The Atlanta chapter of Asian Americans Advancing Justice is lawyering up.

The group has hired two lawyers—including a new litigation director from a local defense firm—and expanded an existing part-time lawyer position to full-time in its effort to help immigrants gain citizenship and protect their civil rights.

“Now we have a legal department,” said the group's executive director Stephanie Cho. The three lawyers, plus a paralegal, make up half of AAAJ-Atlanta's full-time staff, which includes two part-time positions