Attorneys with a common goal

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In an economy as unstable as ours, seeking professional legal advice may end up being too much of a luxury to pursue. Legal problems, however, seem to simply show up at the most inopportune moments.

Under the direction of Jill Jasperson, associate professor of Legal Studies, attorneys from the community gathered to advise people on their needs at a free legal clinic on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

Students and faculty worked to coordinate the appointments for the attorneys, as well as ensure that people felt comfortable in seeking help. The clinic had attorneys from most fields in law, including business, wills and trusts, family law, tax law, bankruptcy law, personal injuries and criminal law.

There was a consensus among attorneys that their motivation for being here was because it’s good for the community to have attorneys do pro bono work and this was the perfect opportunity for them to do so.

“Every attorney wishes they could do more pro bono work,” attorney Jason Wilcox said. “But especially in this economy, it’s just too hard, and this clinic allows them to do that work for a couple of hours, go back to work and come back the next year.”

Attorney Richard Sheffield mentioned that “this clinic emphasizes the fact that attorneys can do a lot of good, not just in helping people who cannot afford legal help but also by thinking about the broader picture and helping people arrive to a solution that avoids a drawn-on litigation.”

Participant Sarah Anguiano said that this clinic was great and the attorney was able to answer her questions.

“It’s great how someone who is outside of your situation can look at it and give you so many options when you thought you didn’t have any,” Anguiano said.

As for student involvement in the event, it made a great difference.

“It was great to have the clinic at UVU,” Wilcox said. “It gives students a great opportunity to be involved in the actual practice of law instead of just the classroom lectures.”