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Legal Services
Free Legal Advice for IPFW Students |
| The IPFW Student Legal Services program, initiated by former IPFW student body President Matt Shilling
and OLS Professor Mitchell Sherr, began in Fall 2005. Shilling and Sherr spent many hours planning and coordinating this program before finally making it a reality. They both
researched how to best tailor legal services specifically to the needs of IPFW students and who best to implement the program. The program is staffed by Judge Janet Seiwart Bell. |
Location
Walb Student Union Room 225
Hours
By Appointment
Scheduling
Contact IPSGA administrative assistant in person or by telephone 481-6586
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IPFW Student Legal Services will advise and counsel students concerning their legal issues and inform students of their legal rights and responsibilities through private interviews, publications, and seminars.
Neither IPFW Student Legal Services nor Judge Bell will represent students. Instead, counseling will be provided in the following areas: consumer (contracts, warranties, credit matters, purchase and leases, defective products and repairs/services), family law (divorce,
adoption, paternity, child custody and support, restraining orders, name changes, guardianships, simple wills/inheritances), property (actions related to both personal and real property), traffic offenses, employment (Social Security eligibility, pay and compensation, discrimination, and unemployment),
agreement to purchase real estate, landlord tenant (repairs, security deposits, eviction, and termination of leases, interpretation of leases), and notary services (acknowledgments, power of attorney, and preparation of affidavits).
The following are areas in which IPFW Student Legal Services will not provide counseling (the program will suggest people/departments/agencies from which to seek assistance): where a conflict of interest is or potentially is involved; issues with IPFW staff; disputes between
students (unless both students request Judge Bell to serve as mediator); issues with the city, county, state, or federal agencies or government; criminal issues; copyrights and patents; security cases; or representation at a trail or administrative hearing.
All currently enrolled IPFW students are eligible to use IPFW Student Legal Services. Continuing education students, faculty and staff, and members of the community are not eligible. There is no additional cost to the student for these services.
An eligible student may schedule no more than 50 minutes per semester with the legal counselor because there are nearly 12,000 students, and the position is staffed part time. If demand exceeds the time offered, the program will be revisited by the IPSGA to better accommodate students.
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