On-campus Legal Clinic for students
Lawyers advise students on a variety of issues
Are you or another student you know in need of legal advice? If so, Binghamton University has you covered.
Off-Campus Services and Programs partners with Off Campus College Council (OC3) to provide students with free consultations through a Legal Clinic. The clinic helps students navigate their way through a variety of legal issues, such as difficulties with a landlord, criminal charges or situations as simple as receiving a parking ticket.
“The Legal Clinic is an invaluable resource,” said Milton Chester, assistant dean for off-campus services and programs. “We provide our students with high-quality legal advice from attorneys who work for some of the best law firms in the county.”
The clinic is held on a first-come, first-served basis from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Nelson Rockefeller Center in Hinman Commons (room 162).
“I’ve been involved in this clinic since the late 1970s,” attorney Paul E. Pool of Johnson City said. “It’s an important service we provide to the student body, and I’m happy to be a part of it. Students can come in and ask a variety of questions and we do our best to answer them. But if we can’t, we always refer them to somebody who can.”
Students visit the clinic for a variety of reasons, Pool said, but some of the most severe instances involve arrests for crimes such as theft, drug possession, fake identification and driving under the influence.
“We were all 18 or 19 at one point,” Pool said. “People make mistakes, but in all my years of dealing with students, one thing has become clear to me: Many of these young adults fail to recognize the potential repercussions associated with their actions.”
Nevertheless, Pool and his colleagues are there to help and are available for hire in the event that a student needs legal representation.
“I’ve always had great success getting criminal charges reduced down to non-criminal dispositions,” Pool said. “That’s always my goal, but even when that happens, there is a great deal of stress, worry, expense and torment all because students didn’t realize the seriousness of their actions.”
Many students who visit the Legal Clinic have never had any reason to meet with an attorney in the past, said Chester, who added that the process can be emotionally taxing.
“We do our best to provide students with some level of reassurance and comfort in their time of crisis,” he said. “One of our lawyers is a former judge, and many students find that reassuring. Having such a knowledgeable staff that is capable of explaining the inner workings of the legal process tends to alleviate a lot of the anxiety. This is particularly true for first-time offenders.
“Helping students through difficult situations is a gratifying experience,” Chester said. “We’re here to provide support and let them know they are not alone. For me, that’s what it’s all about.”
For more information, visit the Legal Clinic website or contact Chester.