Last week the Student legal housing clinic reached out to students who needed help interpreting their lease by setting up access tables around campus. Each table was headed by a legal intern.
“You walk up to me, and say, ‘hey can you look over my lease,’ and I will look over your lease.” said Wilhelmina Cooper, a legal intern.
The goal of the new set up is to provide some new information to the students about signing their leases.
“We are trying to do some preventative education, because many students don’t understand what the fine print on their leases mean and what their rights are,” said Katherine Wise, director and supervising attorney of the student housing legal clinic.
Most of the issues students bring up are problems dealing with the security deposits, Wise said. The clinic provides free legal advice, education for students and practice for law students at the Moritz College of Law.
The clinic employees nine graduate students and four undergraduate students, who perform basic legal tasks and work with students. Graduate students usually work anywhere from 10 to 12 hours a week.
Last week at the access tables they were available to go over leases or make appointments.
“Were hoping that we will be able to set up something similar four times a year,” said Lisa Pfeifer, program coordinator.
The clinic is tucked away on the third floor of the Ohio union, and not too many students know about them.
Services are available to all students who need legal advise about housing, not just those on campus, and they provide services exclusively to students.
