Self-Help Clinic closed for summer
The Self-Help Clinic is closedÌýfor the summer and will reopen in the fall.
Assistance with legal forms
Student volunteers can assist with filling out legal forms at no charge. We are unable to assist with further filing of forms or court fees. Appointments are preferred for family law and criminal expungement. Walk-ins will be accommodated until 11 am on a first-come, first-served basis. Appointments are required for eviction expungement. Additionally, all visitors must be up to date on COVID-19 vaccines to be in the building.
Sponsored by the Warren E. Burger LawÌýLibrary
About us
We are a group of 911±¬ÁÏÍøÌýof Law students, alumni, and reference librarians who volunteer to help individuals represent themselves in court.
The clinic assists with completing a self-help form for the following legal issues:
- Criminal Expungement
- Child Support Modification
- Dissolution/Divorce
- Establishing Custody and Parenting Time
- Eviction Expungement
- Modifying Parenting Time
Make an appointment
Check back in the fall to make an appointment for a family law matter, including child support modification, divorce, establishing custody and parenting time, or modifying custody and parenting time. Similarly, check back in the fall to make an appointment for a criminal expungementÌýor eviction expungement matter. If you are unsure which category your matter falls under, please email us atÌý[email protected], and we willÌýbe happy to assist you.
NOTE: We cannot make an appointment if you already have an attorney. We can only provide appointment support with the self-help forms for the six services above. However, don’t hesitate to contact us to request other resources.
Clinic schedule
During the fall and spring semesters, we are open on various Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. All appointments begin at 10:00 a.m. We ask that you arrive on time to ensure that we have enough time to assist you. We do accept walk-ins, however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to assist you if you do not have an appointment.
What to expect
Our student staff is trained to provide legal assistance with completing the required paperwork in the abovementioned areas. If you need help with something other than the services listed above, we are happy to refer you to other resources.
We have volunteer attorneys on staff each Saturday who can answer questions about forms you plan to file, explain the legal process, and provide advice on how to obtain the legal result you seek.
Click on the issue above for a list of documents to bring to your appointment. They will allow us to help you as best we can.
We cannot and will not serve as legal counsel or represent anyone in court.
History
In the Fall of 2006, a couple of law students had the vision of establishing a legal clinic on campus to help better serve our community. The Self-Help Clinic finally opened its doors on Sept. 12, 2009, for a one-semester pilot program. During our first two semesters, we helped 90 patrons, many of whom came back multiple times to resolve their legal issues. Due to our resounding success, we are now a permanent 911±¬ÁÏÍø of Law clinic.
Links
A wonderful site with information, documents, and links about Minnesota law
Self-help resources