student legal
student legal

student legal

LEGAL

Woodruff, student legal services, shares priorities at ASMSU meeting

The Associated Students of MSU, or ASMSU, hosted Interim President Teresa Woodruff at its first meeting of the semester.

Her main goal was to convey to the student body that she supports them. She emphasized she hears the students and wants to ensure that the university is as safe and welcoming as it can possibly b.

She spoke on different initiatives that she has been paying attention to in fields such as diversity, equity and inclusion, and relationship violence and sexual misconduct. She said the university would be breaking ground on a new freestanding cultural center on campus.

After her presentation, two attorneys from Student Legal Services shared about the services they offered. Their priority is helping students on campus with legal needs completely free of cost. Their services also as educate students about their own legal issues so they have the skills needed to handle situations on their own own.

“Prior to engaging in our service, almost 80% of students reported moderate,” attorney Brian Jeffries said. “Afterwards 99% of those respondents said they’d better understand their legality issue.”

Student Legal Services can be found in the Student Services Building on the third floor.

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LEGAL

Inside Student Legal Services: a free resource for MSU students

Founded on the third floor of the Student Services Building, Student Legal Services is a resource built to protect students in a legal capacity free of charge.

Associative attorney David Myers said the service can handle situation as minimum as $100 or as high as over $10,000.

“The appreciation from the students is always great,” Myers said. “And it’s nice to not have to send them a bill after they’re done with the service.”

Currently, two attorneys and paralegal assistants work with the service. Students from MSU’s law program also shadow these employees.

Attorney Brian Jefferies said Student Legal Services is trying to restore back to where it was before COVID-19 hit. For example, client interviews are back to an in-person settings.

“I think that makes a significant difference in terms of the experience that our clients have and our ability to really address some of their questions and provide help,” Jefferies said.

ASMSU vice president of finance and operations Vipul Adusumili said Student Legal Services is a resource built by students for students.

“One really cool unique thing is like the students are paying for the service like we’re all paying (ASMSU) tax and I think it’s really important,” Adusumili said. “Utilize this and (be) aware of it,” Adusummili said.

The attorneys at Student Legal Services can deal with matters like landlord and tenant issues, parking matters and finance decisions.

“Just to be frank, there’s a lot of students that are getting taken advantage of and that’s one of the areas that we’re focused on focusing on trying to at least assist those that come to us but hopefully trying to fix the problem, too ,” Myers said.

Jefferies said students could utilize the service to just ask for

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