School of Law offers legal advice, representation

Limited budgets, crammed schedules and the fear of parents finding out about legal matters can be stressful.

However, the UA School of Law has six law clinics that provide students, community organizations and needy individuals with legal advice and representation for a variety of legal matters.

Students can visit the capital defense, civil law, community development, criminal defense, domestic violence and elder law clinics free of charge, where they will receive legal help from law students.

Each clinic has 10 third-year law students offering their services as part of their law education at the University.

Anne Hornsby, director of the civil law clinic and an assistant professor of clinical legal instruction, said working in one of the clinics is a course for credit, and students register for the class like any other.

"We like everyone to have an opportunity to get a clinical experience," she said. "All of our clinics fill up very quickly, but there's not a special application process."

While students use all the clinics, Hornsby said the civil law clinic sees the most students, about 200 each year.

Hornsby said most cases are landlord-tenant cases or municipal violations. Other cases include misdemeanors, domestic relations, consumer law, debt collection defense, warranties and employment, among others.

"Just like any community there are all sorts of general civil problems," she said.

To receive legal advice and possibly representation, Hornsby said students must make an appointment for an intake interview, which consists of meeting with a law student to outline the student's legal problems.

The clinic then reviews the case and decides whether to take the case, sometimes offering legal advice or taking it to trial.

Hornsby said law students are allowed to practice as long as they're under the supervision of an attorney.

Funding for the clinics comes from the law school, as well as the SGA. SGA Director of Communications Louise Crow said the SGA gives $20,000 per year to help fund the clinics.

"This is such an amazing resource to students," she said. "They not only should know about this, but they deserve to know about this."

Crow said many students tend to call Judicial Affairs with legal problems when they need the assistance of the law clinic.

"When things happen, and they do, you're going to need legal advice," she said.

Kelly Blighton, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering, said though he had never heard of the clinic before, he thinks it's a great resource to have for all UA students, not just law students.

"It gives [law students] experience with some minor things and if you do get a misdemeanor it doesn't cost you anything to try to contest it," Blighton said.

Sonya Karimi, a freshman majoring in communicative disorders, said she hadn't heard of the clinics either. She also said she thinks the clinics are beneficial to students.

"I think it's a great idea because it gives the law students experience with real situations," Karimi said. "Students can better relate to students more than somebody who's 20 years older than you."

Hornsby encouraged students with legal dilemmas to consider taking advantage of the law clinics' services.

"If students think they have legal problems, they should call and make an appointment," Hornsby said.

For more information about the law clinics and the services, students can call 348-4960.