Eligibility
Student Legal Services is funded by student fees. If you’re a CSU student and you’re taking at least 6 credits, you’ve already paid our fee of $5.79 per semester ($7.23 summer sessions). If you are taking less than 6 credits or are continuously enrolled as a graduate student, you may pay the semester fee and receive service. In rare instances when SLS has excess capacity, SLS may assist a recent graduate for a fee of $20.
How We Assist
SLS attorneys “help you to help yourself.” Ordinarily, SLS attorneys will not represent you in court, as this would limit their time in the office and their ability to help other students. Moreover, many legal issues can be handled by students, themselves, after they have been fully advised. For students needing intensive attorney representation in court or otherwise, SLS attorneys will help the student understand the legal issues and prepare the student to best select and hire an outside attorney. The office does retain the discretion to provide court representation in rare instances, taking into account 1) the special needs of the particular student and 2) how broadly a successful outcome might positively impact the whole student body.
Usually, appointments are set for one hour, which gives the attorney enough time to explain the legal analysis of the problem, draft letters on the spot with the client’s assistance, make phone calls, participate in negotiations, and send the client out with an action plan. If follow-up appointments are needed, those may be provided.
Areas of Legal Expertise
Combined, our three SLS attorneys have extensive experience in nearly every area of law. This allows the office to help almost every eligible student who comes in the door, with the exception of students with tax, immigration or complex intellectual property questions. When the attorneys do not have the expertise to assist a student, SLS refers them to relevant resources.
Conflict of Interest Policy
When SLS is restricted from helping a student due to a conflict of interest, SLS refers the student to a list of community attorneys who have agreed to provide a consultation for the reduced fee of $25 that is paid by SLS. SLS is diligent in screening every case for potential conflict, utilizing a client database to check whether the student seeking help has been an adverse party in a previous case or whether that student's current adversary has been a client of the office, either of which might necessitate a conflict referral. Due to the high number of tenants that SLS assists, SLS does not provide legal services to landlords, even if they are eligible students. SLS will refer an eligible student landlord in accordance with the referral program described above.