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Student legal clinic offers law advice |
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
by LINDSAY TIGAR
Lifestyles Editor
German born American physicist Albert Einstein once encouraged others to seek information, find it, and apply it to be successful.
The
free student legal clinic in the Office of Student Conduct in the
Plemmons Student Union allows students to follow Einstein’s
recommendation.
“The
free legal clinic helps students to know their rights and not be
steamrolled by the law enforcement or the court system as a young
individual,” Student Conduct Advocate and graduate student in criminal
justice and criminology Jamie V. Rosenborough said.
 Karla P. Rusch, the assistant director of student conduct and the Student Legal Clinic, meets with Eric S. Altman, a graduate student of anthropology and English. Photo by Lindsay Diedrich
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Karla P. Rusch, the assistant director of the office of student conduct and student legal clinic, created this free service.
Rusch
graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a bachelor’s
degree in psychology and from law school at New York University before
moving to Boone in 1993.
She began work at Legal Service of Blue Ridge and saw the need for legal advice for students.
“I
had become aware that ASU students were not always able to access legal
service and advice,” Rusch said. “I proposed to the university a
program that would give students free legal advice.”
The university adapted the proposal and Rusch worked two years on contract before becoming full time in 2002.
“It
speaks well for the university as another example of how much they care
about students being treated fairly,” Rosenborough said.
The
clinic allows students to seek free, confidential, legal information
from a licensed attorney with any case they may be dealing with.
Rusch will advise attorneys in the area to represent students, but cannot represent them herself.
She also cannot advise students in matters that are adversely against the university, she said.
Rusch
believes it’s very important that students be equipped with
information, especially when they are not aware of how the legal system
works.
“The
legal system is pretty murky for non-lawyers,” she said. “It can be
very difficult to navigate without an attorney. For students, it could
be empowering to have that information and it will allow them to make
informed decisions.”
Students
may approach the clinic about any civil legal problems or minor
criminal charges, according to www.studentconduct.appstate.edu.
The
two most common cases that Rusch advises students on are minor criminal
charges including traffic violations and landlord-tenant issues.
However, she has counseled students on family law, consumer law, and business law, employment issues and more.
Appalachian State students have gradually taken more advantage of the free service over the past years.
According
to statistical data provided by the Office of Student Conduct, in the
2003-04 school year, 119 students sought advice, while 220 students
used the clinic in the 2006-07 year.
Rusch expects the numbers to continually increase over time.
Appalachian
State University is also one of the few schools in the University of
North Carolina system to offer a free legal clinic for students and
Rusch has been contacted by other schools who are interested in
modeling Appalachian’s example.
Rusch hopes more students will benefit from the clinic.
“It’s
free - you’ve got nothing to lose,” she said. “It’s easy to access and
there is really no downside to getting information and it may save you
money.”
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