Students work with attorneys to help undergraduates with problems

Monday, November 16, 2009 - 1:48 AM

Alana Cooler

Maritza Perez

The Associated Students of the University of Nevada Legal Services is designed to provide legal information to undergraduate students at the University of Nevada, Reno. Occasionally, graduate students and faculty will seek out our free and completely confidential services.

To reach out to more students, we, the director and assistant director, will take turns writing columns.

My name is Maritza Perez and I am the director of Legal Services. I am a senior, completing double majors in journalism (public relations) and Spanish, and double minors in political science (American government) and economic policy. My job is to connect my clients with legal help. After hearing about their situations, I assess the next step. Sometimes, clients just need help reviewing Nevada statutes. But if they do need an attorney, I try to refer them to an attorney or law office that can work with them for low or reduced fees.

There is also an attorney on staff who volunteers and meets with clients on a weekly basis. I decide whether the case should go to our staff attorney or not. It is important to remember that I only give legal information and not legal advice. Only attorneys, like our staff attorney, can give legal advice by law.

My name is Alana Cooler and I am the assistant director of Legal Services. I am a pre-law major. I also work at the Disability Resource Center.

So far this semester, many cases have come across my desk. The major bulk of our cases are landlord-tenant disputes, divorce and custody issues, or cases involving MIP/MIC/DUI. But there is a wide range of issues we come across, all of which provide us with great learning opportunities.

I also help students with their legal problems by finding them the answers they need to pursue their cases. Most students who come into our office have a legal matter that can be resolved by me through consulting with our on-staff attorney, who in turn will answer their questions. As for the harder cases, we have the student either meet with our on-staff attorney or I give them a list of reduced-rate attorneys who may better assist them. On a daily basis we receive many calls, hold client meetings and receive student drop-ins.

Both of us intend to go to law school and have learned a lot from our experiences in this department. I would recommend that those who are interested keep their ears open for staff openings when we both graduate this upcoming May.

The ASUN legal services office is room 350 in the Joe Crowley Student Union. Drop by with comments, questions or concerns. Contact Maritza Perez at legal@asun.unr.edu or Alana Cooler at legal2@asun.unr.