EDITORIAL: Legal services are a waste of money

There are more worthwhile groups and services to spend $3,600 on than pro bono legal services. There are other University groups that could better use the $3,600 used to fund the legal service. We would much rather see the money be routed to either SAC or SPEC instead of going towards a stipend for Fineman and Bach -- the attorneys who offer the services. If students are only allowed one 30-minute session per semester, it is unlikely they will be able to solve their legal problems or get a good amount of advice on a legal problem in that short period of time. And if the time was adequate, then the problem most likely did not need legal attention in the first place. Fineman and Bach also do not deal with any matters involving the University or landlord-tenant disputes. Many of the legal problems students have are directly related to their living situations. The legal services also don't seem to be highly attended, nor do many students seem to be aware that the pro bono service exists. If more people were benefiting from the service, it might justify spending funds on the program. Also, the program is only offered every other Wednesday, yet it still consumes a significant amount of UA funds. It's good that GAPSA is now helping the program financially, since graduate students use the service more often than undergraduates. But the service still doesn't merit spending $3,600 on it. We hope the UA members will come to their senses and find a more worthwhile program on which to spend our money -- one that undergraduates can really take advantage of.