The anti-racism guideline, as well as the employment guideline, claims that associations should support plaintiffs or act for them due to the national equal treatment legislation.

The AGG only provides the legal advisor, which is regulated in § 23 AGG. Therefore, anti-racism associations can appear as a legal advisor in a discrimination lawsuit. The precondition is that the association has at least 75 members or that they form a union of at least seven associations. They are not allowed to be professionally active.

The lawyer is under certain conditions to only have limited familiarity with equal treatment and the AGG. An anti-discrimination association that offers assistance is usually well informed about the topic and could also provide specialized knowledge. Therefore, the legal advisor can contribute specialised knowledge and support the lawyer.  

Discrimination always affects the affected person personally. The self-esteem of an affected person can be significantly affected. Emotional support is therefore another reason that an assistance through an anti-discrimination association could be helpful. Furthermore, an assistance can usually explain the complex and technical course of the lawsuit and act as a bridge to the lawyer.

Affected people mostly find the initial approach with an anti-discrimination association easily accessible compared to a lawyer. The legal advisor is thus the first contact in practice and may get in touch with a lawyer on their behalf.

However, a legal advisor does not have the same authority as the lawyer. The aid does not have the right to inspect the files, question witnesses or to submit their own applications for trial. Most judges do not have many experiences with legal assistance, as such they are flexible if associations who are accompanying a lawsuit want to submit a brief or interview a witness.