans Administration (VA) benefits, denial of access to service-related medical care, and problems getting an old job back after discharge.

This category covers public benefits and social services that people can get from the government, like for food, disability, old age, housing, medical help, unemployment, child care, or other social needs. Some scenarios in this category include receiving the earned income tax credit; the reduction or termination of state government income, food, disability, or housing benefits; and the denial or termination of federal Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability income, or Social Security Survivors benefits.

This category covers planning for end-of-life, possible incapacitation, and other special circumstances that would prevent a person from making decisions about their own well-being, finances, and property. This includes issues around wills, powers of attorney, advance directives, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, and other estate issues that people and families deal with. Scenarios in this category include making or changing a will/living will/advance directive, setting up a trust or power of attorney, and help with a probate or administering an estate.

This category covers issues around school, including accommodations for special needs, discrimination, student debt, discipline, and other issues in education. Scenarios in this category include suspension/expulsion from school, truancy, safety, access to special education services, and denial of bilingual education.

This category covers issues related to working at a job, including discrimination and harassment, worker's compensation, workers rights, unions, getting paid, pensions, being fired, and more. Scenarios in this category include an employer who did not pay wages or other earned benefits, denial of worker’s compensation, unsafe working conditions, unfair termination, denial of accommodation for disability or a medical condition, denial of unemployment benefits, inadequate treatment of a workplace grievance, and sexual harassment by a supervisor or coworker.

This category covers issues people face regarding money, insurance, consumer goods and contracts, taxes, and small claims about quality of service. Scenarios in this category include getting credit because of identity theft, being the target of unfair lending practices or internet scams, problems with debt reduction or credit repair services, problems with terms for repayment of payday lenders, problems related to legal financial obligations, harassment by creditors, problems with pay for or repossession of a car, filing for bankruptcy, garnished wages, and disconnected utilities due to nonpayment or a billing dispute

This category covers visas, asylum, green cards, citizenship, migrant work and benefits, and other issues faced by people who are not full citizens in the US. Scenarios in this category include filling out or filing paperwork relating to U.S. immigration issues and attending any legal actions or proceedings related to U.S. immigration issues.

This category covers issues with accessing health services, paying for medical care, getting public benefits for health care, protecting one's rights in medical settings, and other issues related to health. Scenarios in this category include billing, the inability to access or other problems getting health insurance, the denial of an interpreter in a medical setting, issues with debt collection or financial assistance, and payment for needed equipment, procedures, or other services.

This category covers issues that arise within a family, like divorce, adoption, name change, guardianship, domestic violence, child custody, and other issues. Scenarios in this category include problems with serving as a foster parent, issues adopting a child, difficulties with being appointed as the guardian of a child, filing for divorce or separation, difficulty collecting alimony payments, experience with domestic violence or sexual assault, and problems involving a vulnerable adult being taken advantage of or abused.