IMP LEMENTATIO N SOME CLIENTS MAY Complexity of case: NEED TO BE FREED • Straightforward (paralegal can resolve) FROM DETENTION • Complex (involve lawyer) BEFORE PARALEGALS CAN HELP THEM GET A DOCUMENT. These case types may be too broad, and you may wish to classify your caseload based on other themes, depending on your project and context. Creating broad client categories may also help you determine how a paralegal should work with a client. For example, illiterate clients or clients with disabilities may need more help. Many databases or recordkeeping systems allow you to filter according to case and client types, which is useful for understanding your caseload and assessing paralegals. Categories based on client profile: •N  ever had birth registered. This can be categorized by the reason, e.g., “denied” or “distance from filing agency” • Undocumented • Undetermined nationality • Long-term residents adversely affected by state succession • Stateless • Low income / vulnerable / special needs client • Cross-border population • Foundling 8.3 Prioritizing Effectively Some projects can take all cases that come to them. However, prioritizing may be necessary where there is overwhelming demand and you do not have enough paralegals or resources to assist everyone. This begins with screening: create a list of categories of persons needing assistance and which ones should be prioritized. It is also possible to prioritize cases by a lottery system. Paralegal training should cover these procedures. Over time, a project’s approach to prioritizing may change, as paralegals’ knowledge increases and the communities they work with also gain knowledge. Paralegals may begin referring simpler cases to members of the community and provide assistance only on complex cases. Sometimes, the main work that paralegals do is screening. If all cases require a lawyer, either because they involve litigation or because it is illegal for non-lawyers to advise on matters of immigration and status, paralegals can be involved in filtering cases that require the assistance of a lawyer. Communities should be consulted on any proposed systems, in order to ensure that any concepts of vulnerability or urgency are appropriately tailored.  rojects might also deal with overwhelming need by grouping similar P cases into collective cases for coordinated action. See guidance on this approach under 9.6 Collective Cases. 92 | A C O M M U N I T Y- B A S E D P R A C T I T I O N E R ’ S G U I D E : D O C U M E N T I N G C I T I Z E N S H I P A N D OT H E R F O R M S O F L E G A L I D E N T I T Y