Paralegal students are working in a free legal clinic on campus that helps students, faculty and community members sort out their legal problems.
Up to a dozen students volunteer at AACC’s Legal Self-Help Clinic, which is located in Careers 173 and operates on Mondays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“We have a ton of knowledge about all the different legal resources that are out there, everything from legal aid to Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service,” legal studies professor Lonni Summers, who runs the clinic, said.
The student volunteers help clients find resources in the community and explain the legal process, but they do not give legal advice. Summers, a lawyer, and attorneys who sometimes volunteer at the clinic, do offer advice.
Last semester, the clinic helped more than a dozen clients, Summers said.
Their legal troubles ranged from landlord-tenant disputes to domestic violence, Summers said.
“And then for some people, they may have the resources to hire a private lawyer,” Summers said. “So we’ll refer them to the private bar. Maybe they need a family law attorney. … Maybe a professor has some, you know, intellectual property issue, and we can make a referral to that.”
Sometimes, the volunteers make referrals to non-legal organizations.
“Oftentimes, if people have issues like making rent, they may have other issues too, right?” Summer said. “Maybe they’re food insecure, and we can refer them to AACC’s community pantry, or, if you can’t pay bills, you’re probably having other financial issues, too. So maybe you need credit counseling. … If you don’t know where to go, like, start here, and we’ll help you figure it out.”
For those who need expert advice, the volunteers call in a supervising attorney like Summers.
Paralegal students said the hands-on learning helps prepare them for the future.
Second-year paralegal student Malina Johnston recalled the advice she got from a lawyer who used to volunteer at the two-year-old clinic.
“He was like, ‘You guys have no idea how lucky you are to be able to interact with clients, and you’ve never even been to law school.’”
