UA promotes free student legal services

Through a more visible and expanded legal services program, the Undergraduate Assembly is trying to reach out to students who need help but do not want to turn to the University's official legal resources or to outside sources of information and guidance. According to UA member and College junior Meredith Hertz, the service has existed for several years. But most students interviewed said they did not know about the option for free legal counseling through the UA and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly. Hertz said students did not truly take advantage of the offer until last year, when the UA began to get an average of seven calls each week about legal services, Hertz said. Over the summer, UA member and College junior Josh Rockoff worked to make the legal services program even more visible. Rockoff created a legal services homepage, which can be found at "http://dolphin.upenn.edu/~legalsrv". In addition, legal services now has an e-mail account, at legalsrv@dolphin.upenn.edu. Hertz said she hopes many students will find out about the services by word of mouth. In order to receive free legal advice, students must fill out a form, providing information about the nature of their problem. The service cannot be used for disputes between landlords and tenants or suits involving the University. Rockoff said the application process is more convenient now because the form is available on line. Students can either print out the application and return it to the UA or GAPSA offices in Houston Hall, or submit the application electronically. "Students can contact us any time, anywhere as long as they are affiliated with Penn," Rockoff said. UA or GAPSA representatives will then set up a free 30-minute consultation with a representative of the Philadelphia law firm Fineman and Bach. The legal services' homepage includes an electronic schedule so students can check their appointment times. If the attorney and student decide additional legal aid is necessary, the lawyer will help the student in finding competent outside counsel. The UA and GAPSA pay Fineman and Bach $1,800 per semester for the service, Rockoff said. He noted that about 70 percent of those who use the service are graduate students. Rockoff said he would like to see more undergraduates use the program in the future. According to Rockoff, students use the service for a variety of legal issues ranging from parking tickets and garbage fines to starting corporations and paying proper taxes. "A lot of students have legal problems and don't understand aspects of how the law works," Rockoff said.