Problems often arise that require legal advice, and it’s no different for students. Ohio State is promising to offer more help with these types of problems in the future.

 

The Board of Trustees passed a proposal Friday for a new, expanded student legal services program.

Beginning fall 2011, OSU students will have the option to pay an annual fee of $40 to receive legal advice and representation for a variety of issues.

The Student Housing Legal Clinic already provides advice and representation regarding landlord-tenant issues.

But students who choose to enroll in the new legal services program can receive guidance about issues including criminal misdemeanors, consumer transactions, uncontested domestic matters, conversion of property and simple document drafting.

The program will also provide outreach and education to students regarding their legal rights and responsibilities.

It does not include issues involving felonies, student vs. student matters, actions between students and OSU, or actions between students and law enforcement officers.

The only cost students would be required to pay in addition to the $40 fee would be court costs.

It should be stressed that any student who does not want to pay for the program does not have to, said USG President Micah Kamrass.

“It’s allowing students the freedom to choose. If they don’t think it’s going to be a good use of their money, they can opt out,” he said.

The Student Housing Legal Clinic sees about 1,000 to 1,200 students annually and frequently gets requests for help in areas other than housing.

“We have had requests for criminal cases, domestic cases, contract issues and assistance in drafting documents,” said Nicole Hall, director of the legal clinic. “I definitely see a need for an expanded legal program like this at Ohio State.”

Under the new plan, the legal clinic will grow from its current staff of two attorneys to at least six attorneys and 16 other employees, including three to six undergraduate assistants.

USG proposed an expanded, optional student legal services program about two years ago, with the support of the Council on Student Affairs and the University Senate Fiscal Committee.

Kamrass said student government has long recognized the need for an expanded legal program to assist students with issues that might otherwise compromise their academic careers.

“The goal is to provide our students with as much support and assistance as we can and not have them take on the financial burden of having legal problems,” Kamrass said.

Now that the proposal has been approved by the Board of Trustees, it will go into a preparation phase where details will be worked out.

One such detail is what will happen if not enough students opt into the program to cover costs, which requires a 55 percent acceptance rate. Officials don’t believe this will happen, though, based on benchmarks from other universities with this type of student fee-funded program.

“At other institutions, students take advantage of it largely,” said Martha Garland during the Academic and Student Life Committee meeting.

An oversight board comprised of representatives of USG, the Council of Graduate Students, the Inter-professional Council, the Office of Student Life, the Office of Business and Finance and the Moritz College of Law will oversee the planning process.

“So many other universities have programs like this,” Kamrass said. “It’s time for us to have one.”