The College of Law is pleased to announce the launch of the Community Legal Clinic, or CLC. The CLC takes place monthly and is located at LDS Welfare Square, 751 W. 700 South, in Salt Lake City. The CLC focuses on providing help in the areas of immigration and family law. Students from the College of Law volunteer and provide the initial intake interviews to anyone who attends. Attorneys from the community mentor students and provide limited assistance. The CLC free Brief Advice Legal Clinic as part of the Pro Bono Initiative at the S.J. Quinney College of Law.
Twenty-nine community members came to the CLC’s first session seeking legal advice. The College of Law provided many volunteer students and 15 attorneys, including Ian Wang, an associate at Kunzler law group, volunteered their time. “When I first heard about the CLC, I thought it was a great idea,” Wang said. “It’s a way to substantively help those in need in our community. The CLC connects those who need help with people who have the expertise to help them. I look forward to volunteering more at the CLC.”
Kylie Orme, a 1L at the College of Law, also volunteered at the opening CLC. She said, “Getting involved reminds me why I went to law school in the first place. It provides more than just hands-on experience with clients. It gives us the opportunity to make a difference in the community. These are real people, with real problems, that we can actually help. That is very rewarding.”
Bryant Brown is a student seeking a dual JD/MBA degree and a CLC volunteer. He noted, “What jumped out to me were the many firms and lawyers in attendance. If they can take time to help the community, so can I. We did meaningful work.”
The CLC is 1 of 8 free clinics offered by the Pro Bono Initiative for brief legal advice. The clinics operate year round and cover topics including debt counseling, criminal record expungement, family law, and consumer or housing law. JoLynn Spruance is the Director of the Pro Bono Initiative and manages the eight Free Brief Advice Legal Clinics. She said, “Our first CLC was a true success! To see our law students and attorneys work together on legal issue after legal issue was an extremely satisfying experience. The law students were able to take what they learned in the classroom setting and assist people who had real problems, all under the direct supervision of our on-site attorneys. It was amazing to part of a team that provided invaluable legal assistance to those in need.” Student Clinic Directors Travis Walker and Isabel Moreno expressed their gratitude for the CLC, calling it “the start of something great.”
The CLC is made possible through a partnership with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More information on the CLC is available here.