UCLA Student Legal Services offers free legal help in Ackerman

To the delight of many UCLA students, Ackerman Student Union now
offers a wallet-friendly service: free answers to legal
questions.

Partnering with the Associated Students of UCLA, Student Legal
Services implemented “Law in the Union,” a booth on the
A-level of Ackerman where students can get feedback on legal issues
at no cost.

“It’s a great idea ““ it gives people
opportunities to ask questions for free and get a good
response,” said fourth-year psychology student Ryan
Cabauatan. “Most students are poor anyway.”

UCLA’s Student Legal Services office offers confidential
one-on-one legal assistance to students; about one-third of the
issues brought up concern landlord/tenant disputes, said SLS
Director Elizabeth Kemper.

One-fourth of the cases are criminal matters which include drug
and alcohol-related issues, Kemper said.

On the first and third Thursday of every month, an attorney from
the SLS office will be available in Ackerman to students from noon
to 1:30 p.m.

Kemper said since the program started at the end of fall
quarter, the number of students who have visited the table has
increased dramatically.

“We think it’s a really nice option because
it’s free and convenient,” Kemper said.

ASUCLA Student Union Division Manager Karen Noh said SLS is an
important resource for students.

“By partnering with other campus organizations, the
Student Union can provide the fullest range of services
available,” Noh said.

Many UCLA students have reacted favorably to the idea, after
noting that many of their peers have encountered legal problems of
their own.

“A lot of my friends had issues with rent and their
landlord,” said Carl Netzler, a fifth-year ecology behavior
and evolution student. Netzler added that though he has not used
the service, the program would be a useful source for legal
answers.

His friends also pointed out the various problems that could
occur with financial aid, rent issues and getting security deposits
returned.

Cabauatan also added that living in a place like Los Angeles
could be overwhelming for new students who don’t know
what’s legal and what’s not.

“If you just moved in, you don’t know the
rules,” Cabauatan said. “You want to know if
you’re doing the right thing.”

In addition to free legal advice, students can become
familiarized with the other services that SLS provides, as well as
make future appointments with SLS attorneys in their offices
located in Dodd Hall.

“Law in the Union” started as a result of the
success of “Law on the Hill,” a similar pilot program
which offered legal advice in Covel Commons for students living in
the dorms.

“Law on the Hill” is offered the first Wednesday of
every month on the second floor of Covel Commons.

“We wanted something more centrally located on campus to
serve all the students,” Kemper said. “We wanted to
provide legal information on topics of interest to students more
easily accessible to them,” Kemper said.

Though many students have reacted favorably to the program,
there are still many who are not aware of it.

“It’s only useful if many people know about
it,” said second-year undeclared student Manny Natera.
“They need to publicize it more.”

Student Union Director Jerry Mann also said “Law in the
Union” still needed some more publicity.

As a result, ASUCLA has provided ads on the rotating sign boards
in the union. They are also looking to advertise the program in the
Daily Bruin, he said.

For more Student Legal Services information, visit
www.studentlegal.ucla.edu.